A Self-Lubricating Organogel Patch for Rapid Water Environment Lubrication Restoration

Reliable lubrication is essential for maintaining the operation of water-exposed frictional interfaces in marine, offshore, and wet mechanical systems. However, rapid lubrication restoration after local lubricant depletion or interfacial failure remains challenging because wet environments simultaneously disrupt substrate attachment and destabilize interfacial lubricant retention. Here we report a flexible self-lubricating organogel patch (SLOP) as a press-on material for post-damage lubrication restoration and temporary surface protection in water environments. SLOP is prepared by photopolymerizing lauryl acrylate in polyalphaolefin oil, forming a soft, shape-adaptable patch with a covalently crosslinked oil-retaining polymer network. This material overcomes the fundamental contradiction between adhesion and lubrication in interfacial interactions by introducing a shear-responsive oil redistribution mechanism. Under wet static conditions, the compliant organogel maintains attachment through conformal contact and multiple interfacial interactions. During sliding, localized shear causes the deformation of the polymer network in SLOP and drives the confined oil phase to move toward the sheared interface, generating a lubricating film and achieving a low coefficient of friction (∼0.05) in artificial seawater. The hydrophobic matrix further limits water and ion ingress, contributing to corrosion mitigation under saline exposure. SLOP therefore provides a deployable platform for restoring low-friction function at representative water-exposed frictional interfaces.