colloids and interfaces Review Thickness and Structure of Adsorbed Water Layer and Effects on Adhesion and Friction at Nanoasperity Contact Chen Xiao 1, Pengfei Shi 1, Wenmeng Yan 1, Lei Chen 1,*, Linmao Qian 1 and Seong H. Kim 1,2 1 Tribology Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology of Materials, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China 2 Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +86-159-8213-9010 Received: 30 June 2019; Accepted: 2 August 2019; Published: 6 August 2019 Abstract: Most inorganic material surfaces exposed to ambient air can adsorb water, and hydrogen bonding interactions among adsorbed water molecules vary depending on, not only intrinsic properties of material surfaces, but also extrinsic working conditions. When dimensions of solid objects shrink to micro- and nano-scales, the ratio of surface area to volume increases greatly and the contribution of water condensation on interfacial forces, such as adhesion (Fa) and friction (Ft), becomes significant. This paper reviews the structural evolution of the adsorbed water layer on solid surfaces and its effect on Fa and Ft at nanoasperity contact for sphere-on-flat geometry. The details of the underlying mechanisms governing water adsorption behaviors vary depending on the atomic structure of the substrate, surface hydrophilicity and atmospheric conditions. The solid surfaces reviewed in this paper include metal/metallic oxides, silicon/silicon oxides, fluorides, and two-dimensional materials. The mechanism by which water condensation influences Fa is discussed based on the competition among capillary force, van der Waals force and the rupture force of solid-like water bridge.