Interfacial polarization-induced tribological behavior in MoS₂/β-Te and G/β-Te heterostructures

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have opened up new avenues for controlling nanoscale friction; however, the relationship between their interfacial characteristics and frictional behavior remains to be thoroughly explored. In this work, we synthesized β-tellurene nanosheets via a hydrothermal method and systematically investigated the interfacial properties of their heterostructures with graphene and MoS₂. By combining Kelvin probe force microscopy, second-harmonic generation, and atomic force microscopy, it was revealed that interface charge transfer and polarization effects are key sources of friction behavior. Compared with those at the MoS₂/β-Te interface, the friction and adhesion forces of G/β-Te are significantly lower. Density functional theory calculations further quantified the interfacial charge redistribution and sliding barriers. Notably, the G/β-Te heterostructure exhibited an ultralow friction coefficient (μ ≈ 0.005) and maintained stable superlubricity over 2300 sliding cycles. The ionic difference between 2D material friction pairs serves as an effective indicator for evaluating interlayer friction performance, with larger ionic differences often corresponding to lower friction coefficients. Our work not only provides crucial insights into the friction mechanisms of 2D heterostructures but also offers a powerful tool for designing ultralow friction interfaces in nanoelectromechanical systems. These findings pave the way for advanced tribological applications and contribute to a fundamental understanding of nanoscale friction in layered materials.