Abstract
One of the promising approaches to achieving large scale superlubricity is the use of junctions between existing ultra-flat surface together with superlubric graphite mesas. Here we studied the frictional properties of microscale graphite mesa sliding on the diamond-like carbon, a commercially available material with a ultra-flat surface. The interface is composed of a single crystalline graphene and a diamond-like carbon surface with roughness less than 1 nm. Using an integrated approach, which includes Argon plasma irradiation of diamond-like carbon surfaces, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and Langmuir adsorption modeling, we found that while the velocity dependence of friction follows a thermally activated sliding mechanism, its temperature dependence is due to the desorption of chemical groups upon heating. These observations indicate that the edges have a significant contribution to the friction. Our results highlight potential factors affecting this type of emerging friction junctions and provide a novel approach for tuning their friction properties through ion irradiation.
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Acknowledgements
Wengen Ouyang acknowledges the financial support from a fellowship program for outstanding postdoctoral researchers from China and India in Israeli Universities. Ming Ma wishes to acknowledge the financial support by Thousand Young Talents Program and the NSFC grant Nos. 11632009, 11772168, and 11890673. Quanshui Zheng wishes to acknowledge the financial support by the NSFC grant No. 11890671.
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Yujie GONGYANG. She received her bachelor degree in engineering mechanics in 2014 from Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China. After then, she studied for her doctorate in the Department of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University. Her research interests include nano/micro mechanics and superlubricity.
Wengen OUYANG. He received his Ph.D. degree in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University, China, in 2016. Currently, he is a postdoc in School of Chemistry of Tel Aviv University, Israel. His research interests include nanotribology superlubricity, and developing realistic interlayer force fields for 2D materials.
Ming MA. He received his Ph.D. degree in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University, China, in 2011. He joined the State Key Laboratory of Tribology at Tsinghua University from 2016. His current position is an associate professor. His research areas cover nanotribology, nanofluidics, superlubricity, and diffusion on surfaces or under confinement.
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Gongyang, Y., Ouyang, W., Qu, C. et al. Temperature and velocity dependent friction of a microscale graphite-DLC heterostructure. Friction 8, 462–470 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-019-0288-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-019-0288-0