Lubricants have played important roles in friction and wear reduction and increasing efficiency of mechanical systems. To optimize tribological performance, chemical reactions between a lubricant and a substrate must be designed strategically. Tribochemical reactions are chemical reactions enabled or accelerated by mechanical stimuli. Tribochemically activated lubricant additives play important roles in these reactions. In this review, current understanding in mechanisms of chemical reactions under shear has been discussed. Additives such as oil-soluble organics, ionic liquids (ILs), and nanoparticles (NPs) were analyzed in relation to the tribochemical reaction routes with elements in metallic substrates. The results indicated that phosphorus, sulfur, fluorine, and nitrogen are key elements for tribochemical reactions. The resulting tribofilms from zinc dithiophosphates (ZDDP) and molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) have been widely reported, yet that from ILs and NPs need to investigate further. This review serves as a reference for researchers to design and optimize new lubricants.

润滑剂在减少摩擦和磨损以及提高机械系统效率方面发挥着重要作用。为了优化摩擦学性能，必须有策略地设计润滑剂和基材之间的化学反应。摩擦化学反应是由机械刺激促成或加速的化学反应。摩擦化学活化的润滑剂添加剂在这些反应中起着重要作用。在这篇综述中，讨论了当前对剪切下化学反应机制的理解。分析了油溶性有机物、离子液体 (IL) 和纳米颗粒 (NP) 等添加剂与金属基材中元素的摩擦化学反应路线的关系。结果表明，磷、硫、氟和氮是摩擦化学反应的关键元素。来自二硫代磷酸锌 (ZDDP) 和二硫代氨基甲酸钼 (MoDTC) 的摩擦膜已被广泛报道，但来自 ILs 和 NPs 的摩擦膜需要进一步研究。该综述可为研究人员设计和优化新型润滑油提供参考。