Special Interests: chemistry and spectroscopy of
transient molecules containing double and triple p-bonds at
group 14 elements (C, Si, Ge, Sn), carbenes and their silicon and germanium
analogues, small strained metallacycles, reaction mechanisms, matrix isolation
spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, molecular structure and bonding, quantum
chemical calculations, vacuum pyrolysis and photochemistry, low-temperature
chemistry, routes from reactive intermediates to organic/inorganic polymers and
ceramics, fluorination and derivatization of fullerenes, polyfullerenes, carbon
nanotubes and nanodiamonds for bio-medical and materials engineering
applications, synthesis and characterization of carbo-nitride nano- and
microscale materials, high pressure/high temperature synthesis and
characterization of potentially superhard all-carbon and C3N4
phases, chemistry of materials and nanoscience, design and manufacturing of
integrated polymer composites, hydrogen storage materials, nanolubricants, and
surface coatings chemistry and technology.
Graduate
Research Opportunities
Current Research
Chemistry of carbon nanomaterials,
nanotubes, nanodiamonds, nano-onions, carbon nitrides, fullerenes, and polyfullerenes, tailored for engineering and bio-medical applications:
Nanocomposites
biomaterials Analyt. Chem., 2004, 76(22);
6734-6742
coatings J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005,
127, 3712-3713
Nature, 2005, 434, 580
·
nanolubricants Wear, 2005, 259/1-6 pp. 738-743
Research
Funding
Current
01/15/2008-09/30/2008: DoD / Technova Corporation, SBIR Phase I Functionalization
of Carbon Nanotubes into Materials with High Compressive Strength.
Total amount - $7,556: PI
02/15/07-02/14/09: CRDF:
Synthesis of New Materials From Pristine and Surface-Functionalized Nanoscale
Forms of Carbon Under Combined Action of High Pressure, Temperature, Laser and
X-ray Radiation
Total amount $61,600: PI.
09/07/2006-09/06/2009:
DOD-ONR/MER Corporation, STTR Phase I (Phase II funded): R7B970 Functionalized DWNTs for High
Performance Composites. (Phase
II will start 09/07)
Total amounts $14,000 (phase I), $6,000 (Option), $75,000
(Phase II): PI
03/12/07-03/12/08 R52640 NASA
JSC: Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Radiation Dosimetry Applications.
Total Amount - $20,000: PI
10/1/07-09/30/08 NASA ARC: GSRP:
Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Polymer Composites and Sensors
(Funded).
Total Amount-$30,000: PI
($26,000 grad student stipend and $4,000 advisors allowance)
Previous
10/01/06-9/30/07:
NASA Ames Research Center: GSRP. Functionalized single-walled carbon
nanotubes in polymer composites and sensors.
Total Amount - $24,000: PI ($21,000 grad student stipend
and $3,000 advisors allowance
09/07/2006-03/07/2007:
DOD-ONR/NanoRidge STTR Phase I: R7B960 Integration of functionalized cut nanotubes into
composite systems.
Total amount $14,000: PI
01/06/05-05/31/07: CRDF: Novel Carbon and Heterocarbon Materials
Designed from Nano-Carbon and Carbon Nitride Structures: Synthesis,
Characterization and Property Studies. Total amount $70,000: PI.
01/01/05-04/30/06: Redwood Scientific, Inc./Army Research
Office (SBIR Phase II), Evaluation Studies of Chemical Corrosion Resistance of
Specialty Materials (metal seals, ceramics and optical windows) to Fluorine
Under Elevated Pressures, Total amount - $84,000: PI.
09/01/06 01/02/08
Air Force Research Laboratory/Clarkson Minority Leaders Research and
Education Program.
Multi-university-Multi-PI Program. Funds to Rice $428,000: Co-PI.
11/01/04-10/31/06: Office of Naval Research N000-14-03-1-0296: R14050
Processing a Glass Fiber Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composite with Nanotube
Integration for Enhancement of Z-Axis Properties. Total amount $360,000.
Co-PI (E. V. Barrera PI).
02/01/04-06/01/05:
Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc., Cutting and Functionalization of Carbon
Nanotubes for Incorporation into Polymer Composite Materials.
Total amount $50,000:
PI
11/15/03 05/15/04: AFOSR/ SBIR Phase I: Multi-functional
nanocomposites with high temperature polymer resin matrices. Total amount
$30,000. Co-PI
07/1999 - 04/2000: US Army Research Office, Synthesis and
Characterization of Carbo-Nitride Materials, Total amount $60,000: Co-PI
07/1996-07/1999: US Army Research Office, Neutralized
Nitrogen Atom Beam Assisted Cryogenic Synthesis of Multi-element Refractory
Thin Films, Total amount $200,000: Co-PI
07/1996 - 12/1997: US Army Research Office, UHV Chamber and Analytical Facility for Cryogenic Synthesis and Characterization of Wide Bandgap Nitride Materials, Total amount - $55,000: Co-PI