Abstract
MOLECULES of C60 (refs 1–4) are near-perfect spheres, and in the crystalline solid each molecule rotates rapidly while remaining at its lattice position. Speculation that this property may be conducive to good lubrication has not been borne out by experiments, at least for C60 on its own5–8. Here we report measurements of the intermolecular interactions of C60 adsorbed as monolayers on surfaces immersed in a liquid. We find that the adsorbed layers impart a surprising effect on the flow properties of the liquid at the surface. The measured short-range oscillatory force indicates weak adsorption of one to two layers of C60 on each surface. In the presence of adsorbed layers, fluid flow between two surfaces exhibits full-slip (zero drag) boundary conditions, giving rise to flow behaviour that is totally different from conventional fluid flow through narrow pores. This suggests that C60 might be effectively used as an additive to conventional lubricant fluids.
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