C(60) molecular bearings and the phenomenon of nanomapping

Inspired by suggestions of C(60) "nanobearings," we have measured sliding friction on fixed and rotating C(60) layers to explore whether a lubricating effect is present. We refer to this general phenomenon as "nanomapping," whereby macroscopic attributes are mapped in a one on one fashion to nanoscale entities. Our measurements are the first to directly link friction to a documented molecular rotation state. Friction is, however, observed to be higher for rotating layers, in defiance of the ball-bearing analogy. Thus, no direct mapping of macro- to nanoscale attributes can be established.