Assessment of the influence of oxygen incorporation on the compositional, structural, mechanical and tribological performance of ternary MoSeC coatings

Yaqub, Talha Bin (author), Fernandes, Filipe Daniel (author), Al-Rjoub, Abbas (author), Kumar, Parveen (author), Nadeem, Irfan (author), Kos, Saša (author), Gudžulić, Tara (author), Cavaleiro, Albano (author), Kalin, Mitjan (author)

The influence of intentional oxygen incorporation in recently developed ternary C-alloyed molybdenum diselenide (MoSeC) coatings has never been investigated. This study addresses this gap by systematically incorporating varying oxygen contents into MoSeC coatings, with the aim of identifying the impact on the structural, mechanical and sliding properties. MoSeC–O coatings with oxygen content in the range of 0 - 21.5 at % were deposited using reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). The developed coatings were compact with cauliflower-like surface morphologies. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that the crystallinity decreased with the introduction of oxygen in the MoSeC coating. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) chemical bonding investigation confirmed the presence of Mo–O bonds, indicating partial oxidation of Mo. Up to 6.9 at %, the hardness, reduced Young´s modulus, friction and wear showed only minor changes. However, beyond this level, these properties deteriorated substantially. The Raman spectroscopy of the wear tracks revealed formation of low friction MoSe▫$_{2}$▫ tribolayer as the dominant friction reduction mechanism. Whereas, higher oxygen content suppressed the formation of effective tribolayer due to excessive oxidation and loss of MoSe▫$_{2}$▫ crystallinity, in agreement with the structural and chemical bonding results. Overall, the results indicate that a moderate oxygen content can be tolerated in MoSeC coatings, which may allow for more relaxed vacuum and purity conditions during deposition, offering a more cost effective and industrial friendly synthesis route.

• Language: English
• Keywords: transition metal dichalcogenide, MoSe2, MoSeC coatings, oxygen incorporation, magnetron sputtering
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 32, art. 112310
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185733
• UDC: 539.92:621.793
• ISSN on article: 2590-1230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.112310
• COBISS.SI-ID: 288173571
• Publication date in RUL: 19.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Results in engineering
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2590-1230
• COBISS.SI-ID: 529862681

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: prehodni kovinski dikalkogenidi, MoSe2, MoSeC prevleke, vgradnja kisika, magnetronsko naprševanje