The present disclosure relates to a sliding bearing comprising a first bearing element and a second bearing element. The first bearing element is coated in multiple layers. An inner layer is deposited on a base material of the first bearing element by means of a vapor deposition method. The inner layer has a structure, and an outer layer designed as a PTFE impregnation layer leveling the structure of the inner layer. The second bearing element is formed of PTFE fiber-reinforced plastic or has a PTFE-containing sliding lining.

Fracture-resistant and self-lubricating wear surfaces are provided. In an implementation, a machine surface that is subject to wear is coated with or is constructed of a metallic nanostructure to resist the wear and to provide fracture-resistant hardness, built-in lubrication, and thermal conductivity for heat-sinking friction. The metallic nanostructured surface may be used, for example, on a face seal, bushing, bearing, thrust member, or hydraulic flow passage of an electric submersible pump. In an implementation, the metallic nanostructured surface is a nanocrystalline alloy including nanograin twins of a body-centered cubic (BCC), face-centered cubic (FCC), or hexagonal closest packed (HCP) metal. The nanostructured alloy may include atoms of copper, silver, gold, iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, beryllium, magnesium, titanium, zirconium, or cobalt, and may provide more hardness and lubricity than diamond-like carbon coatings or carbides.