Hydrothermal synthesis and tribological properties of FeS2 (pyrite)/reduced graphene oxide heterojunction

Abstract

An FeS₂ (pyrite)/reduced graphene oxide (FeS₂/RGO) heterojunction was synthesized by a facile and effective hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction proved the high purity of the as-prepared product, and both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that FeS₂ particles were well distributed on RGO nanosheets with controlled size and morphology. The performance of the FeS₂/RGO composites as lubricating oil additive were investigated on a ball-plate tribotester. The results indicated that FeS₂/RGO could improve the load-carrying capacity dramatically, as well as the friction-reduction and anti-wear properties of the paraffin oil. In addition, higher GO content is beneficial to improve the lubrication properties of FeS₂/RGO composites. The excellent lubrication performance of FeS₂/RGO composites can be attributed to the unique layered structure of FeS₂ and RGO.