This project will investigate the surface forces generated at smooth contacts, where the two surfaces are a few Angstroms apart and are covered by polymers and surfactants. Thge study is relevant no only to tribology but also to colloid science, physics of adhesion, and liquid crystal technology. The study is composed of two parts: (1) development of a new experimental technique for measurement and study of friction force at a molecular level, and (2) development of tailor-made surfaces approaching atomic smoothness to obtain useful information on material of practical importance.
