Prof. Anastasios John Hart

Anastasios John Hart's research currently focuses on synthesis and applications of nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes, microsystems, machine design, and scientific visualizations.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical molecules of carbon atoms, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice as in graphite. Because carbon-carbon bonds are very stable and strong, and because CNTs are seamless and have a very small diameter (1-100 nanometers), CNTs have exceptional properties. High-quality CNTs have several times the strength of steel piano wire at one-fourth the density, at least five times the thermal conductivity of copper, and very high electrical conductivity and current-carrying capacity. These properties have generated broad interest in CNTs, for potential applications such as next-generation electronics where individual CNTs are device elements, to advanced composites where trillions of CNTs work together to form the structure of an airplane wing.

Hart's research with CNTs started with his doctoral work at MIT, where his Ph.D. thesis focused on creation of processes and instruments for atmospheric-pressure synthesis of CNT films on substrates.