The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact
Abstract Structural superlubricity (SSL), a state of ultralow friction and no wear between two solid surfaces in contact, offers a fundamental solution for reducing friction and wear. Recent studies find that the edge pinning of SSL contact dominates the friction. However, its nature remains mysteri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55069-1 |
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| author | Hengqian Hu Jin Wang Kaiwen Tian Quanshui Zheng Ming Ma |
| author_facet | Hengqian Hu Jin Wang Kaiwen Tian Quanshui Zheng Ming Ma |
| author_sort | Hengqian Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Structural superlubricity (SSL), a state of ultralow friction and no wear between two solid surfaces in contact, offers a fundamental solution for reducing friction and wear. Recent studies find that the edge pinning of SSL contact dominates the friction. However, its nature remains mysterious due to the lack of direct characterizations on atomic scale. Here, for microscale graphite mesa, we unambiguously reveal the atomic structure and chemical composition of the disordered edge. The friction stress for each contact condition, namely, edge/edge, edge/surface, and surface/surface contacts are quantified, with the ratio being 104:103:1. The mechanism is revealed by all-atom molecular dynamic simulations, which reproduce the measured friction qualitatively. Inspired by such understanding, through fabricating SixNy caps with tensile stress, we further eliminate the friction caused by the edges through disengaging the edges from the substrate. As a result, an SSL contact with ultralow friction stress of 0.1 kPa or lower is achieved directly. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa891191098742c8a4e9bd76a99f0194 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa891191098742c8a4e9bd76a99f01942025-01-05T12:36:30ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-12-011511810.1038/s41467-024-55069-1The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contactHengqian Hu0Jin Wang1Kaiwen Tian2Quanshui Zheng3Ming Ma4Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityCenter for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua UniversityInstitute of Superlubricity Technology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in ShenzhenCenter for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua UniversityAbstract Structural superlubricity (SSL), a state of ultralow friction and no wear between two solid surfaces in contact, offers a fundamental solution for reducing friction and wear. Recent studies find that the edge pinning of SSL contact dominates the friction. However, its nature remains mysterious due to the lack of direct characterizations on atomic scale. Here, for microscale graphite mesa, we unambiguously reveal the atomic structure and chemical composition of the disordered edge. The friction stress for each contact condition, namely, edge/edge, edge/surface, and surface/surface contacts are quantified, with the ratio being 104:103:1. The mechanism is revealed by all-atom molecular dynamic simulations, which reproduce the measured friction qualitatively. Inspired by such understanding, through fabricating SixNy caps with tensile stress, we further eliminate the friction caused by the edges through disengaging the edges from the substrate. As a result, an SSL contact with ultralow friction stress of 0.1 kPa or lower is achieved directly.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55069-1 |
| spellingShingle | Hengqian Hu Jin Wang Kaiwen Tian Quanshui Zheng Ming Ma The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact Nature Communications |
| title | The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| title_full | The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| title_fullStr | The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| title_short | The effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| title_sort | effects of disordered edge and vanishing friction in microscale structural superlubric graphite contact |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55069-1 |
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