Journal
NATURE
Volume 407, Issue 6801, Pages 164-167Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/35025020
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The tribological properties of solid lubricants such as graphite and the metal dichalcogenides MX2 (where M is molybdenum or tungsten and X is sulphur or selenium)(1-13) are of technological interest for reducing wear in circumstances where liquid lubricants are impractical, such as in space technology, ultra-high vacuum or automotive transport. These materials are characterized by weak interatomic interactions (van der Waals forces) between their layered structures, allowing easy, low-strength shearing(14,15). Although these materials exhibit excellent friction and wear resistance and extended lifetime in vacuum, their tribological properties remain poor in the presence of humidity or oxygen(16-19), thereby limiting their technological applications in the Earth's atmosphere. But using MX2 in the form of isolated inorganic fullerene-like hollow nanoparticles similar to carbon fullerenes and nanotubes can improve its performance(1). Here we show that thin films of hollow MoS2 nanoparticles, deposited by a localized high-pressure arc discharge method, exhibit ultra-low friction (an order of magnitude lower than for sputtered MoS2 thin films) and wear in nitrogen and 45% humidity. We attribute this `dry' behaviour in humid environments to the presence of curved S-Mo-S planes that prevent oxidation and preserve the layered structure.
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