ArticleNature communications2026
An intelligent feedback loop for sustaining self-lubrication and wear resistance.
Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
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Abstract
Intelligent materials that self-sense and self-adjust are an emerging frontier in sustainable technology. Here we introduce a Cu/C nanocomposite film that acts as a self-adjusting intelligent lubricant. In this film, frictional heating triggers melting and migration of Cu nanoparticles along nanopores to the friction interface, where the Cu catalyzes the in-situ formation of ordered carbon nanostructures. Real-time monitoring of friction coefficient (μ), electrical resistance (R), and metal release confirms a feedback loop: high friction generates enough heat, melting the metal nanoparticles; the migrating metal then lowers friction by creating low-friction nanostructures, which reduces heat and arrests further migration until friction rises again. This self-limiting feedback enables stable ultra-low friction (μ ~ 0.04) and an exceptional wear life (>40 km) even in high vacuum. By utilizing friction-derived heat as an intrinsic activation signal, our system establishes a general paradigm for intelligent, self-adjusting materials with applications extending beyond tribology.
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Registered trials
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