In-situ catalysis of green lubricants into graphitic carbon by iron single atoms to reduce friction and wear

Wei Song, Chongyang Zeng, Xiaoyang Ma, Janet S. S. Wong, Chuke Ouyang, Shouyi Sun, Weiwei Zhang (), Jianbin Luo, Xing Chen and Jinjin Li ()
Additional contact information
Wei Song: Tsinghua University
Chongyang Zeng: Imperial College London
Xiaoyang Ma: Tsinghua University
Janet S. S. Wong: Imperial College London
Chuke Ouyang: Tsinghua University
Shouyi Sun: Tsinghua University
Weiwei Zhang: Tiangong University
Jianbin Luo: Tsinghua University
Xing Chen: Tianjin University
Jinjin Li: Tsinghua University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Reducing friction and wear in moving mechanical systems is essential for their intended functionality. This is currently accomplished by using a large variety of anti-friction and anti-wear additives, that usually contain sulfur and phosphorous both of which cause harmful emission. Here, we introduce a series of diesters, typically dioctyl malate (DOM), as green and effective anti-friction and anti-wear additives which reduce wear by factors of 5-7 and friction by over 50% compared to base oil when tested under high pressures. Surface studies show that these impressive properties are primarily due to the formation of a 30 nm graphitic tribofilm that protects rubbing surfaces against wear and hence provides low shear stress at nanoscale. This graphitic tribofilm is prone to form from diesters derived from short-chain carboxylic acid due to their lone pair effect, which stabilizes the carbon free radicals. Furthermore, the formation of this tribofilm is catalyzed by nascent iron single atoms, which are in-situ generated due to the mechanochemical effects during sliding contact. Computational simulations provided additional insights into the steps involved in the catalytic decomposition of DOM by iron and the formation of a graphitic carbon tribofilm. Due to its anti-friction and wear properties, DOM holds promise to replace conventional additives, and thus provides a green and more effective alternative for next-generation lubricant formulations.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58292-6 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58292-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58292-6

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().