A general strategy for developing eco-friendly, harsh condition adaptive, and friction tunable supramolecular gel lubricants via hydrogen bonding interaction

[Display omitted] •A general strategy was proposed for eco-friendly supramolecular gel via H-bonds.•Gels exhibit excellent lubricating properties under various challenging conditions.•Gels exhibit different lubrication states and viscosity-controlled friction behaviors. As green tribology and controllable lubrication technology progress, traditional lubricants fail to meet the evolving requirements of environmental sustainability, adaptability to extreme conditions, and precise friction coefficient control. In this work, a general strategy is proposed to obtain eco-friendly, harsh condition adaptive, and friction tunable polyol supramolecular gel lubricants. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the formation of supramolecular gels is induced by the hydrogen bond interaction between PVA, MXene, and polyols. Rheological tests demonstrate the excellent shear thinning and creep recovery properties of the prepared supramolecular gel at both room and low temperatures, positioning it as a promising new lubricant. Tribological tests further show that the supramolecular gel achieved a low friction coefficient of 0.056 and a wear rate as low as 1.88 × 10−9 mm3 N−1 m−1. Moreover, the tribological properties of various polyol supramolecular gels were compared and the viscosity-controlled friction lubrication behavior was observed. This research not only presents a novel strategy for developing environmentally friendly supramolecular gel lubricants that are adaptable to harsh conditions and tunable in friction, but also offers practical solutions to address challenges such as environmental pollution, lubrication failures in extreme environments, and precise friction control.