Fouling is a ubiquitous and longstanding challenge that causes both economic and environmental problems, especially for underwater detection equipment, as fouling directly limits the normal services and functions of such equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop coatings with high transparency and good antifouling performance. Herein, a novel zwitterion compound was synthesized, and an antifouling coating with excellent comprehensive properties was prepared by integrating 3-[[3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl] amino] propane-1-sulfonic acid (TPAPS) into polyvinyl butyral (PVB) polymer, which possesses excellent mechanical properties and transparency. The physical and chemical, mechanical, and antifouling properties, and the light transmittance of the coating were characterized by the SEM, FT-IR, XPS, UV-VIS. The results show that the coating had good mechanical properties and adhesion to the substrate, and the strong hydration ability of TPAPS endowed the coating with excellent resistance to oil stains and biofouling. More importantly, the structure of the coating was homogenous and its surface roughness was very little, which imparted the coating with high transmittance. This research provides a facile approach for synthesizing high-transparency materials with excellent antifouling and mechanical properties.

Lubricant additives play a crucial role in improving the tribological performance of lubricating oils to reduce frictional energy losses and improve the durability and reliability of mechanical systems. In this study, soft metallic-based core–shell Ag@Cu microparticles were synthesized via an in-situ galvanic displacement method and incorporated into EHC-50 base oil with various concentrations. The tribological performance evaluations indicated that 0.3 wt% Ag@Cu significantly enhanced friction-reducing and anti-wear properties, achieving a stable friction coefficient of 0.12, a 45% reduction, and a wear volume reduction of 75% compared to the pristine oil. Additionally, the surface characterization techniques (SEM/EDS, XPS, XRD, and TOF-SIMS) were employed to explore the wear patterns and related lubrication mechanisms. The results indicated that the synergistic interaction between the micro-bearing effect, physical mending, and tribochemical reactions facilitated the formation of a robust tribofilm composed of metallic Ag, ternary CuFe₃O₂, and sulfides, which achieved higher lubrication performance. Ultimately, this research provides novel metallic micro-additives, offering a facile approach to formulating wear-resistant lubricants with significant potential for saving energy for mechanical tribosystems in industrial applications.

Introducing an additive is a practical approach to improve the lubrication performance of base oil in the field of tribology. Herein, a series of sulfoximine derivatives was synthesized and incorporated into base oil A51 as additives. The tribological properties of these lubricants were evaluated at both room and high temperatures, and the result demonstrated that they displayed excellent friction reduction and wear resistance in the friction process under both test conditions. Moreover, the chemical composition of the worn scar surface was inspected using EDS, XPS and TOF-SIMS to explore the lubricating mechanism. It is reasonable to conclude that the synergistic interaction between the aromatic ring scaffolds and elements like N, F, and S facilitated the adsorption of lubricant on the steel block surfaces and forming a tribofilm during the friction process. This tribofilm has a dominant impact on the system’s lubrication performance. This research provides novel oil-soluble lubricant additives, offering a facile approach to formulating high-quality lubricants.