The poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) brush was covalently bonded on an initiator-coated silicon wafer via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymer brush was (76.2+/-0.1) nm in thickness (by ellipsometer) with a grafting density of ca. 0.27 chains/nm(2). The tribological properties of the poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) brush were investigated by means of ball-on-disk tests in a rotational mode under water lubrication for tribological application. The experimental results exhibited a low friction coefficient of ca. 0.03. The excellent lubrication property of the brush was due to its amide groups in the polymer chains. It was supposed that the good lubrication property of the brush was attributed to the cross-linked polymer network formed by the hydrogen bond association of N-H center dot center dot center dot O=C and the water molecular layer adsorbed by the terminal amide groups in the brush. The poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) solution also exhibits a lubrication property due to physical adsorption of the polymer chains.