Role of Trapped Molecules at Sliding Contacts in Lattice-Resolved Friction

Understanding atomic friction within a liquid environment is crucial for engineering friction mechanisms and characterizing surfaces. It has been suggested that the lattice resolution of friction force microscope in liquid environments stems from a dry contact state, with all liquid molecules expelled from the area of closest approach between the tip and substrate. Here, we revisit this assertion by performing in-depth friction force microscopy experiments and molecular dynamics simulations of the influence of surrounding water molecules on the dynamic behavior of the nanotribological contact between an amorphous SiO