Purdue University

School of Chemical Engineering

Graduate seminar series

Prof. Pulickel Ajayan

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Rice University

“Engineering of Nanostructures – Challenges and Opportunities”

Thursday, October 31, 2013

9:00-10:15 a.m.

FRNY G140

Reception at 8:30 a.m. in Henson Atrium

Abstract: The talk will discuss our recent efforts in engineering nanostructured materials from building blocks that range in size, dimensionality and properties. The idea of engineering nanostructures to build functional materials captures the essence of nanotechnology and the challenges and opportunities in this area will be discussed. One dimensional nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes and the emerging two-dimensional atomic layers as novel building blocks will be considered. The creation of three-dimensional architectures from nanoscale building blocks will lead to new opportunities and the challenges involved in this approach will be highlighted. The talk will focus on engineered nanomaterials as a platform for several applications that include nanocomposites, energy storage, low dimensional devices etc.

Bio: Dr. Pulickel Ajayan received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Dr. Ajayan’s current position is Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering at Rice University. He has recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. He was elected to the National Academy of Science India, Foreign Fellow in 2011 and elected Fellow of AAAS in 2007.

Dr. Ajayan has nearly 20 years of record in the development of nanomaterials for various applications. He has been a pioneer in the research and development of carbon nanotubes and has contributed to this field greatly. He is an experimentalist and has also contributed to research areas of graphene, 2D layered materials, nanocomposites, electrical interconnects, nanostructured materials in energy storage and conversion and energetic materials. He has a strong record in materials characterization, microscopy and spectroscopy.