Synthesis and tribological properties of graphene: A review

Abstract

The target of this review is to explore the fundamental tribological behaviour of graphene, the first existing two-dimensional (2-D) material and evaluate its performance as a self-lubricating material. The importance and potential impact of this new class of material was recognised by the whole scientific community when the Noble prize was awarded to Geim and Konstantin Novoselov for their discovery and development of graphene in 2010. Graphene is the strongest material, chemically and thermally stable, gas-impermeable, and atomically-thin. The fundamental tribological behaviour of graphene and other 2-D materials under sliding conditions is recently being studied. Mainly, the wear of graphene has hardly been investigated. In this paper, the latest developments in tribological applications of graphene, and preparation methods are reviewed. It is shown that various graphene coatings, graphene as lubricant additive and as reinforcement in metal matrix can be successfully employed to decrease friction and wear in tribological applications. A comprehensive review is provided with the aim to analyse such properties of graphene. Moreover, the application of graphene in the field of tribology for reducing friction and wear for better lubrication will be explored.

Keywords

• Graphene
• Tribology
• Friction
• Wear and lubrication