Reducing friction in machine oil via cesium-hybridized graphene oxide quantum dot additives

Abstract

Abstract Friction and wear are among the most common causes of energy loss and component failure in mechanical systems, accounting for around 20–30% of total global energy consumption. Conventional lubricants fail to provide consistent performance in harsh conditions due to inadequate additive dispersion, agglomeration, and restricted surface reactivity. Recent advances in nanomaterial-based lubricants have shown promise, but it remains difficult to achieve significant friction and wear reduction at low additive concentrations while preserving stability. In this study, we synthesized and tested cesium-hybridized graphene oxide quantum dots (Cs-GOQDs) as novel lubricant additives. When incorporated into machine oil at 0.1 wt%, Cs-GOQDs reduced the coefficient of friction by 14.6% and the average wear scar diameter by 9.2%, demonstrating their effectiveness as nanolubricant additives TEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, FE-SEM, EDAX and XPS analysis revealed the production of a protective tribofilm and nanoscale rolling processes, which improved lubrication synergistically. These preliminary findings show that the innovative hybridized Cs-GOQDs provide an effective solution to overcome the limitations of conventional additives, opening up a new path for the development of next-generation nanolubricants with practical implications for energy efficiency and mechanical durability.