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1D Al/Al2O3 nanostructures have been synthesized by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of the molecular precursor [tBuOAlH2]2. The deposited nanostructures grow chaotically on the substrate forming a layer with a high porosity (80%). Depending on the deposition time, diverse nanostructured surfaces with different distribution densities were achieved. A three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction has been evaluated for every nanostructure density using the Focus Ion Beam (FIB) tomography technique and reconstruction software tools. Several structural parameters such as porosity, Euler number, geometrical tortuosity and aspect ratio have been quantified through the analysis with specified software of the reconstructions. Additionally roughness of the prepared surfaces has been characterized at micro- and nanoscale using profilometry and AFM techniques, respectively. While high aspects ratio around 20-30 indicates a strong anisotropy in the structure, high porosity values (around 80%) is observed as a consequence of highly tangled geometry of such 1D nanostructures. 1D nanostructures have tube or wire-like shapes with diameters below 100 nm and lengths of several micrometers. There are various methods to fabricate such ultrafine structures. The growth out of a chemical synthesis is the most elegant and simplest approach for fabrication of these ultra-small wires. Some of these methods are known as wet chemical syntheses since the material fabrication takes place within a solution. The chemical synthesis may also be carried out in the gas phase. Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) is such a chemical method, which leads to the fabrication of solid materials through accumulation of the vapour phase chemical species on a solid substrate. In this work, we have used a special CVD process to fabricate the nano-wires. The obtained wires have core-shell geometry. The inner core is made of aluminium and the outer surrounding shell is made of aluminium oxide. These ultrafine and extremely long wires form an assembly, which is similar to a bundle of spaghettis. It is difficult to analyse their shape, assembly, voids and other structural properties easily, just by looking from the top-view using a high-resolution electron microscopy. This microscopic method can give extremely high-resolution images (more than 500,000 times magnification) to analyse any fine detail. On the other hand, the gathered information is limited only to the planar 2D surface of the material. To get 3D information, we cut several slices perpendicular to the surface of the nano-wire assembly by edging and analysed every slice in terms of their morphology (destructing process). Afterwards, all these 2D projection images are brought together in order to get a reconstructed 3D image. This method allows observing every fine detail in the assembly just by rotating 3D image along any axis of interest.

We investigated the friction and wear behavior as well as the mechanical properties of the periostracum of Mytilus sp. Tribological properties were determined with a reciprocal sliding microtribometer, while mechanical characterization was performed using a nanoindenter. Measurements were performed in dry and wet conditions. On the dry periostracum we found a low friction coefficient of 0.078 ± 0.007 on the young parts and a higher one of 0.63 ± 0.02 on the old parts of the shell. Under wet, saline, conditions we only observed one average coefficient of friction of 0.37 ± 0.01. Microscopic ex situ analysis indicated that dry periostracum wore rather rapidly by plowing and fatigue, while it exhibited a high wear resistance when immersed in salt water. The Young’s modulus and hardness of the periostracum were also investigated in both dry and wet conditions. Under dry conditions the Young’s modulus of the periostracum was 8 ± 3 GPa, while under wet conditions it was 0.21 ± 0.05 GPa. The hardness of dry periostracum samples was 353 ± 127 MPa, whereas the hardness of wet samples was 5 ± 2 MPa. It was found that, in the wet state, viscous behavior plays a significant role in the mechanical response of the periostracum. Our results strongly indicate that the periostracum can provide an important contribution to the overall wear resistance of Mytilus sp. shell.

The anisotropy of friction on graphitic surfaces is investigated by a combined friction force microscopy and modeling study. Friction vectors deviate up to 15° from pulling directions. The strongest deviations are found for pulling directions which lie almost along one zigzag direction of the honeycomb structure, the preferred sliding direction on graphite surfaces and epitaxial graphene grown on SiC(0001). Atomic stick-slip events along and across molecular rows determine direction and magnitude of friction. Simulation and modeling reveal the role of temperature and of the two-dimensional character of the surface potential for the friction anisotropy.

We describe an interdisciplinary class offered to undergraduate university students of Arts and Sciences, with most participants majoring in philosophy or physics. The class combines learning about the theory of atomic force microscopes (AFMs), using them for gathering data and processing images out of the data in hands-on exercises with (1) understanding important do's and don'ts of image processing and (2) with philosophical reflection on microscopy and image theory guided by philosophers' texts, written between 1690 and 2010, on microscopes, on images and on the suitable-realist or antirealist-interpretation of microscopic images.

Friction involves a complex set of phenomena spanning a large range of length scales, but experiments assessing the evolution of the slip-front between two dry sliding bodies now reveal that slip can be reasonably well described by linear fracture mechanics theory.

Reibung lässt sich elektrochemisch kontrollieren. Mit ionischen Flüssigkeiten elektrochemisch gesteuerte Reibvorgänge könnten in kleinskaligen, miniaturisierten Kontakten herkömmliche Schmiermittel ersetzen.

The mechanical properties of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluorophosphate ([Py1,4][FAP]) in confinement between a SiOx and a Au(1 1 1) surface are investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) under electrochemical control. Up to 12 layers of ion pairs can be detected through force measurements while approaching the tip of the AFM to the surface. The particular shape of the force versus distance curve is explained by a model for the interaction between tip, gold surface and ionic liquid, which assumes an exponentially decaying oscillatory force originating from bulk liquid density correlations. Jumps in the tip-sample distance upon approach correspond to jumps of the compliant force sensor between branches of the oscillatory force curve. Frictional force between the laterally moving tip and the surface is detected only after partial penetration of the last double layer between tip and surface.

We study nanoindentation and scratching of graphene-covered Pt(111) surfaces in computer simulations and experiments. We find elastic response at low load, plastic deformation of Pt below the graphene at intermediate load, and eventual rupture of the graphene at high load. Friction remains low in the first two regimes, but jumps to values also found for bare Pt(111) surfaces upon graphene rupture. While graphene substantially enhances the load carrying capacity of the Pt substrate, the substrate's intrinsic hardness and friction are recovered upon graphene rupture.

An attempt has been made to develop a new metallic glass (MG) that combines high hardness with wear resistance. Refractory metallic films of W33Ni32B35 (at.%) have been deposited on stainless steel and Si substrates by dc magnetron sputtering. The alloy films are glassy, have a high crystallization temperature of 873 °C and rank among the very hard metallic materials (∼24 GPa). Importantly, this MG also shows excellent wear resistance, approaching that of standard tribological materials like TiN and hence it represents one of the most wear-resistant known metallic materials. Based on its unique combination of high strength and low elastic modulus, other potential applications are also discussed.

Young's modulus, fracture stress, and Poisson's ratio are important mechanical characteristics for micromechanical devices. The Poisson's ratio of a material is a good measure to elucidate its mechanical behavior and generally is the negative ratio of transverse to axial strain. A nanocrystalline (NCD) and an ultrananocrystalline (UNCD) diamond sample with grain boundaries of different chemical and structural constitutions have been investigated by an ultrasonic resonance method. For both samples, the elastic moduli are considerably reduced, compared with the elastic modulus of single crystal diamond (sc-diamond). Depending on the chemical and structural constitution of grain boundaries in nano- and ultrananocrystalline diamond different values for Poisson's ratio and for the fracture strength are observed. We found a Poisson's ratio of 0.201 ± 0.041 for the ultrananocrystalline sample and 0.034 ± 0.017 for the nanocrystalline sample. We discuss these results on the basis of a model for granular media. Higher disorder in the grain boundary leads to lower shear stiffness between the single grains and ultimately results in a decrease of Young's and shear modulus and possibly of the fracture strength of the material.