Dynamic Directional Ultrasonically In Situ-Generated N,S-Codoped Carbon Dots in Poly(ethylene glycol) for Improved Tribological Performance

Guangkai Jin, Yuhong Cui, Tiantian Wang, Sha Liu, Shenghua Xue, Shujuan Liu, Qian Ye, Feng Zhou, Weimin Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The dispersion stability of nanomaterials in lubricants significantly influences tribological performance, yet their addition as lubricant additives often presents challenges in secondary dispersion. Here, we present a straightforward method for in situ preparation of N,S-codoped CDs (N,S-CDs)-based lubricants using heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons containing N/S elements in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) base oil by a directional ultrasound strategy. Two types of N,S-CDs were successfully prepared via the directional ultrasound treatment of PEG with benzothiazole (BTA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) separately. The resultant N,S-CDs have a uniform distribution of N and S elements and maintain good colloidal dispersion stability in PEG even after 9 months of storage. The N,S-CDs can enter the surface gap of the friction pairs and then induce a tribochemical reaction. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of N and S activating elements, a robust and stable protective film consisting of iron sulfides, iron oxides, carbon nitrides, and amorphous carbonaceous compounds is formed, thus endowing N,S-CDs-based lubricants with improved antiwear and friction-reducing performance. Compared with pure PEG, the coefficient of friction (COF) of the N,S-CDs(BTH)-based lubricant decreased to 0.108 from 0.292, accompanied by a 91.2% reduction in wear volume, and the maximum load carrying capacity increased to 450 from 150 N.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)39896-39905
Number of pages10
JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume16
Issue number30
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Jul 2024

Keywords

  • carbon dots-based lubricant
  • directional ultrasound
  • dispersion stability
  • in situ preparation
  • tribological performance

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