  Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides are potential
candidates for ultrathin solid-state lubricants in low-dimensional systems
owing to their flatness, high in-plane mechanical strength, and low shear
interlayer strength. Yet, the effects of surface topography and surface
chemistry on the tribological properties of 2D layers are still unclear. In
this work, we performed a comparative investigation of nanoscale tribological
properties of ultra-thin highly-ordered PtSe2 layers deposited on the sapphire
substrates with the in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic orientation of
the PtSe2 c-axis flakes, and epitaxial PtSe2 layers. PtSe2 c-axis orientation
was found to has an impact on the nanotribological, morphological and
electrical properties of PtSe2, in particular the change in the alignment of
the PtSe2 flakes from vertical (VA) to horizontal (HA) led to the lowering of
the coefficient of friction from 0.21 to 0.16. This observation was accompanied
by an increase in the root-mean-square surface roughness from 1.0 to 1.7 nm for
the HA and VA films, respectively. The epitaxial films showed lower friction
caused by lowering adhesion when compared to other investigated films, whereas
the friction coefficient was similar to films with HA flakes. The observed
trends in nanoscale friction is attributed to a different distribution of PtSe2
structure.
