Dependence of the friction strengthening of graphene on velocity

Abstract

Graphene shows great potential applications as a solid lubricant in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). An atomic-scale friction strengthening effect in a few initial atomic friction periods usually occurred on few-layer graphene. Here, velocity dependent friction strengthening was observed in atomic-scale frictional behavior of graphene by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The degree of the friction strengthening decreases with the increase of velocity first and then reaches a plateau. This could be attributed to the interaction potential between the tip and graphene at high velocity which is weaker than that at low velocity, because the strong tip–graphene contact interface needs a longer time to evolve. The subatomic-scale stick–slip behavior in the conventional stick–slip motion supports the weak interaction between the tip and graphene at high velocity. These findings can provide a deeper understanding of the atomic-scale friction mechanism of graphene and other two-dimensional materials.