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 advisor’s allowance)
Previous
10/01/06-9/30/07:
NASA Ames Research Center: GSRP. Functionalized single-walled carbon
nanotubes in polymer composites and sensors.