Maohua Li, Chenxi Guan, Yaolong Zhi, Jindong Li, Shouyi Sun,* Xinchen Zhuang,* Yu Fang, and Junxia Peng*. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2025, 17, 46197-46207. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c09742

The development of supramolecular gel lubricants with excellent rheological properties is critical for high-performance lubrication. Although hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) have shown considerable potential as lubricants, eutectogels containing HDESs remains largely unexplored.

Herein, we report the first water-resistant supramolecular eutectogel based on HDES, exhibiting outstanding thixotropic behavior and lubrication performance. Notably, MoS₂ flakes incorporated within the obtained supramolecular eutectogel exhibit uniform dispersion and long-term stability without aggregation, yielding a highly stable composite supramolecular eutectogel. As prepared supramolecular eutectogels without and with MoS₂ flakes display excellent water-resistant property, showing negligible changes after being immersed in water for more than 9 months. Both the eutectogel and its MoS₂-doped counterpart exhibit characteristic shear-thinning behavior and remarkable thixotropy, with instant and reversible sol-gel transitions. Importantly, these superior rheological properties persist at −10 °C. These thixotropic properties ensure the formation of a stable tribo-film throughout the friction process, effectively reducing the shear strength friction-pair surfaces and promoting relative sliding. As a result, the MoS₂-doped eutectogel achieves a low coefficient of friction (COF), with an average value of 0.07. Moreover, the MoS₂-doped supramolecular gel lubricant significantly enhances anti-wear performance while sustaining excellent lubrication effects in a simulated locking mechanism of landing gear. This work provides valuable insights for developing green and higher-performance supramolecular gel lubricants, offering potential solutions to the limitations of conventional lubricants.

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the preparation process and stabilities of supramolecular eutectogels.

Figure 2. Rheological studies of supramolecular eutectogels.

Figure 3. Tribological properties of supramolecular eutectogels.

First Author: Li Maohua, master’s student, Shaanxi Normal University

Correspondence Authors: Prof. Peng Junxia, Shaanxi Normal University, A/Prof. Sun Shouyi and A/Prof. Zhuang Xinchen, Northwestern Polytechnical University

Full Text Link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c09742