Ultra-low friction is crucial for the anti-friction, anti-wear, and long-life operation of nanodevices. However, very few two-dimensional materials can achieve ultra-low friction, and they have some limitations in their applications. Therefore, exploring novel materials with ultra-low friction properties is greatly significant. The emergence of ternary two-dimensional materials has opened new opportunities for nanoscale ultra-low friction. This study introduced nickel phosphorous trisulfide (NiPS₃, referred to as NPS), a novel two-dimensional ternary material capable of achieving ultralow friction in a vacuum, into the large nanotribology family. Large-size and high-quality NPS crystals with up to 14 mm × 6 mm × 0.3 mm dimensions were grown using the chemical vapor transport method. The NPS nanosheets were obtained using mechanical exfoliation. The dependence of the NPS nanotribology on layer, velocity, and angle was systematically investigated using lateral force microscopy. Interestingly, the coefficient of friction (COF) of NPS with multilayers was decreased to about 0.0045 under 0.005 Pa vacuum condition (with load up to 767.8 nN), achieving the ultra-low friction state. The analysis of the frictional dissipation energy and adhesive forces showed that NPS with multilayers had minimum frictional dissipation energy and adhesive forces since the interlayer interactions were weak and the meniscus force was excluded under vacuum conditions. This study on the nanoscale friction of a ternary two-dimensional material lays a foundation for exploring the nanoscale friction and friction origin of other two-dimensional materials in the future.

超低摩擦对于纳米器件的减摩、抗磨损和长寿命运行至关重要。然而，很少有二维材料能够实现超低摩擦，并且它们在应用中存在一定的局限性。因此，探索具有超低摩擦性能的新型材料具有重要意义。三元二维材料的出现为纳米级超低摩擦开辟了新的机遇。该研究将三硫化镍磷（NiPS ₃ ，简称NPS）这种能够在真空中实现超低摩擦的新型二维三元材料引入到纳米摩擦学大家族中。使用化学气相传输方法生长了尺寸高达 14 mm × 6 mm × 0.3 mm 的大尺寸和高质量 NPS 晶体。 NPS 纳米片是通过机械剥离获得的。使用侧向力显微镜系统地研究了 NPS 纳米摩擦学对层、速度和角度的依赖性。有趣的是，多层NPS的摩擦系数（COF）在0.005 Pa真空条件下（负载高达767.8 nN）降低至约0.0045，实现了超低摩擦状态。摩擦耗散能和粘附力分析表明，多层NPS具有最小的摩擦耗散能和粘附力，因为层间相互作用较弱并且在真空条件下排除了弯月面力。此次对三元二维材料纳米级摩擦的研究，为今后探索其他二维材料的纳米级摩擦及摩擦起源奠定了基础。