Welcome to the carbon nanotechnology research laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As the leader of this group I welcome you to visit our website, correspond with members of our group and discuss your technical interests with us. Our group, established in 1998 at Rensselaer, is involved in state of the art research in carbon nanotubes, nanocomposites and nanomaterials.

From a historical point of view, the discovery of fullerenes provided exciting insights into carbon nanostructures and how architectures built from sp2 carbon units based on simple geometrical principles can result in new symmetries and structures that have fascinating and useful properties. Carbon nanotubes represent the most striking example. Nearly a decade after their discovery, the new knowledge available in this field indicates that nanotubes may be used in several practical applications. There have been great improvements in synthesis techniques, which can now produce reasonably pure nanotubes in gram quantities. Studies of structure-topology-property relations in nanotubes have been strongly supported, and in some cases preceded, by theoretical modeling that provided insights for experimentalists into new directions and has assisted in the rapid expansion of this field. With several collaborations at RPI and outside we are involved in a multi-disciplinary team effort with the goal of developing carbon nanotubes as functional materials.

We are committed to change the world through discoveries and the development of new materials. Carbon with its fascinating nature leads the way. Our group begins where the imaginative mind meets the experienced. We are excited about what future technology will offer society. And we want to be leading players in this game.

Thank you for visiting us,

With best regards,

P. M. Ajayan