Abstract
When material dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale, exceptional physical mechanics properties can be obtained that differ significantly from the corresponding bulk materials. Here we review the physical mechanics of the friction of low-dimensional nanomaterials, including zero-dimensional nanoparticles, one-dimensional multiwalled nanotubes and nanowires, and two-dimensional nanomaterials—such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and transition-metal dichalcogenides—as well as topological insulators. Nanoparticles between solid surfaces can serve as rolling and sliding lubrication, while the interlayer friction of multiwalled nanotubes can be ultralow or significantly high and sensitive to interwall spacing and chirality matching, as well as the tube materials. The interwall friction can be several orders of magnitude higher in binary polarized h-BN tubes than in carbon nanotubes mainly because of wall buckling. Furthermore, current extensive studies on two-dimensional nanomaterials are comprehensively reviewed herein. In contrast to their bulk materials that serve as traditional dry lubricants (e.g., graphite, bulk h-BN, and MoS2), large-area high-quality monolayered two-dimensional nanomaterials can serve as single-atom-thick coatings that minimize friction and wear. In addition, by appropriately tuning the surface properties, these materials have shown great promise for creating energy-efficient self-powered electro-opto-magneto-mechanical nanosystems. State-of-the-art experimental and theoretical methods to characterize friction in nanomaterials are also introduced.
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Wanlin GUO. He obtained his bachelor, master and PhD degrees in solids mechanics in 1985, 1988, and 1991 respectively from Northwestern ploytechnical University, Xi’an, China. From 1991 he has worked as Post-D, associated professor and professor in Xi’an Jiaotong University. From 1995 to 1998, he worked at the Center-of-Expertise of Australian Defence Science and Technology Organization at Monash University. He worked as Chair Professor Position of the Education Ministry of China in Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics since 2000. Prof. Wanlin Guo obtained the Outstanding Young Scientist Award (Premier Fund) of China in 1996 and the honor of Cheung Kong Scholars in 1999. In 2012, he was awarded the 2nd National Prize in Nature Science for his contribution to nanomechanics. His current research interests cover nanoscale physical mechanics, intelligent nano materials and devices, high efficient energy transfer nanotechnology, and three dimensional fatigue fracture and damage tolerance and durability design of structures.
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Guo, W., Yin, J., Qiu, H. et al. Friction of low-dimensional nanomaterial systems. Friction 2, 209–225 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-014-0064-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-014-0064-0