Nickel AOT surfactants as model polymeric additives for engine friction reduction

Our aim is to investigate Nickel-AOT surfactants (where AOT is dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate) as model polymeric additives for engine friction reduction. Using engine additives prevents destructive effects such as corrosion or wear, and confers beneficial properties such as improved engine cleanliness. Additionally, it allows for increased fuel economy, the relationship between distance travelled and fuel consumed by a vehicle. This is directly linked to vehicle emissions,
making this research field of paramount importance to modern society. As part of this PhD, we wish to use a custom-built tribometer that fits onto neutron beamlines. This will allow us to probe the conformation of molecules at metal-liquid
interfaces, and thus to infer the aggregation behaviour of varying polymeric organic friction modifiers at the phase boundary. It will then be possible to link the measured structures back to the relevant friction coefficients observed. We
wish to change the surfactant structure, and AOT was chosen as a starting point because it is a well-studied molecule whose self-assembly in bulk is well-known. Our aim is then to iterate on surfactant structure, and to continue the
optimisation of friction reduction. The surfactants will be synthesised by collaborators working at the University of Bristol. Their adsorption behaviour will also be tested by means of adsorption isotherms, which will allow to quantify the extent to which these surfactants can coat onto metal surfaces.