Study on friction properties of polydopamine modified graphene oxide as lubricant additive

In this study, polydopamine-modified graphene oxide (PGO) nanomaterials were prepared based on the self-polymerization of dopamine in a weakly alkaline environment. In the friction experiment, the lubricants with 0.15 wt% PGO nanomaterials have optimal friction properties. Subsequently, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray energy spectroscopy (EDS), and laser Raman spectroscopy were performed on the wear scar. Compared to pure oil, the friction coefficient was reduced by 31%, and the trace width was reduced by 47.69%. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations showed that PGO has the lowest diffusion coefficient among n-hexadecane and the interaction energy between PGO and n-hexadecane molecules was the largest, and oil droplets containing PGO exhibited the best adsorption performance on the surface of the Si3N4/GCr15. The results showed that compared with other additives, PGO as a lubricant additive can play a significant role in reducing friction and anti-wear.