Synthesis and lubrication properties of hollow IF-MoS2 nanospheres

Hollow IF-MoS2 nanospheres were prepared by sulfidation reaction using MoO3 nanospheres as precursors in a reducing atmosphere. The composition and morphology of the obtained samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The formation mechanism was further studied. The results showed that smaller sized MoO3 nanospheres (synthesized from 0.05 mol of ammonium molybdate) could transform into hollow IF-MoS2 nanospheres under heat treatment conditions at 850 °C for 6 h. Furthermore, we evaluated the lubrication performance of hollow IF-MoS2 nanospheres. Comparative analysis with pure oil revealed that the mixed oil, with the addition of 2 wt. % IF-MoS2, exhibited a reduced friction coefficient ranging from 0.0194 to 0.0197.