Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Lowering of Friction in Monolayers of Mixed Alkanes

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Tribology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Molecular structure and tribological properties of monolayers, formed by pure n-tetracosane (C24H50, hereafter C24), n-octatetracontane (C48H98, C48) and their binary mixture on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG), were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and magnetic levitation tribometer (MLT) methods. It has been found that monolayers of pure C24 and C48 have typical smectic lamella-like packing with perpendicular orientation of molecules with respect to the lamella direction, while binary mixture C24 + C48 forms nematic phase with only orientational order. Comparative tribological MLT measurements reveal substantial lowering of friction coefficient μ for monolayers of C24 + C48 in contrast to pure C24 and C48. The lowering of friction is explained in terms of incommensurability between alkyl chain and graphite surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bhushan, B., Gupta, B.K.: Handbook of Tribology: Materials, Coatings, and Surface Treatments. McGraw-Hill, New York (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  2. McDermott, M.T., Green, J.-B.D., Porter, M.D.: Scanning force microscopic exploration of the lubrication capabilities of n-alkanethiolate monolayers chemisorbed at gold: structural basis of microscopic friction and wear. Langmuir 13(9), 2504–2510 (1997)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Xiao, X., Hu, J., Charych, D.H., Salmeron, M.: Chain length dependence of the frictional properties of alkylsilane molecules studied by atomic force microscopy. Langmuir 12(2), 235–237 (1996)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. McGonigal, G.C., Bernhard, R.H., Thomson, D.J.: Imaging alkane layers at the liquid/graphite interface with the scanning tunneling microscope. Appl. Phys. Lett. 57(1), 28 (1990)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Askadskaya, L., Rabe, J.P.: Anisotropic molecular dynamics in the vicinity of order-disorder transitions in organic monolayers. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 1395 (1992)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Marchenko, O., Cousty, J.: Molecule length-induced reentrant self-organization of alkanes in monolayers adsorbed on A(111). Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5363–5366 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Marchenko, A., Lukyanets, S., Cousty, J.: Adsorption of alkanes on A(111): possible origin of STM contrast at the liquid/solid interface. Phys. Rev. B 65(4), 045414 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kulik, V.S., Marchenko, A.A., Naumovets, A.G., Cousty, J.: Chain length dependence of the frictional properties of N-alkane monolayers self-assembled on gold(111). In: Borisenko, V.E., et al. (eds.) Physics, Chemistry and Application of Nanostructures, pp. 74–77. World Scientific, Minsk (2005)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Marchenko, A., Cousty, J.: “Magic size” effect in the packing of n-alkanes on Au(111): evidence of lowered sliding force for molecules with specific length. Wear 254(10), 941–944 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. McGonigal, G.C., Bernhardt, R.H., Thomson, D.J.: Imaging alkane layers at the liquid/graphite interface with the scanning tunneling microscope. Appl. Phys. Lett. 57(1), 28–30 (1990)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao, M., Peng, J., Deng, K., Yu, A.-F., Hao, Y.-Z., Xie, S.-S., Sun, J.-L.: STM investigation of the dependence of alkane and alkane (C18H38, C19H40) derivatives self-assembly on molecular chemical structure on HOPG surface. Surf. Sci. 602, 1256–1266 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Chen, Q., Yan, H.-J., Yan, C.-J., Pan, G.-B., Wan, L.-J., Wen, G.-Y., Zhang, D.-Q.: Insight into STM image contrast of n-tetradecane and n-hexadecane molecules on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Appl. Surf. Sci. 257, 3243–3247 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Vasko, A.A., Braun, O.M., Marchenko, O.A., et al.: Magnetic levitation tribometer: a point-contact friction. Tribol. Lett. 66, 74 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Askadskaya, L., Rabe, J.P.: Anisotropic molecular dynamics in the vicinity of order-disorder transitions in organic monolayers. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69(9), 1395–1398 (1992)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ilan, B., Florio, G.M., Hybertsen, M.S., Berne, B.J., Flynn, G.W.: Scanning tunneling microscopy images of alkane derivatives on graphite: role of electronic effects. Nano Lett. 8(10), 3160–3165 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Endo, O., Horikoshi, T., Katsumata, N., Otani, K., Fujishima, T., Goto, H., Minami, K., Akaike, K., Ozaki, H., Sumii, R., et al.: Incommensurate crystalline phase of n-alkane monolayers on graphite (0001). J. Phys. Chem. C 115(13), 5720–5725 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cousty, J., Pham, L.V.: Formation of partially demixed two-dimensional solid solutions from binary mixtures of n-alkanes with very different lengths. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 5, 599–603 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hibino, M.: Adsorption behaviors of mixed monolayers of n-alkanes at the liquid-solid interface. Langmuir 32(19), 4705–4709 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kitaigorodskii, A.I.: Organic chemical crystallography. Consultants Bureau, New York (1961)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 46 Prospect Nauki, Kiev, 03028, Ukraine

    A. A. Vasko, V. Ye. Kutsenko, A. A. Marchenko & O. M. Braun

Authors
  1. A. A. Vasko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Ye. Kutsenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. A. Marchenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. M. Braun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. A. Vasko.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vasko, A.A., Kutsenko, V.Y., Marchenko, A.A. et al. Lowering of Friction in Monolayers of Mixed Alkanes. Tribol Lett 67, 49 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-019-1163-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-019-1163-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation