Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Omiya, Takeru, Pedretti, Enrico, Sharma, Pooja, Cavaleiro, Albano, Serra, Arménio C., Coelho, Jorge F. J., Righi, Maria Clelia, Ferreira, Fábio
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24646
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866909873996824576
author Omiya, Takeru
Pedretti, Enrico
Sharma, Pooja
Cavaleiro, Albano
Serra, Arménio C.
Coelho, Jorge F. J.
Righi, Maria Clelia
Ferreira, Fábio
author_facet Omiya, Takeru
Pedretti, Enrico
Sharma, Pooja
Cavaleiro, Albano
Serra, Arménio C.
Coelho, Jorge F. J.
Righi, Maria Clelia
Ferreira, Fábio
contents This study examines the tribological behavior of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings doped with silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), or silver (Ag) in the presence of an amine-functionalized block copolymer lubricant. Under boundary lubrication, Si-doped DLC (Si-DLC) exhibited the lowest coefficient of friction ($\approx$0.045) and nearly 45% lower wear than undoped DLC. Co-DLC showed moderate improvement, while Ag-DLC provided no significant benefit. Cross-sectional FIB-TEM revealed thin tribofilms, 12-17 nm in thickness, on Si- and Co-doped surfaces. As reported for Si-DLC, these films incorporate copolymer-derived fragments, suggesting a similar composition for Co-DLC. These results indicate that dopant-polymer interactions are key to the development of self-organized boundary layers. To gain atomic-level insight, first-principles calculations were carried out on the adsorption of the dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) unit, the copolymer's functional group. The calculated adsorption energies were $-$2.27 to $-$0.57 eV for Si-DLC, $-$1.73 to $-$1.49 eV for Co(0001), and $-$1.21 to $-$1.08 eV for Ag(111). The order of stability (Si $>$ Co $>$ Ag) was consistent with the experimental tribological ranking. Chemical bonding dominated for Si-DLC, while Ag showed mainly weak physisorption. Simulated pull-off forces further reflected this hierarchy, with N-Si bonds requiring about twice the force of N-Co and nearly five times that of N-Ag. The correspondence between adsorption strength and tribological response highlights the decisive role of dopant species in tribofilm formation. These findings provide guidance for designing durable low-friction surfaces in applications such as electric drivetrains and precision mechanical systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_24646
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Comparative analysis of the lubrication performance of functionalized copolymers interacting with silicon, cobalt, and silver doped diamond-like carbon
Omiya, Takeru
Pedretti, Enrico
Sharma, Pooja
Cavaleiro, Albano
Serra, Arménio C.
Coelho, Jorge F. J.
Righi, Maria Clelia
Ferreira, Fábio
Materials Science
This study examines the tribological behavior of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings doped with silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), or silver (Ag) in the presence of an amine-functionalized block copolymer lubricant. Under boundary lubrication, Si-doped DLC (Si-DLC) exhibited the lowest coefficient of friction ($\approx$0.045) and nearly 45% lower wear than undoped DLC. Co-DLC showed moderate improvement, while Ag-DLC provided no significant benefit. Cross-sectional FIB-TEM revealed thin tribofilms, 12-17 nm in thickness, on Si- and Co-doped surfaces. As reported for Si-DLC, these films incorporate copolymer-derived fragments, suggesting a similar composition for Co-DLC. These results indicate that dopant-polymer interactions are key to the development of self-organized boundary layers. To gain atomic-level insight, first-principles calculations were carried out on the adsorption of the dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) unit, the copolymer's functional group. The calculated adsorption energies were $-$2.27 to $-$0.57 eV for Si-DLC, $-$1.73 to $-$1.49 eV for Co(0001), and $-$1.21 to $-$1.08 eV for Ag(111). The order of stability (Si $>$ Co $>$ Ag) was consistent with the experimental tribological ranking. Chemical bonding dominated for Si-DLC, while Ag showed mainly weak physisorption. Simulated pull-off forces further reflected this hierarchy, with N-Si bonds requiring about twice the force of N-Co and nearly five times that of N-Ag. The correspondence between adsorption strength and tribological response highlights the decisive role of dopant species in tribofilm formation. These findings provide guidance for designing durable low-friction surfaces in applications such as electric drivetrains and precision mechanical systems.
title Comparative analysis of the lubrication performance of functionalized copolymers interacting with silicon, cobalt, and silver doped diamond-like carbon
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24646