Nanoscale Mechanics and Tribology of 2D Materials and Thin Films

Dear Colleagues,

Tribology is the study of friction, wear and lubrication between two surfaces in relative motion. The importance of tribology can be realized by the fact that energy losses equal to more than one third of the total energy produced annually can be linked to tribological issues. Such energy inefficiencies not only have a detrimental impact on our environment but also result in the early failure of critical machine components due to friction and wear. Overall, it is estimated that losses equivalent to about 2% of the GDP of industrialized nations results from poor understanding and control of tribological phenomena. Two-dimensional materials are emerging as potential lubricants in the form of coatings and as additives to industrial lubricants, providing significant reductions in friction and wear losses considering their superior mechanical and tribological properties. For example, graphene has demonstrated superlubricity at nanoscale as well as under macroscopic sliding contact geometries owing to its extremely low shear strength under certain specific sliding conditions. Two-dimensional materials are also ideal candidates as solid lubricants for applications in harsh environments, such as for space vehicle components exposed to radiation, vacuum conditions and for high-temperature applications where conventional lubricants will fail. These are also ideal materials for small-scale applications such as micro- and nano- electromechanical systems (MEMs and NEMs), considering atomically thin layers that can efficiently reduce friction and wear. Exploring the fundamental mechanisms governing tribological properties as well as finding new applications are key to addressing the energy inefficiency, emissions, and reliability issues in existing and future components. In this Special Issue, we invite articles focusing on the nanoscale mechanical and tribological properties of 2D materials and other relevant thin film materials for addressing existing tribological problems relevant to all possible engineering applications, including moving components. 

Dr. Nitya Nand Gosvami
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• 2D materials
• nanotribology
• nanomechanics
• solid lubricants