Chinese team first to directly observe friction between solid materials at the quantum level; occurred during folding of graphene

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3319438/first-chinese-team-captures-rare-quantum-friction-effect-folded-graphene

"friction did not increase as the material got thicker... instead, some of the thicker folds slid more easily... can help with the development of ultra-efficient machines and tiny devices that barely wear out... low-power nanodevices and controlling friction in advanced quantum materials... bending changes how electrons move inside the material, locking them into fixed energy levels and making it harder for motion to turn into heat"