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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDNature communications

Observation of stick-slip behavior with structural superlubric characteristics.

  • Weipeng Chen1,2,3
  • Tielin Wu2,3,4
  • Wanying Zhao4
  • Yelingyi Wang2,3,4
  • Jin Wang5
  • Deli Peng6
  • Quanshui Zheng7,8,9,10
  • Zhanghui Wu11
11 affiliations
  1. 1College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
  2. 2Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  3. 3Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  4. 4Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, China.
  5. 5International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
  6. 6Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, China. [email protected].
  7. 7Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  8. 8Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  9. 9Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, China. [email protected].
  10. 10Institute of Superlubricity Technology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China. [email protected].
  11. 11College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. [email protected].
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Abstract

Stick-slip is typically associated with high friction and wear, whereas superlubricity is characterized by ultralow friction and negligible wear. Can these two seemingly opposite phenomena coexist? Here, we present an experimental observation of stick-slip behavior that exhibits structural superlubric characteristics, in a microscale single-crystalline Au mesa sliding against a single-crystalline graphite substrate. This behavior emerges when the applied sliding velocity falls below a critical threshold. Unlike traditional ones, this observed stick-slip phenomenon originates from the inherently superlubric Au/graphite interface and exhibits key structural superlubric features: near zero coefficient of friction and wear-free long-distance sliding. Theoretical analysis attributes this duality to the distinctive nature of Au/graphite interface: a globally atomically flat incommensurate van der Waals interface, yet locally weakly pinned by discrete point vacancy defects. Bond formation and rupture at these sites underpin the static-dynamic friction asymmetry that drives stick-slip. These findings not only deepen our understanding of stick-slip and structural superlubricity, but also open pathways for stable, long-lasting control of superlubric interfaces in micro/nanoscale actuators and sensors.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{chen2026observation,
  title = {{Observation of stick-slip behavior with structural superlubric characteristics.}},
  author = {Weipeng Chen and Tielin Wu and Wanying Zhao and Yelingyi Wang and Jin Wang and Deli Peng and Quanshui Zheng and Zhanghui Wu},
  journal = {Nature communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-77734-3},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875460},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Observation of stick-slip behavior with structural superlubric characteristics.
AU  - Weipeng Chen
AU  - Tielin Wu
AU  - Wanying Zhao
AU  - Yelingyi Wang
AU  - Jin Wang
AU  - Deli Peng
AU  - Quanshui Zheng
AU  - Zhanghui Wu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/14
JO  - Nature communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-77734-3
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875460
AB  - Stick-slip is typically associated with high friction and wear, whereas superlubricity is characterized by ultralow friction and negligible wear. Can these two seemingly opposite phenomena coexist? Here, we present an experimental observation of stick-slip behavior that exhibits structural superlubric characteristics, in a microscale single-crystalline Au mesa sliding against a single-crystalline graphite substrate. This behavior emerges when the applied sliding velocity falls below a critical threshold. Unlike traditional ones, this observed stick-slip phenomenon originates from the inherently superlubric Au/graphite interface and exhibits key structural superlubric features: near zero coefficient of friction and wear-free long-distance sliding. Theoretical analysis attributes this duality to the distinctive nature of Au/graphite interface: a globally atomically flat incommensurate van der Waals interface, yet locally weakly pinned by discrete point vacancy defects. Bond formation and rupture at these sites underpin the static-dynamic friction asymmetry that drives stick-slip. These findings not only deepen our understanding of stick-slip and structural superlubricity, but also open pathways for stable, long-lasting control of superlubric interfaces in micro/nanoscale actuators and sensors.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -