Investigation of the Impact of Cross-Polymerization on the Structural and Frictional Properties of Alkylsilane Monolayers Using Molecular Simulation

oleh: Jana E. Black, Andrew Z. Summers, Christopher R. Iacovella, Peter T. Cummings, Clare McCabe

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2019-04-01

Deskripsi

Cross-linked chemisorbed <i>n</i>-alkylsilane (CH<sub>3</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<i><sub>n</sub></i><sub>&#8722;1</sub>Si(OH)<sub>3</sub>) monolayers on amorphous silica surfaces have been studied and their structural properties and frictional performance were compared to those of equivalent monolayers without cross-linkages. The simulations isolated for the first time the effects of both siloxane cross-linkages and the fraction of chains chemisorbed to the surface, providing insight into a longstanding fundamental question in the literature regarding molecular-level structure. The results demonstrate that both cross-linkages and the fraction of chemisorbed chains affect monolayer structure in small but measurable ways, particularly for monolayers constructed from short chains; however, these changes do not appear to have a significant impact on frictional performance.