Title: Nanoparticle Suspensions for Energy Efficiency

Abstract: Studies of the fundamental origins of friction have undergone rapid progress in recent years, providing valuable information on the relative contributions of electronic, magnetic, electrostatic and phononic dissipative mechanisms. They are now evolving into methods that allow active control of nano and/or meso scale friction through tuning of magnetic and electric fields external to the contact. These methods constitute an area of rapidly growing interest, as they address one of the world’s present day grand challenges: reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through the use of environmentally friendly materials. Our group’s progress with in situ control of friction levels using external control of nanoparticles suspended in water-based materials will be overviewed.