Boosting the tribological properties of PEG200 by a novel face-to-face FeOCl/Zn-MOF lubricant additive

The synergistic effect of nanoparticles can effectively improve the tribological performances of base oils. In this study, a novel lubricant additive by embedding 2D FeOCl on 2D Zn − MOF was reported for the first time in order to boost the tribological performances of polyethylene glycol (PEG200). The FeOCl/Zn − MOF prepared by a facile microwave assisted strategy was found to be a typical flower-like appearance, where FeOCl nanosheets decorated on the surface of Zn − MOF sheets. Owing to the electron transfer and synergistic effect between FeOCl and Zn − MOF, the novel FeOCl/Zn − MOF effectively reduced the coefficient of friction by 48 % and wear scar diameter by 88 % at the loading of 0.4 wt% FeOCl/Zn − MOF in the base oil. The work suggests the face-to-face combination of FeOCl and Zn − MOF for enhanced tribological performances, representing a new strategy to prepare efficient lubricant additives using assembled 2D nanomaterials.