Yanmin Liu, Dong Wang, Ke Zhang, Haijun Wu, Guoqing Yu, Qiang Zhang, Yuanzi Zhou, Tianbao Ma, Aisheng Song
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
High-conductivity sliding electrical contact with low friction plays a significant role in the long life and high reliability of electromechanical systems. Reducing friction needs weak interfacial electronic coupling; in contrast, enhancing conductivity requires strong coupling; thus it is a serious challenge to achieve high conductivity with low friction. Here, using our self-developed thermally assisted mechanical exfoliation and transfer (TAMET) method, we experimentally achieved superlubricating electrical contact by establishing a sliding electrical system between graphite layers (Gr); the friction coefficient was as low as 0.0004, and the electric current density was as high as 510 A/cm2. Compared with the commercial Ir atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip–Gr contact, the friction force of incommensurate graphene layer friction is an order of magnitude lower, yet it has a similar high electrical conductivity. On the basis of the electronic property fluctuation (EPF) model and first principles calculations, we revealed that the sliding energy barrier remains almost unchanged under an applied current because of the negligible electron transfer variation during the sliding process. We offer a method for achieving superlubricating electrical contact with high conductivity and low friction, shedding light on improving the service life and reliability of sliding electrical contacts in a wide range of electromechanical systems.
期刊介绍:
Friction is a peer-reviewed international journal for the publication of theoretical and experimental research works related to the friction, lubrication and wear. Original, high quality research papers and review articles on all aspects of tribology are welcome, including, but are not limited to, a variety of topics, such as:
Friction: Origin of friction, Friction theories, New phenomena of friction, Nano-friction, Ultra-low friction, Molecular friction, Ultra-high friction, Friction at high speed, Friction at high temperature or low temperature, Friction at solid/liquid interfaces, Bio-friction, Adhesion, etc.
Lubrication: Superlubricity, Green lubricants, Nano-lubrication, Boundary lubrication, Thin film lubrication, Elastohydrodynamic lubrication, Mixed lubrication, New lubricants, New additives, Gas lubrication, Solid lubrication, etc.
Wear: Wear materials, Wear mechanism, Wear models, Wear in severe conditions, Wear measurement, Wear monitoring, etc.
Surface Engineering: Surface texturing, Molecular films, Surface coatings, Surface modification, Bionic surfaces, etc.
Basic Sciences: Tribology system, Principles of tribology, Thermodynamics of tribo-systems, Micro-fluidics, Thermal stability of tribo-systems, etc.
Friction is an open access journal. It is published quarterly by Tsinghua University Press and Springer, and sponsored by the State Key Laboratory of Tribology (TsinghuaUniversity) and the Tribology Institute of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society.