Nanotribology: Tribotronics, ionic liquids and control of surface interactions

The interfacial ordering of Ionic liquids leads to interesting nanotribological properties as revealed by colloid probe studies. The first of these is the clear correlation between the number of ion pairs trapped in the tribological contact and the friction coefficient displayed. The second is the fact that the surface electrical potential can be used to control the composition of the boundary layer and thus tune the friction. Thirdly, the interfacial ordering appears to significantly affect the fluid dynamics over large distances.