Covalent grafting of chelated othoborate ionic liquid on carbon quantum dot towards high performance additives: Synthesis, characterization and tribological evaluation

Ecofriendly carbon quantum dots-ionic liquid hybrid nanomaterial (CQDs-IL) has been synthesized via chemical grafting thus to combine both the friction and wear reducing properties of CQDs and ionic liquid for achieving improved high load performance and shorter function duration with interface. The hybrid nanomaterial with a sphere-in-shell structure exhibit remarkable synergistic effect in improving friction-reducing and anti-wear properties in boundary lubrication than that of CQDs and OHMimBScB alone as well as their blend. It is evident that the synergistic effect contained nano-lubricant of CQDs and inherent polarity of ionic liquid thus to form a stable and protective hybrid tribo-chemical film that composed of chelated orthoborate and CQDs as well as their tribo-chemical products on the steel interfaces for enhanced tribological properties.