Tailoring alkyl chain configuration in triazine-based organic friction modifiers for enhanced tribological performance

JC Zhang and HF Shi and X Song and YM Zhao and BG Feng and WJ Hu and J Xu and JS Li, COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS, 725, 137648 (2025).

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2025.137648

The increasing demand for low-viscosity lubricants in automotive engine oil continuously drives the development of environmentally friendly, high-performance friction modifiers (FMs). This study introduces a series of novel, sulfur- and phosphorus-free long-chain alcohol acetate- triazine derivatives (n-Oct-CA, n-Dodec-CA, and iso-Hexadec-CA) as organic friction modifiers (OFMs) and investigates how alkyl chain configuration affects their adsorption and tribological properties. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), contact angle measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the triazine cores with multiple nitrogen atoms and longchain alcohol acetate groups synergistically enhance surface binding. Specifically, n-Dodec-CA, with its long and straight alkyl chain, exhibits the strongest adsorption strength and film durability. Friction experiments further demonstrated that these additives, at a concentration of 0.5 wt% in PAO4, significantly reduce in friction (58 %) and wear (83 %) compared to the base oil across a wide temperature range. n-Dodec-CA featuring straight- chain alkane grafts exhibited superior tribological properties compared to branched-chain iso-Hexadec CA, especially at elevated temperatures. SEM-EDS and confocal Raman analysis revealed a carbon-dominated tribofilm on the metal surfaces, with its formation positively correlated to the adsorption properties and tribological performance of the additives. These findings deepen the understanding of friction mechanisms and provide theoretical guidance for designing efficient and environmentally friendly additives.

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