A grafting-to approach is described as a means of fabricating ultrathin, oil-compatible, friction-reducing coatings. The tribological properties of grafted-to coatings of poly(dodecyl methacrylate) (P12MA), prepared by means of a photoactivated perfluorophenylazide adhesion promoter, were compared with those of grafted-from coatings of the same polymer of comparable molecular weight, prepared via surface-initiated, atom-transfer radical polymerisation. It was shown that in a sub-hydrodynamic regime (i.e. boundary/brush lubrication), both coating types can be equivalently effective, exhibiting very low friction coefficients (0.02) against a bare silica countersurface with no detectable wear over the duration of the test (around 1,000 cycles, and maximal Hertzian contact pressure ca 170 MPa as calculated for a bare-bare configuration), providing that sufficiently viscous base lubricants are employed.
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