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Updated: Aug 2, 2025

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Published on: July 18, 2025
Liquid-Phase Friction of Two-Dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide at the Atomic Scale
Deliang Zhang1, Mingzheng Huang2, Lasse Hyldgaard Klausen3
1Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
Abstract:
Tribological properties depend strongly on environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and operation liquid. However, the origin of the liquid effect on friction remains largely unexplored. Herein, taking molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a model system, we explored the nanoscale friction of MoS2 in polar (water) and nonpolar (dodecane) liquids through friction force microscopy. The friction force exhibits a similar layer-dependent behavior in liquids as in air; i.e., thinner samples have a larger friction force. Interestingly, friction is significantly influenced by the polarity of the liquid, and it is larger in polar water than in nonpolar dodecane. Atomically resolved friction images together with atomistic simulations reveal that the polarity of the liquid has a substantial effect on friction behavior, where liquid molecule arrangement and hydrogen-bond formation lead to a higher resistance in polar water in comparison to that in nonpolar dodecane. This work provides insights into the friction on two-dimensional layered materials in liquids and holds great promise for future low-friction technologies.
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