One-pot pyrolysis preparation of carbon dots as eco-friendly nanoadditives of water-based lubricants

A simple and low-cost bottom-up method for the preparation of water-soluble Carbon dots (CDs) by tuning the carbonization degree of ammonium citrate. The structure and morphology of CDs were characterized by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). And the investigation on the lubricating property and inhibition effect of CDs as nanoadditives of water-based lubricants is discussed in this work. The results show that the CDs as eco-friendly nanoadditives exhibit low friction coefficient , outstanding wear-resistance and excellent inhibition effect.