MoS2 functionalized lithium complex soap with enhanced thickening net structure toward high-performance thickener

Abstract

A crucial prerequisite for obtaining high performance interface lubrication is to regulate the composition and structure of thickener for grease, confronting fatal friction and loss issues in significant equipment manufacturing industrial clusters. Here, a structural defect-mediated transplantation of l-cysteine onto MoS2 nanosheets was outlined, utilizing mechanical stress induction and mercaptan chemical guidance technology to fully exploit the S vacancies and active Mo atom conjugation. A new MoS2 functionalized lithium complex thickener (CLT/MoS2) was constructed with eutectic hydrogen-bond thickening system. DFT calculation confirmed that MoS2-NH2 reacted with the carboxyl located at dodecyl stearic acid via dehydration condensation. The regulated-grease using CLT/MoS2 as thickener in synthetic oil significantly reduced the friction and wear, owing to the formation of complex hydrogen-bond thickening network and induced transition of lubrication state as well as the formation of MoS2-based tribo-chemical films. This research introduces a novel approach to the creation of high-performance grease by deploying functional thickener to weaken the wear hazards.