Construction of 2D / 2D graphene oxide/ g‐C ₃ N ₄ hybrid for enhancing the friction and wear performance of p oly (phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone)

Abstract In this study, a novel hybrid consisted of two‐dimensional graphene oxide (GO) and graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C ₃ N ₄ ) nanosheets were fabricated to improve the tribological performance of poly (phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK). The effect of the mass ratio of GO to g‐C ₃ N ₄ (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) on the microstructure of GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ was firstly studied. As the ratio was 1:2 (GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ ‐2), the g‐C ₃ N ₄ could be homogeneously distributed on surface of GO, and the corresponding hybrid possessed many active sites. Moreover, the effect of GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ hybrid, GO, and g‐C ₃ N ₄ on the tribological properties of PPESK matrix was explored systematically. Results showed that GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ demonstrated more excellent reinforcing and lubricating effect than single GO and g‐C ₃ N ₄ , especially for GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ ‐2. More importantly, as the content of GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ ‐2 was 0.1 wt%, the antifriction and anti‐wear performance of PPESK was improved by 77.28% and 96.9%, respectively. Moreover, the enhancement mechanisms of GO/g‐C ₃ N ₄ on the tribological behaviors of PPESK were clarified by analyzing the surface morphology of the composite and the counterpart. This work might provide the guidance for the design of a novel nano‐hybrid material applied in polymer self‐lubricating composites.