Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction

Monolayer MoS2 has garnered significant interest because of its exceptional optoelectronic and tribological properties and potential application as a lubrication layer in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Although the nanotribological performance of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2...

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Main Authors: Haowen Luo, Shenghong Liu, Zhihuan Li, Yuan Li, Alain Dubois, Yadong Xu, Nan Kang, Mohamed El Mansori, Feng Zhou, Jianxi Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tsinghua University Press 2025-07-01
Series:Friction
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Online Access:https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FRICT.2025.9440981
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author Haowen Luo
Shenghong Liu
Zhihuan Li
Yuan Li
Alain Dubois
Yadong Xu
Nan Kang
Mohamed El Mansori
Feng Zhou
Jianxi Liu
author_facet Haowen Luo
Shenghong Liu
Zhihuan Li
Yuan Li
Alain Dubois
Yadong Xu
Nan Kang
Mohamed El Mansori
Feng Zhou
Jianxi Liu
author_sort Haowen Luo
collection DOAJ
description Monolayer MoS2 has garnered significant interest because of its exceptional optoelectronic and tribological properties and potential application as a lubrication layer in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Although the nanotribological performance of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2 and the characteristics associated with CVD growth have been extensively studied, challenges remain in designing specific regions on the monolayer MoS2 surface with reduced friction. Here, we develop nuclei with an onion-shell structure on CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 to achieve remarkable friction and adhesion reduction. These nuclei, dispersed on high-quality and crystalline MoS2, consist of an oxi-sulfide core surrounded by a multilayer MoS2 shell. Lateral force microscopy results indicate that onion-shell nuclei create an ensemble effect that decreases friction and adhesion by up to 45% and 20%, respectively, compared with those of MoS2 because of the multilayer structure and in-plane tensile strain, both of which minimize out-of-plane deformation. Derjaguin–Müller–Toporov (DMT) model calculations and step-down load‒friction correlations illustrate that the work of adhesion, shear strength, and coefficient of friction on the nucleus decrease by more than 22%, 19%, and 34%, respectively, compared with those on MoS2. The onion-shell nucleus presents a novel lubrication strategy to mitigate friction and adhesion in CVD-grown two-dimensional (2D) materials, with potential applications in lubricating nanoscale friction pairs.
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issn 2223-7690
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Tsinghua University Press
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series Friction
spelling doaj-art-34b92a22e8944546899a5099066aa1be2025-08-20T02:22:14ZengTsinghua University PressFriction2223-76902223-77042025-07-01137944098110.26599/FRICT.2025.9440981Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reductionHaowen Luo0Shenghong Liu1Zhihuan Li2Yuan Li3Alain Dubois4Yadong Xu5Nan Kang6Mohamed El Mansori7Feng Zhou8Jianxi Liu9State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center of Advanced Lubrication and Seal Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center of Advanced Lubrication and Seal Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, ChinaLaboratory of Physical Chemistry – Matter and Radiation, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris 75005, FranceState Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center of Advanced Lubrication and Seal Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaArts et Metiers Institute of Technology, MSMP, HESAM Université, Châlons-en-Champagne F-51006, FranceArts et Metiers Institute of Technology, MSMP, HESAM Université, Châlons-en-Champagne F-51006, FranceState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center of Advanced Lubrication and Seal Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, ChinaMonolayer MoS2 has garnered significant interest because of its exceptional optoelectronic and tribological properties and potential application as a lubrication layer in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Although the nanotribological performance of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2 and the characteristics associated with CVD growth have been extensively studied, challenges remain in designing specific regions on the monolayer MoS2 surface with reduced friction. Here, we develop nuclei with an onion-shell structure on CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 to achieve remarkable friction and adhesion reduction. These nuclei, dispersed on high-quality and crystalline MoS2, consist of an oxi-sulfide core surrounded by a multilayer MoS2 shell. Lateral force microscopy results indicate that onion-shell nuclei create an ensemble effect that decreases friction and adhesion by up to 45% and 20%, respectively, compared with those of MoS2 because of the multilayer structure and in-plane tensile strain, both of which minimize out-of-plane deformation. Derjaguin–Müller–Toporov (DMT) model calculations and step-down load‒friction correlations illustrate that the work of adhesion, shear strength, and coefficient of friction on the nucleus decrease by more than 22%, 19%, and 34%, respectively, compared with those on MoS2. The onion-shell nucleus presents a novel lubrication strategy to mitigate friction and adhesion in CVD-grown two-dimensional (2D) materials, with potential applications in lubricating nanoscale friction pairs.https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FRICT.2025.9440981two-dimensional (2d) materialsmos2frictionadhesionnucleiatomic force microscopy (afm)
spellingShingle Haowen Luo
Shenghong Liu
Zhihuan Li
Yuan Li
Alain Dubois
Yadong Xu
Nan Kang
Mohamed El Mansori
Feng Zhou
Jianxi Liu
Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
Friction
two-dimensional (2d) materials
mos2
friction
adhesion
nuclei
atomic force microscopy (afm)
title Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
title_full Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
title_fullStr Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
title_full_unstemmed Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
title_short Onion-shell nuclei on monolayer MoS2 facilitate friction reduction
title_sort onion shell nuclei on monolayer mos2 facilitate friction reduction
topic two-dimensional (2d) materials
mos2
friction
adhesion
nuclei
atomic force microscopy (afm)
url https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FRICT.2025.9440981
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AT yuanli onionshellnucleionmonolayermos2facilitatefrictionreduction
AT alaindubois onionshellnucleionmonolayermos2facilitatefrictionreduction
AT yadongxu onionshellnucleionmonolayermos2facilitatefrictionreduction
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