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Light-induced Patterning and Grafting for Slippery Surfaces based on Silane-coated Nanoporous Structures
Published on: November 14, 2025
Stick-slip control in nanoscale boundary lubrication by surface wettability
Wei Chen1,2, Adam S Foster1, Mikko J Alava1
1Department of Applied Physics, COMP Centre of Excellence, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11100, 00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland.
Abstract:
We study the effect of atomic-scale surface-lubricant interactions on nanoscale boundary-lubricated friction by considering two example surfaces-hydrophilic mica and hydrophobic graphene-confining thin layers of water in molecular dynamics simulations. We observe stick-slip dynamics for thin water films confined by mica sheets, involving periodic breaking-reforming transitions of atomic-scale capillary water bridges formed around the potassium ions of mica. However, only smooth sliding without stick-slip events is observed for water confined by graphene, as well as for thicker water layers confined by mica. Thus, our results illustrate how atomic-scale details affect the wettability of the confining surfaces and consequently control the presence or absence of stick-slip dynamics in nanoscale friction.
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