Synthetic Molecular Brushes Slipperier Than Natural Lubricants

Synthetic lubricants may be useful for arthritis or contact lenses

Lubricants, such as the oil in your car, make machines work more efficiently and last longer. Many of the most efficient lubricants are found in Nature. For example, "lubricin," a molecule found onthe surface of cartilage, is exceptionally good at lubricating knees and other joints.

Cornell researchers are developing new, high-performance lubricants by mimicking the designs found in Nature. As shown in the image at right, lubricin looks like a molecular bottle brush, consisting of a protein core surrounded by sugar “bristles” and a “handle” that glues the molecule to cartilage. The molecular brush made at Cornell is composed of a synthetic core surrounded by hydrophilic (water-loving) bristles and a temporary handle that sticks to metal atoms. Surprisingly, the Cornell mimic is better than the natural lubricant. Surfaces coated with the new molecule were more slippery than those coated with natural lubricin. The next step is to replace the temporary handle with one that binds to cartilage, thereby creating a synthetic lubricant that might be used to treat arthritis, to lubricate contact lenses, or even to make man-made machines work more efficiently.