Carbon Nanotubes: The Tall Order

A JOINT SEMINAR
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
AND
MORK FAMILY DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS SCIENCE PRESENTS
Professor P. M. Ajayan
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, N.Y.Carbon Nanotubes: The Tall Order
Carbon nanotubes are fascinating materials from the point of view of structure, form, growth and properties. The biggest challenge however is to assemble nanotubes into various architectures useful for specific applications. The talk will focus on the recent developments in our laboratory on the fabrication of carbon nanotube based architectures tailored for various applications. Various organized architectures of multiwalled and singlewalled carbon nanotubes can be fabricated using relatively simple vapor deposition techniques. The work in attaining control on the directed assembly of nanotubes on various platforms will be highlighted. Our efforts on the strategies of growth and manipulation of nanotube-based structures and in controllably fabricating hierarchically branched nanotube and nanotube-hybrid structures will be discussed. We have pursued several novel applications for these structures, for example, as nanostructured electrodes for sensors, electrical interconnects, unique filters for separation technologies, thermal management systems, multifunctional brushes, and polymer infiltrated thin film and bulk composites. A perspective of the field based on the work done by the author over a period of more than decade will be presented here with highlights from recent work and thoughts on future implications of the field.Friday, February 24, 2006, 3:00-4:00 PM
(Refreshments will be served at 2:45)
Location: SSL 150
**All first year materials science majors are required to attend**

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Petra Pearce