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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 February 2012
The nano-scale friction on crystalline gold surfaces can be systematically varied by changing the oxidation state of the surfaces through an applied electrochemical potential. We present experimental results from high-resolution friction force microscopy, where the atomic structure of the surface is reflected in lateral force maps. While the oxidation of gold surfaces always brings upon a significant increase in friction, the situation is more complex in the potential regime where only sulfate anions are adsorbed. The influence of adsorbed anions on friction depends on electrochemical potential and on normal load, demonstrating that electrochemical processes and sliding dynamics are altered in the confinement of the tip-sample contact.