The molecular deposition films of poly (diallyl dimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly (acrylicacid) (PAA) with Cu2+ on quartz and glass substrates were prepared in laboratory first, then different bilayers films were dipped into fresh Na2S aqueous solution. As a result, CuS nanoparticles were fabricated in multilayer molecular deposition films in situ. The structure and nanotribological properties of the composite films were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) spectroscopy, XPS and atomic force microscope (AFM). It was found that the CuS nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed throughout the whole film. And these films had a much smaller friction force than their substrates and higher antiwear life than pristine PDDA/PAA molecular deposition films. The fluctuation and variation trend of the topography, hardness, and friction with the AFM indentation length were also investigated.
An overview of the advances in studies on tribology of molecular deposition （MD） films is presented here to summarize the studies of nanofrictional properties, adhesion, wear and mechanical behavior, as well as the molecular dynamics simulation of nanotribological properties of the film in the last decade. Some key research topics which need to be investigate further are addressed.
