Friction at the nanoscale
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We demonstrated the superlubricity of graphene nanoribbons when sliding on
gold with atomic force microscopy at 4.8 K. The atomically well-defined contact allows us to trace the origin of
superlubricity, unraveling the role played by ribbon size and elasticity, as well as by surface reconstruction. In
future, graphene could be used as an extremely thin coating, resulting in almost zero energy loss between mechanical
parts. This is based on the exceptionally high lubricity - or so-called superlubricity - of modified carbon in the
form of graphene.
See our publications in Science as well as press release. Figure: Friction measurement of graphene nanoribbons on Au(111) |
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| Figure: Mechanical response during lateral displacement. a, Illustration of the friction experiment : the porphyrin-terminated tip is brought into contact with the Cu(111) surface while oscillating at its resonance frequency. b, Constant height ΔF ( x, y ) maps of the surface showing the atomic lattice structure of Cu(111). |
The low temperature mechanical response of a single porphyrin molecule attache to the apex of an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip during vertical and lateral manipulations is studied. We find that approach-retraction cycles as well as surface scanning with the terminated tip result in atomic-scale friction patterns induced by the internal re-orientations of the molecule. Via a joint experimental and computational effort, we identify the di-cyanophenyl side groups of the molecule interacting with the surface as the dominant factor determining the observed frictional behavior. To this end, we developed a generalized Prandtl-Tomlinson model parametrized using density functional theory (DFT) calculations that includes the internal degrees of freedom of the side-group with respect to the core and its interactions with the underlying surface. We demonstrate that the friction pattern results from the variations of the bond length and bond angles between the di-cyanophenyl side group and the porphyrin backbone as well as those of the CN group facing the surface during the lateral and vertical motion of the AFM tip. This work has been conducted in collaboration with the groups of Prof. Urback and Prof. Hod of Tel Aviv University, Prof. E. Gnecco of the University of Jena and Prof. Quan-Shui Zheng of Tsinghua University For more information please see our publication in ACS Nano. |
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Lateral force images corresponding to externally applied loads of (a) 0, (b) 1.1, and (c) 3.5 nN with a pull off force of -0.7 nN. The scan speed of (a) and (c) is 50 nm/s and (b) was made with 20 nm/s. The orange and red insets are showing the size modulation between structures of adjacent rows. The line sections 1 to 6 in (d) are made along the same crystal direction and show how the contrast between adjacent rows evolves with different loads. Line sections 1 and 2 show that the tip is alternately sliding continuously and in a stick-slip manner. Line sections 5 and 6 are showing a difference in every other row of about 0.5 nN. |
Publications related to this research topic:
| Observation of robust superlubricity of MoS2 on Au(111) in ultrahigh vacuum Y. Song; A. Hinaut; S. Scherb; Y. Pellmont; R. Pawlak; S. Huang; Z. Liu; Th. Glatzel, and E. Meyer Applied Surface Science, 601, (2022), 154230, pdf. |
| Velocity Dependence of Moire Friction Y. Song, X. Gao, A. Hinaut, S. Scherb, S. Huang, Th. Glatzel, O. Hod, M. Urbakh, and E. Meyer Nano Lett., 22, (23), (2022), 9529-9536, pdf. |
| 2D KBr/Graphene Heterostructures - Influence on Work Function and Friction Z. Liu, A. Hinaut, S. Peeters, S. Scherb, E. Meyer, M.C. Righi, and Th. Glatzel Nanomaterials, 12, (6), (2022), 968, pdf. |
| Low Friction at the Nanoscale of Hydrogenated Fullerene-Like Carbon Films Z. Liu, Y. Wang, Th. Glatzel, A. Hinaut, J. Zhang, and E. Meyer Coatings, 10, (7), (2020), 643, pdf. |
| Low Friction at the Nanoscale of Hydrogenated Fullerene-Like Carbon Films Z. Liu, Y. Wang, Th. Glatzel, A. Hinaut, J. Zhang, and E. Meyer Coatings, 10, (7), (2020), 643, pdf. |
| Tuning the work function and friction properties of KBr on Ir(111) by intercalating a monolayer of graphene Z. Liu, A. Hinaut, T. Glatzel, S. Scherb, J.Y. Zhang, and E. Meyer 2nd International Workshop on Superlubricity at Nano and Mesoscales, 2019-10-15, Shenzhen, (China). |
| Atomic Friction: Anisotropy and Asymmetry Effects G. Fessler, A. Sadeghi, Th. Glatzel, S. Goedecker, and E. Meyer Tribology Letters, 67, (2), (2019), 59, pdf. |
| Mechanical dissipation via image potential states on a topological insulator surface Dilek Yildiz, Marcin Kisiel, Urs Gysin, Oguzhan Gürlü, Ernst Meyer Nature Materials, 18, (2019), 1201â1206, pdf. |
| Atomic Friction: Anisotropy and Asymmetry Effects G. Fessler, A. Sadeghi, Th. Glatzel, S. Goedecker, and E. Meyer Tribology Letters, 67, (2), (2019), 59, pdf. |
| Slippery in every direction J.G. Vilhena and Rubén Pérez Nature Materials, 17, (10), (2018), 852-854, pdf. |
| A robust AFM-based method for locally measuring the elasticity of samples A. Bubendorf, S. Walheim, T. Schimmel and E. Meyer Beilstein J. Nanotechnol., 9, (2018), 1-10, pdf. |
| Electronic and frictional properties of Bi2Te3 (0001) surface D. Yildiz , M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer 13th International Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Conference, 2017-10-22, Antalya, (Turkey). |
| Energy dissipation peaks on Bi2Te3 studied with pendulum AFM and STM D. Yildiz , M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer Seminar (Osaka University), 2017-05-24, Osaka, (Japan). |
| Electronic and van der Waals friction on layered structures D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer Nanoscience in the Snow 2017, 2017-01-25, Zermatt, (Switzerland). |
| Single-molecule manipulation experiments to explore friction and adhesion R. Pawlak, S. Kawai, T. Meier, Th. Glatzel, A. Baratoff, E. Meyer J. Phys. D : App. Phys., (50), (2017), 113003 , pdf. |
| Design and Characterization of an Electrically Powered Single Molecule on Gold R. Pawlak , T. Meier, N. Renaud, M. Kisiel, A. Hinaut, T. Glatzel, D. Sordes, C. Durand, W.-H. Soe, A. Baratoff, C. Joachim, C. E. Housecroft, E. C. Constable , Ernst Meyer ACS Nano, (11), (2017), 9930-9940, pdf. |
| Energy Dissipation in Layered Structures D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer Swiss NanoConvention 2016, 2016-06-30, Basel, (Switzerland). |
| Energy dissipation on layered crystals measured by pendulum AFM D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer International Scanning Probe Microscopy Conference (ISPM), 2016-06-12, Grindelwald, (Switzerland). |
| Energy Dissipation Mechanism On Layered Structures D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, and E. Meyer 80th Annual Meeting of the DPG and Spring Meeting, 2016-03-06, Regensnburg, (Germany). |
| Superlubricity of graphene nanoribbons on gold surfaces S. Kawai, A. Benassi, E. Gnecco, H. Söde, R. Pawlak, X. Feng, K. Müllen, D. Passerone, C. A. Pignedoli, P. Ruffieux, R. Fasel, E. Meyer Science, 351, (6276), (2016), 957, pdf. |
| Advanced atomic force microscopy techniques III Th. Glatzel and T. Schimmel Beilstein J. Nanotechnol., 7, (2016), 1052-1054, pdf. |
| Single Molecule Tribology: Force Microscopy Manipulation of a Porphyrin Derivative on a Copper Surface R. Pawlak, W. Ouyang, A. E. Filippov, L. Kalikhman-Razvozov, S. Kawai, T. Glatzel, E. Gnecco, A. Baratoff , Q.-S. Zheng, O. Hod, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer ACS Nano, 10, (2016), 713-722, pdf. |
| Single Molecule Tribology: Force Microscopy Manipulation of a Porphyrin Derivative on a Copper Surface R. Pawlak, W. Ouyang, A. E. Filippov, L. Kalikhman-Razvozov, S. Kawai, T. Glatzel, E. Gnecco, A. Baratoff , Q.-S. Zheng, O. Hod, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer ACS Nano, 10, (2016), 713-722, pdf. |
| Single-Molecule Experiments to Explore Friction And Adhesion (Invited) R. Pawlak , S. Kawai, A. Baratoff, W.G. Ouyang, T. Meier, E. Gnecco, T. Glatzel, A. Filippov, A. Baratoff, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer AVS conference, 2015-10-22, San José, (US). |
| Single-Molecule Experiments to Explore Friction And Adhesion (Invited) R. Pawlak , S. Kawai, A. Baratoff, W.G. Ouyang, T. Meier, E. Gnecco, T. Glatzel, A. Filippov, A. Baratoff, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer AVS conference, 2015-10-22, San José, (US). |
| Patterning of C60 Islands on Organic Layer Compound Crystals Th. Glatzel S. Freund, A. Hinaut, R. Pawlak, Shi-Xia Liu, S. Decurtins, E. Meyer and 8th International Workshop on Nanoscale Pattern Formation at Surfaces, 2015-07-14, Krakow, (Poland), Abstract (PDF). |
| Intricacies Of Moiré Patterns At The Atomic Level: A Scanning Probe Microscopy Perspective D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, O. Gurlu, and E. Meyer Ecotrib2015, 2015-06-25, Lugano, (Switzerland). |
| Investigation Of Morphological And Electronic Properties Of Moiré Patterns By Scanning Probe Microscopy D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, O. Gurlu, and E. Meyer The International Conference on Understanding and Controlling Nano and Mesoscale Friction, 2015-06-24, Istanbul, (Turkey). |
| Atomic-scale friction sensed by a single molecule R. Pawlak , W. Ouyang, A.E. Filippov, L. Kalikhman, S. Kawai, T. Glatzel, E. Gnecco, A. Baratoff, Q. Zheng, O. Hod, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer COSTNanotribo, 2015-06-22, Istanbul, (Turkey). |
| Investigation Of Morphological And Electronic Properties Of Moiré Patterns By Scanning Probe Microscopy D. Yildiz, M. Kisiel, O. Gurlu, and E. Meyer Swiss Nano Convention 2015, 2015-05-27, Neuchâtel, (Switzerland). |
| Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) study of moiré patterns on rotated graphene layer on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) D. Yildiz , S. Sen, M. Kisiel, O. Gulseren, E. Meyer, and O. Gurlu DPG Spring Meeting, 2015-03-19, Berlin, (Germany). |
| Dissipation at large separation (Ed. E. Gnecco and E. Meyer) M. Kisiel, M. Langer, U. Gysin, S. Rast, E. Meyer, D.W. Lee Fundamentals of Friction and Wear on the Nanoscale (Edited b, Vol. 2, (Chap. 26), (2015), 609-626, pdf. |
| Non-contact friction M. Kisiel, M. Samadashvili, U. Gysin, E. Meyer Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy (Edited by S. Morita, F.J, Vol.3, (2015), 93-110, pdf. |
| Noncontact Atomic Force Microscope Dissipation Reveals a Central Peak of SrTiO3 Structural Phase Transition M. Kisiel, F. Pellegrini, G. E. Santoro, M. Samadashvili, R. Pawlak, A. Benassi, U. Gysin, R. Buzio, A. Gerbi, E. Meyer, & E. Tosatti Phys. Rev. Lett., 115, (2015), 046101, pdf. |
| Atomic-scale friction sensed by a single molecule R. Pawlak , W. Ouyang, A.E. Filippov, L. Kalikhman, S. Kawai, T. Glatzel, E. Gnecco, A. Baratoff, Q. Zheng, O. Hod, M. Urbakh, E. Meyer ncAFM2014, 2014-08-08, Tsukuba, (Japan). |
| Quantifying the atomic-level mechanics of single long physisorbed molecular chains S. Kawai, M. Koch, E. Gnecco, A. Sadeghi, R. Pawlak, Th. Glatzel, J. Schwarz, S. Goedecker, S. Hecht, A. Baratoff, L. Grill, and E. Meyer Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 111, (11), (2014), 3968â3972, pdf. |
| Giant frictional dissipation peaks and charge-density-wave slips at the NbSe2 surface M. Langer, M. Kisiel, R. Pawlak, F. Pelligrini, G. E. Santoro, R. Buzio, A. Gerbi, G. Balakrishnan, A. Baratoff, E. Tosatti, E. Meyer Nature Materials, 13, (2014), 173-177, pdf. |
| Energy Loss Triggered by Atomic-Scale Lateral Force F. Federici Canova, S. Kawai, C. de Capitani, K. Kanâno, Th. Glatzel, B. Such, A. S. Foster, and E. Meyer Phys. Rev. Lett., 110, (20), (2013), 203203, pdf. |
| Energy dissipation in dynamic force microscopy on KBr(001) correlated with atomic-scale adhesion phenomena S. Kawai, Th. Glatzel, B. Such, S. Koch, A. Baratoff, and E. Meyer Phys. Rev. B, 86, (24), (2012), 245419, pdf. |
| Orientation dependent molecular friction on organic layer compound crystals G. Fessler, I. Zimmermann, Th. Glatzel, E. Gnecco, P. Steiner, R. Roth, T. D. Keene, S.-X. Liu, S. Decurtins, and E. Meyer Appl. Phys. Lett., 98, (8), (2011), 083119, pdf. |
| Suppression of electronic friction on Nb films in the superconducting state M. Kisiel, E. Gnecco, U. Gysin, L. Marot, S. Rast, E. Meyer Nature Materials, 10, (1), (2011), pdf. |
| Direct mapping of the lateral force gradient on Si(111)-7x7 S. Kawai, N. Sasaki, and H. Kawakatsu Phys. Rev. B, 79, (2009), 195412, pdf. |
| Nano-scale friction of polystyrene in air and in vacuum S. Bistac, A. Ghorbal, M. Schmitt, E. Gnecco, and E. Meyer Polymer, 49, (2008), 3780, pdf. |
| Atomic friction studies on well defined surfaces R. Bennewitz, E. Gnecco, T. Gyalog, and E. Meyer Tribology Letters, 10, (2001), 51. |
| Atomic friction studies on well defined surfaces R. Bennewitz, E. Gnecco, T. Gyalog, and E. Meyer Tribology Letters, 10, (2001), 51. |
| Atomic-scale stick slip R. Bennewitz, E. Meyer, M. Bammerlin, T. Gyalog in: Fundamentals of Tribology and Bridging the Gap Between t, (2001), Kluwer Academic Publ. |
| Molecular dynamics study of scanning force microscopy on self-assembled monolayers Bonner T, Baratoff A SURFACE SCIENCE, 127, (1), (1997), 1082-1086. |
| Molecular dynamics study of scanning force microscopy on self-assembled monolayers Bonner T, Baratoff A SURFACE SCIENCE, 127, (1), (1997), 1082-1086. |
| MD-Simulations of scanning force microscopy on self-assembled monolayers T. Bonner, A. Baratoff, H.-J. Güntherodt HELVETICA PHYSICA ACTA, 68, (2), (1995), 199-200. |
| MD-Simulations of scanning force microscopy on self-assembled monolayers T. Bonner, A. Baratoff, H.-J. Güntherodt HELVETICA PHYSICA ACTA, 68, (2), (1995), 199-200. |