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Origins of hydration lubrication

Author

Listed:
  • Liran Ma

    (Weizmann Institute of Science
    State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University)

  • Anastasia Gaisinskaya-Kipnis

    (Weizmann Institute of Science)

  • Nir Kampf

    (Weizmann Institute of Science)

  • Jacob Klein

    (Weizmann Institute of Science)

Abstract

Why is friction in healthy hips and knees so low? Hydration lubrication, according to which hydration shells surrounding charges act as lubricating elements in boundary layers (including those coating cartilage in joints), has been invoked to account for the extremely low sliding friction between surfaces in aqueous media, but not well understood. Here we report the direct determination of energy dissipation within such sheared hydration shells. By trapping hydrated ions in a 0.4–1 nm gap between atomically smooth charged surfaces as they slide past each other, we are able to separate the dissipation modes of the friction and, in particular, identify the viscous losses in the subnanometre hydration shells. Our results shed light on the origins of hydration lubrication, with potential implications both for aqueous boundary lubricants and for biolubrication.

Suggested Citation

  • Liran Ma & Anastasia Gaisinskaya-Kipnis & Nir Kampf & Jacob Klein, 2015. "Origins of hydration lubrication," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7060
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7060
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    Cited by:

    1. Ben Kew & Melvin Holmes & Evangelos Liamas & Rammile Ettelaie & Simon D. Connell & Daniele Dini & Anwesha Sarkar, 2023. "Transforming sustainable plant proteins into high performance lubricating microgels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Shuanhong Ma & Lunkun Liu & Weiyi Zhao & Renjie Li & Xiaoduo Zhao & Yunlei Zhang & Bo Yu & Ying Liu & Feng Zhou, 2025. "Earthworm inspired lubricant self-pumping hydrogel with sustained lubricity at high loading," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.

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