Anti-wear protection for titanium alloy interface based on “soft-hard” molecular design strategy and viscosity-lubrication effect of ionic liquids

The extensive application of titanium alloy is an important part of machinery and engineering, and the realization of efficient anti-wear performance on the titanium alloy surface is vital to ensure long-term service stability. For the situation that traditional lubricants behave the severe wear on the titanium alloy interface, herein, inspired by the viscosity-lubrication effect of sweeteners, novel ionic liquids (ILs) were designed and synthesized based on sustainable sources. Compared with the control sample poly α-olefin (PAO10) and traditional IL (L-B104), IL lubricants exhibit friction-reducing performance and strong adsorption characteristics. Here, the molecular design strategy combining rigid ring and flexible alkyl chain is the key. The polar groups are preferentially adsorbed on the titanium substrate, and the conjugated system electrons in the rigid ring structure interact with the titanium substrate, as well as the van der Waals force between the cations.