Research Interests:

My research focuses on the field related to the physico-chemical and tribo-mechanical features of novel 2D materials, functionalized graphene, graphene-based nanocomposites, graphene quantum dots, carbon-based materials, micro and nanoscale tribology, lubricant additives, nanolubrication, development of various coating techniques on metallic substrates with carbon/ceramic materials for tribo-mechanical properties. My research also involves on the field of combustion chemistry and the advancement of sustainable and alternative energy technologies.

Education

• Ph.D., Chemical Science, CSIR- Central Mechanical, Engineering Research Institute, India, 2019
• M.Sc., Chemistry, Vidyasagar University, India, 2012
• B.Sc., Chemistry, Vidyasagar University, India, 2010

Professional Profile

• 2025-present: Postdoctoral researcher, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
• 2024-2025: Research Assistant Professor, Yeungnam, University, Republic of Korea
• 2023-2024: Research Assistant Professor, Hanyang, University, Republic of Korea
• 2020-2023: Postdoctoral researcher, Hanyang, University, Republic of Korea
• 2013-2019: Junior Research Fellow/ Senior Research, Fellow, CSIR- Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, India

Selected Publications:

• Selected Article 1: Can MXene act as universal solid lubricant: A prolix review, B. K. Singh, R. Singh, Y. H. Ahn, and S. Samanta, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2025, 148, 329-344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiec.2025.03.058
• Selected Article 2: Fabrication of covalently modified graphene oxide-based assembled polymer brushes as efficient aqueous lubricant additive, S. Samanta, D. H. Yoon, and R. R. Sahoo, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2024, 416, 126505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.126505
• Selected Article 3: Effect of ammonium halide salts on wet chemical nanoscale etching and polishing of InGaAs surfaces for advanced CMOS devices, S. Samanta, S. W. Jin, C. H. Lee, S. S. Lee, H. Struyf, T. G. Kim, and J. G. Park, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2023, 161, 107469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2023.107469
• Selected Article 4: Layer by layer assembled functionalized graphene oxide-based polymer brushes for superlubricity on steel-steel tribocontact, S. Samanta and R. R. Sahoo, Soft Matter, 2021, 17, 7014-7031.https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SM00690H
• Selected Article 5: Waste cooking (palm) oil as an economical source of biodiesel production for alternative green fuel and efficient lubricant, S. Samanta and R. R. Sahoo, Bioenergy. Res., 2021, 14, 163-174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-020-10162-3
• Selected Article 6: Covalently-linked hexagonal boron nitride-graphene oxide nanocomposites as high-performance oil-dispersible lubricant additives, S. Samanta and R. R. Sahoo, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2020, 3, 11, 10941-10953. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.0c02193
• Selected Article 7: Lubrication of dry sliding metallic contacts by chemically prepared functionalized graphitic nanoparticles, S. Samanta, S. Singh and R. R. Sahoo, Friction, 2020, 8, 708-725. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-019-0295-1
• Selected Article 8: Covalently grafting of self-assembled functionalized graphene oxide multilayer films on Si substrate for solid film lubrication, S. Samanta, S. Singh, and R. R. Sahoo, Thin Solid Films, 2019, 683, 16-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2019.05.032
• Selected Article 9: Effect of thermal annealing on the physico-chemical and tribological performance of hydrophobic alkylated graphene sheets, S. Samanta, S. Singh, and R. R. Sahoo, New Journal of Chemistry, 2019, 43, 2624-2639. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NJ05516E
• Selected Article 10: Tribological investigation of Ni-graphene oxide composite coating produced by pulsed electrodeposition, S. Singh, S. Samanta, A. K. Das, and R. R. Sahoo, Surfaces and Interfaces, 2018, 12, 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2018.05.001

Awards

• Invited Lecture on the occasion of the International Conference on Health, Safety and Environment [HSE-2024, India] for paper presentation on “Chemically Functionalized 2D Graphene as an Emerging Lubricant Additive: A Comprehensive Analysis”
• Invited Lecture on the occasion of the International Conference on Nanotechnology for Sustainable Environment [NTSE-2024, India] for the paper presentation on “Recent developments in functionalized 2D graphene-based sustainable nanomaterials for efficient lubricant additives in dry coatings and fluidic sliding tribocontact: A comprehensive study”.
• Invited Lecture on the occasion of the International Conference on Health, Safety and Environment [HSE-2023, India] for the paper presentation on “Perspectives of Functionalized 2D Graphene Nanomaterials for Efficient Lubrication in Dry and Fluidic Sliding Tribocontact”.
• Invited Lecture on the occasion of the International Conference on Nanotechnology [ICNT-2022, India] for the paper presentation on “Graphene and Functionalized Graphene Nanoparticles: The New Emerging Lubricant Additives in Dry and Lubricated Sliding Contact”.
• Best Poster Presentation Award on the occasion of National Conference on Graphene and Functional Materials (NCGFM-2018, India) for the paper presentation on “Effect of Wettability on Covalently Functionalized Graphene Oxide with Variable Chain Length Amine for Fluidic Lubrication of Steel-Steel Tribocontact”.
• Special award for poster presentation on the occasion of the 49th research council meeting at CSIR-CMERI for the paper presentation on “Structural Modification of Graphite Suspensions for Efficient Lubrication of Steel-Steel Contact”.
• Qualified GATE’ 2012, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), India
• Merit cum-means scholarship (2011-2012), Govt. of West Bengal, India

KAUST Affiliations

• Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC)
• Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering (PSE)