Friction of magnetene, a non-van der Waals 2D material

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are known to have low-friction interfaces by reducing the energy dissipated by sliding contacts. While this is often attributed to van der Waals (vdW) bonding of 2D materials, nanoscale and quantum confinement effects can also act to modify the atomic interactions of a 2D material, producing unique interfacial properties. Here, we demonstrate the low-friction behavior of magnetene, a non-vdW 2D material obtained via the exfoliation of magnetite, showing statistically similar friction to benchmark vdW 2D materials. We find that this low friction is due to 2D confinement effects of minimized potential energy surface corrugation, lowered valence states reducing surface adsorbates, and forbidden low-damping phonon modes, all of which contribute to producing a low-friction 2D material.

Automated summary

Two-dimensional materials are known for their low-friction interfaces, with van der Waals bonding being a major factor. However, nanoscale and quantum confinement effects can also play a role in modifying the atomic interactions of 2D materials, resulting in unique interfacial properties. Magnetene, a non-vdW 2D material obtained through the exfoliation of magnetite, demonstrates low-friction behavior similar to benchmark vdW 2D materials due to 2D confinement effects that minimize potential energy surface corrugation, reduce surface adsorbates, and restrict low-damping phonon modes.