Ansiotropy in friction and molecular stick-slip motion

Abstract

A fundamental study of friction by friction force microscopy on an organic bilayer assembly is presented. Frictional domains are observed with a real area of contact in the regime of the lattice spacings. Their frictional contrast is changing in respect with the sliding direction. Such a local anisotropic behavior of friction is shown to originate in different 2D crystal orientations. On the molecular scale stick-slip motion is observed which can be related to the macroscopic terms of static and dynamic friction.