Tribology
Nanotribology: we have been working since 1998 on techniques for the measurement of friction using AFM. Primarily we use the colloid probe technique to measure capillary condensation, adhesion, friction, and other surface forces, between materials as disparate as hair, cellulose, proteins, saliva and dual responsive polymers. As a result of these studies we have been able to demonstrate superlubricity using repulsive Lifshitsz forces, elucidate adhesion mechanisms in biocomposite systems, and understand how adsorbed polyelectrolyte conformations affect friction. Our most recent interest is to understand how Ionic Liquids (ILs) behave under confinement and shear, and how electric potentials can be used to control the near surface structure and the resulting interactions. In the program ILEAP we are focusing on bridging the gap between macroscopic and nanoscopic friction in ILs.
Contact
Tactile perception: In the area of tactile perception, we are investigating from a psychophysical perspective how surface properties such as roughness, finger friction and surface chemistry are implicated in the sense of touch. This is a collaborative venture with RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden,
Contact
Lubrication: The studies in the lubrication area are focused on how to achieve low friction in the boundary lubrication regime in aqueous media. Here one can find inspiration from Nature, which has achieved close to frictionless motion in aqueous media in constructs such as our synovial joints. We can learn from the type of biolubricants, and we have utilized biomimetic lubricants and self-assembly structures to achieve low friction forces and high load bearing capacity. Key issues include lubrication synergy and energy dissipative mechanisms.