Physics Professor Named Fellow of the American Physical Society for Development of Synthesizing Carbon Nanotubes

Clemson University professor of physics and astronomy Apparao Rao has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Fellows are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to physics. Fellowship is limited to no more than one half of 1 percent of the membership.

Rao was recognized for developing methods of synthesizing carbon nanotubes and for elucidating the properties of carbon nanotubes through Raman spectroscopy, a technique used in condensed-matter physics and chemistry to study vibrational, rotational and other low-frequency modes in a system.

Rao and his team have gained international recognition for advancing nano-scale electromechanical sensors that have the potential to read and alert us to different toxic chemicals or gases in the air. He also has invented a way to make beds of tiny, shock-absorbing carbon springs that may be used to protect delicate objects like cell phones from being damaged by impact.

"Congratulations to Dr. Rao," said Dean Esin Gulari of the College of Engineering and Science. "This high honor is a true testament to the value of his research in the physics arena."