Lubricating graphene with a nanometer-thick perfluoropolyether

Due to its atomic thickness (thinness), the wear of graphene in nanoscale devices or as a protective coating is a serious concern. It is highly desirable to develop effective methods to reduce the wear of graphene. In the current paper, the effect of a nano-lubricant, perfluoropolyether, on the wear of graphene on different substrates is investigated. Graphene was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The nano-lubricant is applied on the graphene by dip-coating. The friction and wear of graphene samples are characterized by nanotribometer, AFM, optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that lubricating silicon/graphene with nano-lubricant reduces the friction but increases the wear. However, lubricating nickel/graphene with nano-lubricant has little effect on the friction but reduce the wear significantly. The underlying mechanism has been discussed on the basis of the graphene–substrate adhesion and the roughness. The current study provides guidance to the future design of graphene-containing devices. - Highlights: • The effect of a nano-lubricant on the friction and wear of CVD graphene was studied. • Lubricating Graphene/Si results in lower friction but higher wear. • Lubricating Ggraphene/Ni results in lower wear but unchanged friction. • The mechanisms were discussed based on the roughness and interfacial adhesion