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The mechanisms for frictional self-adaptation of advanced hard coatings with optimum tribological properties are based on the formation of thin reaction films in sliding contacts. The aim of this work was to characterize VN and V coatings deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering and to determine the influence of oxide phase formation on their friction and wear properties during high-temperature exposure in ambient air. Dry sliding experiments were performed in the temperature range between 25 and 700°C. Structural changes and oxide phases were identified by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy after tribometer testing. The friction coefficient of the V coatings decreases from about 1.05 at RT to 0.27 at 700°C, while the VN coating has a lower coefficient of friction (~0.45) at RT which further decreases at temperatures above 400°C. The onset of rapid oxidation of V and VN coatings, as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), occurred at 400-450°C with the formation of vanadium oxides, which were identified by XRD as V 2 O 5 , VO 2 and V 6 O 13 . For both coatings evaluated, a significant decrease of the friction coefficient at temperatures above 400°C was observed reaching a value of 0.25-0.27 at 700°C, due to the formation of V 2 O 5 , giving rise to solid lubrication, and subsequent melting of this phase at temperatures above 600°C, leading to liquid lubrication.