ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Highly stable surface functionalized MoS2 nanoparticles as high temperature lubricant additives: Nanostructural insights from SANS

Abstract: There is currently an urgent need for sustainable high temperature lubricant additives in critical industrial applications. Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have been intensively investigated as lubricant additives. However, it is extremely challenging to synthesize highly stable NP dispersions in non-polar media. We have prepared surface functionalized molybdenum disulfide (FMoS2) NPs with unprecedented long-term stability (over 1 month or longer) in a range of nonpolar solvents, using a simple and scalable method via ball milling, in a systematic effort to address the bottleneck of poor NP dispersibility in liquid media. This opens up a new pathway for preparation of surface modified NPs, facile and highly versatile ? which can be used as friction-reducing and anti-wear (AW) additives in polar base oils and nonpolar hydrocarbon oils by varying the tail group chain polarity using different polymers. Moreover, tribological measurements indicates that the addition of FMoS2 NPs in PAO significantly reduced the friction of base oil and protected the surface from wear at elevated temperatures. Here, we propose first SANS characterization of dispersion of FMoS2 NPs in oil (n-dodecane), proving definitive nanostructural information on the size, shape, and structure of this highly innovative stable nanofluid. The results will underpin future rational design of surface functionalized NPs as a new class of high temperature (HT) lubricants.

Principal Investigator: Professor Wuge Briscoe
Experimenter: Miss Elena Venturelli
Experimenter: Dr Sarah Rogers
Experimenter: Miss Xueying Guo
Experimenter: Miss Holly Stockdale
Local Contact: Dr Lauren Matthews
Experimenter: Miss Sofia Rogers Ruiz
Experimenter: Mr Tao Ma
Experimenter: Dr Bin Li
Experimenter: Mr Samuel Leon
Experimenter: Ms Joanna S?omka
Experimenter: Mr Guangzhen Wang

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520249

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2520249

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
Select the data format above to find out more about it.

Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Professor Wuge Briscoe et al; (2025): Highly stable surface functionalized MoS2 nanoparticles as high temperature lubricant additives: Nanostructural insights from SANS, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2520249

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.