Structure, superlubricity, applications, and chemical vapor deposition methods of graphene solid lubricants

Friction-induced wear is a major cause of energy consumption and equipment failure and graphene as a novel solid lubricant has become a hot topic in tribological engineering. Micro/nanoscale and macroscale superlubricity has been observed from graphene-based solid lubricants and the ability to mass produce high-quality graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is attractive, especially for applications requiring operation under harsh working conditions. This comprehensive review discusses the relationship between the structure and friction properties of solid graphene lubricants, mechanisms of macroscale superlubricity, applications pertaining to harsh working conditions, strategies to prolong macroscale superlubricity, as well as challenges in order to provide guidance for future research and development of graphene-based solid lubricants.