Preparation and tribological studies of self-assembled triple-layer films

A self-assembled triple-layer film was grafted onto a silicon surface with a simple three-step method. Firstly, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane molecules were self-assembled on silicon surfaces, then coupled to 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane through a surface ring-opening reaction, and finally octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) molecules were attached to the resultant alkoxysilane-terminated surface via Si–O–Si bonds. The structure and morphology of this triple-layer film were characterized with various techniques, such as contact angle measurement, ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The influence of different surface chemical groups on surface adhesion properties was identified using the AFM force-volume technique. The micro- and macro-tribological properties of the triple-layer film were evaluated by friction force microscopy and a ball-on-plate tribometer. The triple-layer film shows good adhesive resistance and can greatly reduce the micro- and macro-friction force. Moreover, compared to self-assembled monolayer of OTS, this triple-layer film exhibited much better wear-resistance. This improvement was mainly ascribed to the network structure of a lateral cross-linked polysiloxane layer formed within the film which can enhance the stability of the film.