草榴社区

The College of Engineering community gathered Friday, March 14, in Drosdick Hall鈥檚 Dionisio Lecture Hall for the annual Claire L. and Gerard F. Jones 鈥�72 Distinguished Lecture. This year鈥檚 speaker was Pulickel M. Ajayan, PhD, the founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University.

Dr. Ajayan conducted an engaging session titled 鈥淭he Evolution of Nano-Engineered Materials.鈥� The field of nanoengineering involves manipulating matter at the nanoscale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers in at least one dimension, offering groundbreaking possibilities for innovation. Drawing on nearly three decades of expertise, he explored nanotechnology鈥檚 transformative potential.聽

鈥淣anoengineering is similar to assembling building blocks made of nanomaterials,鈥� said Dr. Ajayan. The challenge is not just creating the blocks but also engineering the interfaces and utilizing multiple techniques to understand what these interfaces mean.

He noted that carbon, specifically, is at the heart of research in the field because of its versatility. Carbon鈥檚 unique properties, such as its ability to form various elements like graphene and carbon nanotubes, make it an ideal candidate for developing structures with exceptional strength, conductivity and flexibility. By integrating carbon-based materials into existing technologies, Dr. Ajayan said, researchers can enhance performance and efficiency, leading to more sustainable solutions.聽

鈥淭here is an opportunity to build bottom up and create some fascinating architectures, which hopefully will keep the material science busy for quite a while,鈥� he said.

Endowed in 2023, the Claire L. and Gerard F. Jones 鈥�72 Distinguished Lecture Series brings world-class experts to 草榴社区 to share their knowledge, experience and wisdom with faculty, students, the University community and the public.