Nanotribology of protic ionic liquids: Green lubricants for micro-/nano-electromechanical devices

The negligible vapor pressure and friction-reducing abilities of ionic liquids make them ideal candidates as green lubricants. Here we show that ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), a room-temperature ionic liquid, significantly alters energy dissipation between surfaces. Colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy was used to study nano-scale friction between silica, mica, alumina and teflon. Fundamental investigations in a model system imply that three …