Friction: Interfacial Friction Control (Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2/2015)

F. Zhou and co-workers demonstrate in article 1400392 that interfacial friction can be tuned through changes in surface chemistry, interfacial charge, hydration state and/or topography when environment-sensitive materials at frictional interface react to external stimuli, such as solvent, electrolyte, pH, temperature, light etc or through driving approach to/away from sliding contacts the lubricious molecules under electric potentials and magnetic fields.