Project description
Frictionless mechanical systems based on 2D nanomaterials
Nearly a quarter of the world’s energy consumption is lost to mechanical friction and wear, draining trillions of euro from the global economy annually. While the use of standard lubricants is aimed at meeting today’s heavy industrial demands, a family of ultrathin 2D nanomaterials called MXenes offers virtually frictionless sliding and remarkable mechanical strength under extreme pressure. However, how these materials behave at the atomic level during fast motion is still not well understood. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the INTERCEPT-ME project will combine real-time spectroscopic monitoring, nanoscale friction measurements and real-time molecular simulations to uncover how these tiny structures dissipate energy. Project findings will pave the way for the design of high-performance, sustainable lubricants for next-generation engine and gear systems.
Objective
Efficient lubrication continues to be a critical technological challenge, with profound economic and environmental consequences. Friction and wear are responsible for nearly 23% of global energy consumption each year, resulting in economic losses of approximately €2.5 trillion worldwide. To address this, the development of high-performance lubricants based on emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials is essential, with MXenes, a family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, offering significant advantages. MXenes exhibit outstanding properties, including ultra-low friction, superlubricity under extreme conditions, and remarkable mechanical strength. Their distinctive surface chemistry and ability to intercalate a wide range of molecular species enable tunable tribological performance, facilitating efficient friction reduction. Despite their potential, major scientific gaps hinder the rational design of MXene-based lubricants. The fundamental mechanisms by which intercalated molecules influence friction, energy dissipation, tribochemical reactions, and interlayer sliding dynamics remain largely unexplored. Current studies predominantly rely on empirical approaches or macroscale tribometry, lacking detailed nanoscale insights and quantitative structure-property relationships specific to MXenes. Additionally, the time-dependent tribochemical evolution at buried interfaces during sliding is poorly understood. This proposal seeks to overcome these limitations through a comprehensive multi-scale investigation, integrating real-time spectroscopic monitoring, nanoscale friction measurements, and reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The main objectives are to uncover the atomic-level mechanisms of intercalant behavior, establish clear structure-property relationships. The expected outcome is a significant advancement in sustainable, high-performance lubricants tailored for critical applications such as engine and gear lubrication systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.