Functionalized graphene: Fabrication and tribological behavior in ester oil

The interest of solid nanoparticles in tribological applications has increased extensively during the last years. As reported by other groups, different nanomaterials e.g. SiO2, TiO2, MoS2 and carbon based materials like CNT's or graphite [1] are of high interest. They show extraordinary properties due to their extremely small size and the resulting large surface area. Concerning their application in a lubricant formulation, a homogeneous dispersion of the respective nanoparticles is essential. The necessary dispersibility requires a good interaction between the filler and the fluid which can often only realised after surface modification of the filler particles.