Lubrication and friction reduction improves fuel efficiency and reduces energy consumption. Effective and controllable material removal results in superior surface finishing and planarization. Nanosheets are developed with specific functionalization that can be used to reduce friction and wear, improve the fluidic property, and rheological performanceThe nanosheets can be from the graphite family, transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal trichalcogenides, semiconducting chalcogenides, metal oxides, layered hydroxides, clays, ternary transition metal carbides and nitrides, and zirconium phosphates and phosphonates, and their corresponding dopants.Tribological, rheological, and polishing applications include lubricants, viscosity modification, and chemical-mechanical planarization. The nanosheets are useful in improving efficiency and lifetime of machinery, saving energy for mechanical operations, and optimizing manufacturing processes in surface engineering.