Wrinkle-engineered self-dispersed MoS₂/graphene hybrids for enhanced high-temperature lubrication

Self-dispersed graphene crumpled balls (GCBs) demonstrate exceptional tribological performance as lubricant additives at elevated temperatures. However, the critical relationships among unique wrinkle architectures, internal porosity characteristics, and resultant dispersion stability/friction-reduction mechanism remain insufficiently explored. In particular, the synergistic effects arising from structural hierarchy and surface chemistry modulation in high-temperature lubrication systems require systematic investigation. Herein, we propose a wrinkle engineering strategy guided by Stokes’ law to fabricate surface modifier-free GCBs with programmable three-dimensional geometries. Systematic investigations reveal that the degree of crumpling on the GCBs critically dominates the dispersion characteristics and the interlayer shearing resistance. When molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS₂ QDs) are deposited on GCBs, a more consistent and robust tribochemical reaction film can form on the friction interface in response to severe damage. Compared with commercial high-temperature chain oil (CH-27Q), this complex achieves an over 2-fold increase in anti-friction efficiency. Overall, this study establishes a structure–performance paradigm for developing autonomous lubrication systems under extreme thermal conditions.