Abstract
The talk will discuss our recent efforts in engineering nanostructured materials from building blocks that range in size, dimensionality and properties. The idea of engineering nanostructures to build functional materials captures the essence of nanotechnology and the challenges and opportunities in this area will be discussed. One dimensional nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes and the emerging two-dimensional atomic layers as novel building blocks will be considered. The creation of three-dimensional architectures from nanoscale building blocks will lead to new opportunities and the challenges involved in this approach will be highlighted. The talk will focus on engineered nanomaterials as a platform for several applications that include nanocomposites, energy storage, low dimensional devices etc.

CV:
CURRENT POSITION:Benjamin M. and Mary greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering, Rice University;
EDUCATION: Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1989
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:Henry Burlage Chair Professor in Engineering (September 2004 - 2007); Director, RPI Interconnect Focus Center New York (2004-2007); Professor (2001-2007); Associate Professor with tenure (1999–2001); Assistant Professor, tenure track (1997–1999)-Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Materials Sci. and Engineering Department, Troy, NY; Visiting Professor, Sabbatical Leave (2003)-ISIS, Uni. Louis Pasteaur, Strasbourg, France; Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (1995-1996)-Max-Planck-Institut fur Metallforschung, Stuttgart, Germany; Researcher au CNRS (1993–1995)-Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Universite Paris-Sud, Orsay, France; Post-doctoralFellow (1990-1993)-Fundamental Research Laboratory, NEC Corporation, Tsukuba, Japan
AWARDS AND HONORS: Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (2013), Elected to the National Academy of Science India, Foreign Fellow  (2011), Helmoltz-Humboldt Senior Award (2007); Distinguished Guest Professor, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (2008); Elected Honorary Member of Materials Research Society of India (2008); Elected Fellow of AAAS (2007); Selected Nano50TM Innovator by Nanotech Briefs (2007); Selected by Scientific American Magazine as one of 2006 Scientific American 50; MRS Medal (2006): Distinguished Alumnus Award, Metallurgy, Banaras Hindu University (2005); RPI School of Engineering Research Award, 2003; National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 1998; Burton Award, Microscopy Society of America, 1997; Alexander Humboldt Research Fellowship, 1995
RESEARCH EXPERTISE: The PI has nearly 20 years of record in the development of nanomaterials for various applications. He has been a pioneer in the research and development of carbon nanotubes and has contributed to this field greatly. He is an experimentalist and has also contributed to research areas of graphene, 2D layered materials, nanocomposites, electrical interconnects, nanostructured materials in energy storage and conversion and energetic materials. He has a strong record in materials characterization, microscopy and spectroscopy.