Lateral ordering in nanoscale ionic liquid films between charged surfaces enhances lubricity.
File(s)electrotunable_friction_atomistic_ACS-3.pdf (1.43 MB) paper.pdf (14.58 MB)
Supporting information
Accepted version
Author(s)
Di Lecce, Silvia
Kornyshev, Alexei A
Urbakh, Michael
Bresme, Fernando
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Electric fields modify the structural and dynamical properties of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) providing a physical principle to develop tunable lubrication devices. Using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics atomistic simulations, we investigate the impact of the composition of imidazolium RTILs on the in-plane ordering of ionic layers in nanogaps. We consider imidazolium cations and widely used anions featuring different molecular structures, spherical ([BF4]-), elongated surfactant-like ([C2SO4]-), and elongated with a more delocalized charge ([NTf2]-). The interplay of surface charge, surface polarity, and anion geometry enables the formation of crystal-like structures in [BF4]- and [NTf2]- nanofilms, while [C2SO4]- nanofilms form disordered layers. We study how the ordering of the ionic liquid lubricant in the nanogap affects friction. Counterintuitively, we find that the friction force decreases with the ability of the RTILs to form crystal-like structures in the confined region. The crystallization can be activated or inhibited by changing the polarity of the surface, providing a mechanism to tune friction with electric fields.
Date Issued
2020-10-27
Date Acceptance
2020-10-07
Citation
ACS Nano, 2020, 14 (10), pp.13256-13267
ISSN
1936-0851
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
13256
End Page
13267
Journal / Book Title
ACS Nano
Volume
14
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
© 2020 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Nano, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c05043
Sponsor
The Leverhulme Trust
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33054180
Grant Number
RPG-2016-223
Subjects
electrotunable friction
lubricants
nanoconfinement
nanotribology
nonequilibrium simulations
room-temperature ionic liquids
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2020-10-15