Manipulating the Conversion of Nanoscale Wear Debris into Tribofilm for Wear Reduction of Steel

• • The bioinspired coupling surface (BCS) reduces steel wear rate by 50.4% under water lubrication, 51.2% under oil lubrication, and 46.3% under macroscale superlubricity, demonstrating consistent anti-wear efficacy across diverse lubrication regimes. • • The BCS integrates serrated surface textures that capture and temporarily store excess nanoscale wear debris, preventing abrasive three-body wear while enabling subsequent tribofilm formation. • • A deposited self-cleaning coating within the textures facilitates the re-entry of stored debris into the sliding-contact interface, promoting the conversion of iron oxides into a protective tribofilm that reduces further wear. • • The strategy transforms wear debris from a liability into a resource, offering a novel approach to extend the service life of mechanical components and potentially reducing wear-related costs exceeding 2,500 billion Euro annually.