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High School Student in Ajayan’s Lab Makes Nanotube Discovery
As an intern working in the Rensselaer lab of Pulickel Ajayan, Connecticut high school student Rob Sobelman made a significant scientific contribution when he discovered a better process of making carbon nanotubes.
The 17-year-old’s finding won him second place in the regional finals of the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition.
 Sobelman became interested in nanotube research last year after reading an article in a science magazine. Through reading dozens of additional articles on the subject in Science, Nature, and other journals introduced to him by his teacher, Sobelman realized that Ajayan, professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer, was on the cutting edge of carbon nanotube research.
“I knew that if I was going to become active in the research of nanotubes, I wanted to be at an institution such as RPI, which had the researchers and resources that offered the best of opportunities,” Sobelman said.
Sobelman contacted Ajayan’s office about a year ago with questions about the professor’s research. Ajayan invited the youngster to see the lab firsthand and eventually offered a four-week internship last summer.
Sobelman discovered that by increasing the temperature in the production of carbon nanotubes, he could produce more of them at one time. In addition, the nanotubes were longer and straighter, making the microscopic tubes more applicable in next-generation computers and transistors.
"Rob showed tremendous initiative, and we were glad to offer him the internship here at Rensselaer," Ajayan said. "Rob clearly demonstrated that, given the chance, young people can contribute to shaping the future. We applaud him for his success in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition.”
To read the Associated Press article in USA Today.Com, go to http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/
2003-11-28-big-nano-step_x.htm
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