Reports: SE

49361-SE Polymers and Carbon Nanotubes, at the ACS National Meeting, March 22-26, 2009, Salt Lake City, UT

Warren T. Ford, Oklahoma State University

This grant supported a symposium sponsored by the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry at the Spring 2009 ACS National Meeting in Salt Lake City.

The symposium held five half-day sessions: (1) a tutorial session to educate students and practicing polymer scientists and engineers on fundamental properties of and challenges of working with carbon nanotubes, (2) a session of current research on the production, purification, and functionalization of carbon nanotubes, (3) two sessions of current research on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes and polymer composite materials in the forms of reinforced electrically conducting thermoplastics and fibers, and (4) one session of current research on the applications of carbon nanotube/polymeric materials as sensors, electronic materials, and biomedical materials, and on safety and environmental issues. The tutorial session had all invited speakers. The other sessions had both invited and contributed papers.

The audience ranged from 25 to 75 people with an average of 40-50.

Four international speakers were supported:

Maurizio Prato (University of Trieste, Italy) Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes: Applications and Challenges.

H. Daniel Wagner (Weizman Institute, Israel) Nanotube and nanocomposite mechanics: a guide to the perplexed.

Jonathan Coleman (Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland) Liquid phase exfoliation of nanotubes and graphene: the route to advanced nano-composites.

Alan Windle (University of Cambridge, UK) Mechanical properties of carbon nanotube assemblies: fibres and composites.