Ultra-elastic recovery and low friction of amorphous carbon films produced by a dispersion of multilayer graphene

Hydrogenated carbon films with embedded multilayer graphene were prepared by magnetron sputtering a Ni target in methane. The films demonstrate ultra-elastic recovery (81%) and low friction coefficient (0.06), in contrast with films that did not contain graphene, whose elastic recovery and friction coefficient are 50% and 0.12, respectively. The excellent mechanical properties were attributed to the presence of multilayer-graphene embedded in amorphous carbon matrix.

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► Target poisoning methods can be employed to grow carbon nanostructured films.
► Multilayer graphene will enhance the mechanical properties of amorphous carbon films.
► Multilayer graphene can improve the tribology properties.