Surface Interactions Series

Surface Interactions Q&A: Dr Pranjal Nautiyal, Oklahoma State University

In this edition of the Surface Interactions Series, we speak with Dr Pranjal Nautiyal, Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University and founder of the Extreme Interfaces Lab. Dr Nautiyal’s work sits at the intersection of materials science, mechanics, chemistry, and tribology, exploring how friction, wear, lubrication, and bonding evolve under the intense conditions found in real engineering systems.

What drew us to this conversation is how directly his work confronts one of the biggest challenges in surface science: the most important interactions often occur at buried interfaces, where the mechanisms are difficult to observe and even harder to quantify. Throughout the discussion, Dr Nautiyal offers a clear, grounded view of how advanced in-situ techniques can turn those hidden processes into measurable engineering insight.

In this Q&A, he shares what motivated him to establish the lab so soon after joining OSU, what he has found most rewarding about mentoring a new team, and how his group is using contact stresses and electric fields to open new pathways in manufacturing and lubrication.

• You joined Oklahoma State University in 2023 and established the Extreme Interfaces Lab soon after. What inspired you to create the lab, and what vision guided its early direction?

I obtained my Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, specializing in the processing and mechanical characterization of nanostructured materials. During my postdoc, I pivoted to the field of tribology (the science of friction, wear, and lubrication), applying my expertise in materials and mechanics to design and investigate advanced lubricants for harsh environments. This interdisciplinary training inspired me to establish my own research program focused on the science and engineering of interfaces in materials, which hide complex mechanisms governing the properties of materials, but are poorly understood since the interfacial interactions occur at buried interfaces, making it hard to observe and quantify them. My research program is motivated to tackle this challenge by developing and employing advanced in-situ characterization techniques to study the physical and chemical processes governing interfacial interactions in materials.

• Starting a new research group can be both exciting and demanding. What have you found most rewarding about developing the lab’s identity and mentoring your team so far?

Seeing my students grow and thrive as researchers is the most satisfying experience. My Ph.D. students delivered their first presentations in international research conferences last year and received awards for their work, which made me very proud.

• Your work investigates interfacial mechanical phenomena such as friction, wear, lubrication, and bonding. How do these studies bring together materials science, manufacturing, and tribology?

Our research on interfacial mechanical phenomena informs development of new materials, ways of manufacturing them, and their performance in extreme environments. I will give you three examples to elaborate how our work on interfacial mechanics cuts across materials science, manufacturing, and tribology disciplines.

1. We are studying how concentrated stresses at sliding interfaces sinter nanoparticle thin films in a process known as tribosintering. In our recent paper, we showed that combining contact stresses with electric fields enables WC-Co refractory nanocomposite films to sinter at remarkably low temperatures (100°C) within minutes. This is a major breakthrough, since conventional processes to manufacture refractory coatings require temperatures exceeding 1000°C.
   1. We are studying how contact stresses at sliding interfaces drive chemical reactions. Such mechanochemical reactions play an important role in anti-wear and anti-friction action of lubricant additives, which react under stress to generate protective and lubricious tribofilms on surfaces. We are investigating how we can exploit the catalytic properties of surfaces (substrates) to drive such mechanochemical reactions. Through a collaboration with Prof. Ritesh Sachan, my colleague at Oklahoma State University, we are designing and investigating medium and high entropy alloys capable of catalysing mechanochemical reactions, endowing them with exceptional wear resistance under harsh environments without relying on traditional lubricants.
   1. We are also studying how electric fields affect mechanochemistry of lubricants at sliding interfaces. This topic is of importance to design advanced lubricants for electric vehicles and power generation devices, in which bearing currents can accelerate the wear of drivetrain components, undermining their efficiency and reliability. We are studying fundamental mechanisms by which electric fields affect the mechanochemistry of lubricant additives. This knowledge will help engineer next-generation lubricants for electrified drivetrains.

• Collaboration plays a central role in modern research. How do you encourage interdisciplinary thinking within your group, and why do you see it as vital for advancing tribology?

My group’s ongoing research projects span materials science, mechanics, chemistry, and surface science disciplines. This is a major challenge for new graduate students, who have strong knowledge in one discipline (which is their undergraduate major), but lack foundational knowledge in other disciplines. To help them overcome a steep learning curve, I guide them to appropriate textbooks, approachable review articles, webinars, and foundational courses offered in other departments. We also hold journal club sessions where we discuss interdisciplinary research papers.

I also tell my students that they cannot and should not aspire to specialize in everything, because then you become a jack of all trades and master of none. Instead, they should have a core expertise and then collaborate with other researchers with complementary skillsets. To enable that, I have forged close collaborations with colleagues across mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, and physics disciplines. These collaborations have helped us dive deeper into the research problems, enhanced the impact of our work, and helped my students to expand their knowledge and skills across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Interdisciplinary work is extremely important in tribology, since most of the modern problems require skillsets across disciplines. Take the example of lubrication technologies. You need knowledge in chemistry/chemical engineering to design and synthesize lubricants. You need expertise in mechanical engineering to investigate their frictional and wear response under conditions representative of machinery where you will use the lubricants. You need skills in materials characterization to investigate the nanoscale mechanisms by which the lubricants interact with surfaces, which determine their efficiency in mitigating friction and wear. Same applies to other topics and problems in tribology, such as biotribology, geotribology, tribology in manufacturing processes, space tribology, to list a few, all of which require extensive interdisciplinary work.

• What advice would you give to early-career researchers hoping to establish their own laboratories in the future?

I would advise early career researchers to develop a clear vision for their research program, identify the major problems they want to solve, and then dive deep. Before accepting a faculty position, negotiate for the resources, such as lab space, equipment, and student support, you will need to launch your research program successfully. Collaborate with colleagues with complimentary expertise. Avoid negative people. Learn to say no. And most importantly, build a great team by recruiting motivated students who have a drive to learn and grow.

• What are you most excited to explore as the Extreme Interfaces Lab continues to grow?

I am passionate about technology translation. As my research program grows, I am keen to explore the commercialization of materials and manufacturing technologies developed in my lab. I look forward to building strong collaborations with industry to bring these innovations to market.

Outro

One thing is clear. Dr Nautiyal’s perspective is a powerful reminder that interfaces are rarely simple, and that the most important mechanisms are often the hardest to observe. From his research to the Extreme Interfaces Lab, Pranjal is pushing into questions with real-world consequences for manufacturing, energy, and advanced materials design.

What stands out just as strongly as the science is the research culture behind it: a deliberate commitment to interdisciplinary thinking, strong collaboration, and developing students who can navigate complex problems with confidence. As the lab continues to grow, Dr Nautiyal’s focus on technology translation and industry partnerships suggests this work won’t stay confined to academic journals for long, it’s heading towards practical impact, and fast.