2D Nanomaterials as Lubricant Additives for Electric Vehicle Propulsion: Tribological Mechanisms, Performance and Sustainability – A ReviewPages 319-342
Ahmadreza Aminian Abstract:
Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials including graphene, MXenes, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), and phosphorene have emerged as strategically important additives for next-generation electric vehicle (EV) e-fluids. This review synthesizes the most recent advances in 2D-material-enhanced lubrication, with emphasis on their behavior in synthetic ester base stocks that dominate modern EV lubrication formulations. A comprehensive literature survey across global research clusters (USA, EU, China, Japan, South Korea) highlights significant variability in synthesis approaches, scalability, functionalization strategies, and additive performance. Comparative assessments reveal that graphene-based materials excel in shear-induced friction reduction, MXenes offer superior load-carrying capability and electrical responsiveness, and MoS₂ and h-BN contribute stability at elevated temperatures. Phosphorene, despite its promising anisotropic lubrication mechanisms, remains constrained by degradation and oxidation challenges. This review summarizes tribological performance metrics, production cost–scalability, environmental considerations, and concentration ranges in e-fluids. Critical research gaps identified in dispersion stability, rheo-electrical interactions, and long-term chemical compatibility within ester-rich formulations. An opportunities-focused outlook highlights pathways for integrating 2D materials into industrial-scale EV lubricants, emphasizing sustainable synthesis, hybrid additive architectures, and machine-learning-driven formulation design. The review concludes by outlining strategic directions for future work to accelerate translation of laboratory-scale tribological advances into robust, commercially viable e-fluid technologies.
Keywords:
Tribology,
EV lubricants,
friction reduction,
wear protection,
synthetic esters,
E-Fluids,
MXene,
Graphene
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