High-Sensitivity Low-Energy Ion Spectroscopy with Sub-Nanometer Depth Resolution Reveals Oxidation Resistance of MoS2 Increases with Film Density and Shear-Induced Nanostructural Modifications of the Surface

Babuska, Tomas F.; Curry, John F.; Thorpe, Ryan; Chowdhury, Md. Istiaque; Strandwitz, Nicholas C.; Krick, Brandon A.

doi:10.1021/acsanm.2c04703

High-Sensitivity Low-Energy Ion Spectroscopy with Sub-Nanometer Depth Resolution Reveals Oxidation Resistance of MoS₂ Increases with Film Density and Shear-Induced Nanostructural Modifications of the Surface

Journal Article · Tue Jan 10 23:00:00 EST 2023 · ACS Applied Nano Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.2c04703· OSTI ID:2469897

Babuska, Tomas F. ^[1]; Curry, John F. ^[2]; Thorpe, Ryan ^[3]; ^[3]; Strandwitz, Nicholas C. ^[3]; ^[4]

Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)
Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)

For decades, density has been attributed as a critical aspect of the structure of sputter-deposited nanocrystalline molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) coatings impacting oxidation resistance and wear resistance. Despite its importance, there are few examples in the literature that explicitly investigate the relationship between the density and oxidation behaviors of MoS₂ coatings. Aging and oxidation are primary considerations for the use of MoS₂ coatings in aerospace applications as they inevitably experience prolonged storage in water and oxygen-rich environments prior to use. Oxidation that is either limited to the first few nanometers or through the bulk of the coating can result in seizure due to high initial coefficients of friction or component failure from excessive wear. High-sensitivity low-energy ion spectroscopy (HS-LEIS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) are both used to understand the extent of oxidation throughout the first ~10 nanometers of the surface of pure sputtered nanocrystalline MoS₂ coatings after high-temperature aging and how it is impacted by the density of coatings as measured by RBS. Results show that low-density coatings (ρ = 3.55 g/cm³) exhibit a more columnar microstructure and voiding, which act as pathways for oxidative species to penetrate and interact with edge sites, causing severe surface and subsurface oxidation. Furthermore, HS-LEIS of surfaces sheared prior to oxidation reveals that the oxidation resistance of low-density MoS₂ coatings can be significantly improved by shear-induced reorientation of the surface microstructure to a basal orientation and elimination of pathways for oxygen into the bulk through compaction of surface and subsurface voids.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 2469897

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Nano Materials, Journal Name: ACS Applied Nano Materials Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 6; ISSN 2574-0970

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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