1. National Science Foundation Graphene mediated self-assembly of fullerene nanotubes Krishna Muralidharan, University of Arizona, DMR 1148936 Outcome: Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed strategies for fabricating hybrid carbon nanostructures consisting of self-assembled, mono-disperse fullerene (C 60 ) nanotubes (FNT) on single-layer graphene (SLG) sheets. The SLG surface mediates the self-assembly of C 60 molecules, leading to porous, mechanically-tough highly-oriented FNT structures. This is the first time that such structures have been self-assembled on SLG or any other substrate. Impact: These hybrid-materials are expected to have a wide range of applications including (i) field-emitters, (ii) high surface area hydrogen storage media, (iii) light- weight battery and ultracapacitor electrodes. Explanation: The self-assembly of C 60 on SLG is reported for the first time and demonstrates a remarkably simple method involving dip-coating to self-assemble micron-long, mesoporous, electrically conductive tubes that have very high strength- to-weight ratios. The self-assembly is driven by the nano-periodic strain-field associated with SLG grown on copper foils. The surface coverage and dimensions of FNT are also determined by the solution-concentration used in the dip-coating. Illustration of an FNT: The building-blocks of the FNT are single C 60 molecules with intermolecular spacing ~ 1nm

2. National Science Foundation An SEM image (LEFT) and an AFM image (BELOW) of the self-assembled FNT on SLG/Cu. Note that neighboring FNT are oriented at angles that are multiples of 30°. This is a consequence of the underlying hexagonal symmetry coupled with FCC packing of C 60 molecules in the FNT. Experimental synthesis: single layer graphene (SLG) is grown by chemical vapor deposition on a Cu-foil, followed by a dip-coating step. Here, the SLG/Cu is immersed in C 60 dispersed in a toluene-solution. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the self-assembled fullerene nanotubes (FNT) is shown in the figure below. The figure clearly demonstrates the mono-disperse nature of the self-assembled FNT. Note that self-assembly was not observed on plain Cu-foils or other substrates such as SiO 2 or silicon, confirming the role of SLG on self-assembly. Graphene mediated self-assembly of fullerene nanotubes Krishna Muralidharan, University of Arizona, DMR 1148936

3. National Science Foundation CVD/Molecular deposition Chemical Process Center Teri Elwood, an Honors freshman student won 1st prize in The Honors College 3rd Annual First Year Project Showcase at the University of Arizona. Her project: “Graphene: Finding the Perfect Recipe” was co-supervised by PI: Prof. Muralidharan and was performed at the Center. Modular chemical-process center: research and outreach Krishna Muralidharan, University of Arizona, DMR 1148936 This equipment was constructed using funding from this grant for the purposes of synthesizing the hybrid material-systems. A graduate student as well as an undergraduate were involved in the design and construction of this apparatus. The center was part of an outreach effort to help in educating incoming freshman about Materials Science and Engineering.