Normal and Frictional Force Hysteresis between Self-Assembled Fluorosurfactant Micelle Arrays at the Nanoscale

作者：Li, Jinjin^*; Luo, Jianbin

来源：Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2018, 5(4): 1700802.

DOI：10.1002/admi.201700802

• energy storage
• Gibbs free energy
• micelle arrays
• nanotribology
• self-assemble

Nanoscale friction is usually related to the adhesion hysteresis between monolayer-coated surfaces. In the letter, we report the hysteresis in the normal and frictional forces between self-assemble fluorosurfactant micelle arrays at the nanoscale. It originates from a unique phenomenon wherein the two compressed surfaces immersed in the surfactant solution are pushed away spontaneously under a contact pressure of 43 MPa. The push-out process is related to the self-healing of micelles through the reorganization of the surfactant molecules trapped in the contact zone. The mechanism underlying the push-out phenomenon can be attributed to the transformation of Gibbs free energy for micellar reorganization into mechanical energy to separate the two compressed surfaces. Our finding provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying nanoscale boundary lubrication as well as possible approaches to produce and store mechanical energy at the nanoscale.

• 出版日期2018-2-22
• 单位清华大学