<p>Contact electrification (CE) (or triboelectrification) is a common phenomenon occurring between any two materials or two states of a material. However, CE in semiconductor materials poses a highly complex problem. In 2019, Wang proposed the tribovoltaic effect, suggesting that the energy released by the formation and breaking of chemical bonds between interface atoms (bindington) may excite local electron–hole pairs, which will be separated by the built-in electric field, generating a DC. In recent years, the tribovoltaic effect has been extensively studied as a novel energy-conversion mechanism, leading to the development of higher power density generators and novel sensor devices. This article will review the development of the tribovoltaic effect, introduce the fundamentals of semiconductor interface CE, discuss the influence mechanisms of working parameters and materials on it, and propose some potential applications based on this effect. The paper reviews the development of the tribovoltaic effect on semiconductor interfaces. Various forms of tribovoltaic nanogenerators (TVNGs) are discussed, including semiconductor–semiconductor, metal–semiconductor, metal–insulator–semiconductor, liquid–semiconductor, and others. It summarizes the effects of material parameters such as resistivity, metal type, and operational parameters such as speed, pressure, and humidity on CE. Furthermore, the application of the tribovoltaic effect in mechanical energy conversion is elucidated. Finally, the article offers insights into the potential application fields and future development prospects of the tribovoltaic effect.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>