Mohammad F. Islam
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Physics (Courtesy), and Electrical and Computer Engineering (Courtesy)

Office: Doherty Hall 3122
Phone: (412) 268-8999
Fax: (412) 268-7596
Email: mohammad@andrew.cmu.edu

Biography
Research Interests
Highlights
Awards and Honors
Publications
Research Group Site

Biography

Professor Islam received his B.S. in Physics from Slippery Rock University in 1994 and MS and PhD degrees in Physics from Lehigh University where his advisor was Prof. Daniel Ou-Yang. Prof. Islam then was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2005 in the group of Prof. Arjun G. Yodh, after which he accepted a joint appointment in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Prof. Islam also has a courtesy appointment in Physics.

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Research Interests

Structure, dynamics and self-assembly of soft matter; Properties of Nanoscale structures

We experimentally investigate the microscopic structure and dynamics of synthetic and biological soft matter to better understand traditional concepts such as phase transitions, self-assembly and the relationship between microscopic structure and macroscopic properties. We also apply our expertise in soft matter to challenges in nanoscience to answer fundamental scientific questions.

In our group, we employ both soft- and nanomaterials approaches to engineer multifunctional materials with tailored optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. These unique materials have diverse applications in areas such as photonics, fuel cells, supercapacitors, drug delivery vessels, scaffolds for tissue engineering, etc. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our research, we closely collaborate with researchers from other fields including physics, chemistry and biomedical engineering.

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Highlights

• Developed fused carbon nanotube aerogel – a material that incorporates the properties of both carbon nanotube and aerogel materials. These materials have very high electrical conductivity; they are thermally insulating and are ultra-lightweight. These materials have generated significant interest and we have been able to obtain couple large research grants. Three other faculty at CMU and one faculty at Michigan are involved with exploration of CNT aerogel properties.

• Synthesized novel colloidal particles that have heterogeneous interactions between them. These materials make disordered solids analogous to random alloys that were not possible to make with colloidal systems. Prof. Islam is using this colloidal system to determine generic features of disordered solids and features that depend on particular details of disorder.

• Developed a general procedure to determine the structure of normal modes and density of states of disordered systems. This general procedure will be an important tool to identify the impacts, at a particle-scale level, of different types of disorder on the structure of the normal modes and elasticity which are present in various atomic, molecular, and colloidal crystals and glasses.

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Awards and Honors

• George Tallman Ladd Research Award, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008

• The Kavli Fellowship, 2008

• Selected for National Academy of Sciences Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium, 2008

• Research Fellow, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 2007

• NSF CAREER Award, 2007

• Elected to Sigma Xi, 1999

• Hoechst Celanese Award for Excellence in Polymer Science, 1997

• Mary McKee Memorial Award, 1993-1994

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Publications

       Recent Publications

       Selected Publications

       Full Publications

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Recent Publications

D. T. N. Chen, K. Chen, L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam and A. G. Yodh, “Rheology of Carbon Nanotube Networks During Gelation”, Macromolecules 43 248-2053 (2009).

D. T. N. Chen, A. W. C. Lau, L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam, M. Goulian T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, “Fluctuations and Rheology in Active Bacterial Suspensions”, Physical Review Letters 99, 148302 (2007).

M. B. Bryning, D. E. Milkie, M. F. Islam, L. A. Hough, J. M. Kikkawa and A. G. Yodh, “Carbon Nanotube Aerogels”, Advanced Materials 19, 661 (2007).

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Selected Publications

K. N. Dahl, P. Scaffidi, M. F. Islam, A. G. Yodh, K. L. Wilson, and T. Misteli, "Distinct Structural and Mechanical Properties of the Nuclear Lamina in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 10271 (2006).

M. F. Islam, M. Nobili, F. Ye, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, "Cracks and Topological Defects in Lyotropic Nematic Gels", Physical Review Letters 95, 148301 (2005). Chosen to appear in the 10 October 2005 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

A. M. Alsayed, M. F. Islam, J. Zhang, P. J. Collings and A. G. Yodh, "Premelting at Defects Within Bulk Crystals", Science 309, 1207 (2005). (Cover Research Article)

D. E. Johnston, M. F. Islam, A. G. Yodh and A. T. Johnson, "Electronic devices based on purified carbon nanotubes grown by high-pressure decomposition of carbon monoxide", Nature Materials 4, 589 (2005).

M. B. Bryning, M. F. Islam, J. M. Kikkawa and A. G. Yodh, "Very Low Conductivity Threshold in Bulk Isotropic Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites", Advanced Materials 17, 1186 (2005).

L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam, P. A. Janmey and A. G. Yodh, "Viscoelasticity of Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Suspensions", Physical Review Letters 93, 168102 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 25 October 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

M. F. Islam, D. E. Milkie, C. L. Kane, A. G. Yodh and J. M. Kikkawa, "Direct Measurement of Polarized Absorption Cross-Section of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes", Physical Review Letters 93, 037404 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 26 July 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

M. F. Islam, A. M. Alsayed, Z. Dogic, J. Zhang, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, "Nematic Nanotube Gels", Physical Review Letters 92, 088303 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 15 March 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology. (APS Physics News Coverage)

M. F. Islam, E. Rojas, D. M. Bergey, A. T. Johnson and A. G. Yodh, "High weight-fraction surfactant solubilization of single-wall carbon nanotubes in water", Nano Letters 3, 269 (2003)

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Full Publications

1. M. F. Islam, R. D. Jenkins, D. R. Bassett, W. Lau and H. D. Ou-Yang, “Single Chain Characterization of Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolytes Using Cyclodextrin/Hydrophobe Complexes”, Macromolecules 33, 2480 (2000).

2. E. E. Meyers, M. F. Islam, W. Lau and H. D. Ou-Yang, “Complexation Kinetics of Cyclodextrin with Hydrophobic Molecules Confined in an Isolated Droplet in Water”, Langmuir 16, 5519 (2000).

3. A. G. Yodh, M. F. Islam and A. M. Alsayed, “Carbon Nanotubes: High Solids Dispersions and Nematic Gels Thereof”, (U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/409,821, filed Sept. 10, 2002 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/419,882, filed Oct. 18, 2002).

4. M. F. Islam, D. Lacoste, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, “Field Induced Structures in Miscible Ferrofluid Suspensions With And Without Latex Spheres”, Phys. Rev. E 67, 021402 (2003).

5. M. F. Islam, E. Rojas, D. M. Bergey, A. T. Johnson and A. G. Yodh, “High weight-fraction surfactant solubilization of single-wall carbon nanotubes in water”, Nano Letters 3, 269 (2003).

6. D. T. Chen, E. R. Weeks, J. C. Crocker, M. F. Islam, R. Verma, J. Gruber, A. J. Levine, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, "Rheological Microscopy: Local Mechanical Properties from Microrheology", Physical Review Letters 90, 108301 (2003).

7. W. Zhou, M. F. Islam, H. Wang, D. L. Ho, A. G. Yodh, K. I. Winey and J. E. Fischer, "Small angle neutron scattering from single-wall carbon nanotube suspensions: evidence for isolated rigid rods and rod networks", Chemical Physics Letters 384, 185 (2004).

8. M. F. Islam, A. M. Alsayed, Z. Dogic, J. Zhang, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, “Nematic Nanotube Gels”, Physical Review Letters 92, 088303 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 15 March 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology. (APS Physics News Coverage)

9. M. F. Islam, D. E. Milkie, C. L. Kane, A. G. Yodh and J. M. Kikkawa, “Direct Measurement of Polarized Absorption Cross-Section of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes”, Physical Review Letters 93, 037404 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 26 July 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

10. L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam, P. A. Janmey and A. G. Yodh, “Viscoelasticity of Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Suspensions”, Physical Review Letters 93, 168102 (2004). Chosen to appear in the 25 October 2004 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

11. A. G. Yodh, M. F. Islam, A. T. Johnson and D. E. Johnston, “Process and Application of Carbon Nanotube Dispersions”, (U.S. Provisional Patent Application 11/145,627, filed June 4, 2004).

12. A. G. Yodh, M. F. Islam and M. B. Bryning, “Carbon Nanotube Composites”, (U.S. Provisional Patent Application 11/166,812, filed July 7, 2004).

13. M. F. Islam, D. E. Milkie, O. N. Torrens, A. G. Yodh and J. M. Kikkawa, “Magnetic Heterogeneity and Alignment of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes”, Physical Review B Rapid Communications 71, 201401(R) (2005). Chosen to appear in the 6 June 2005 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

14. M. B. Bryning, M. F. Islam, J. M. Kikkawa and A. G. Yodh, “Very Low Conductivity Threshold in Bulk Isotropic Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites”, Advanced Materials 17, 1186 (2005).

15. D. E. Johnston, M. F. Islam, A. G. Yodh and A. T. Johnson, “Electronic devices based on purified carbon nanotubes grown by high-pressure decomposition of carbon monoxide”, Nature Materials 4, 589 (2005).

16. M. B. Bryning, D. E. Milkie, M. F. Islam, J. M. Kikkawa and A. G. Yodh, “Thermal Conductivity and Interfacial Resistance in Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Epoxy Composites”, Applied Physics Letters 87, 161909 (2005). Chosen to appear in the 24 October 2005 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

17. A. M. Alsayed, M. F. Islam, J. Zhang, P. J. Collings and A. G. Yodh, “Premelting at Defects Within Bulk Crystals”, Science 309, 1207 (2005). (Cover Research Article)

18. M. F. Islam, M. Nobili, F. Ye, T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, “Cracks and Topological Defects in Lyotropic Nematic Gels”, Physical Review Letters 95, 148301 (2005). Chosen to appear in the 10 October 2005 Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology.

19. L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam, B. Hammouda, A. G. Yodh and P. A. Heiney, “Structure of Semidilute Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Suspensions and Gels”, Nano Letters 6, 313 (2006).

20. K. N. Dahl, P. Scaffidi, M. F. Islam, A. G. Yodh, K. L. Wilson, and T. Misteli, “Distinct Structural and Mechanical Properties of the Nuclear Lamina in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 10271 (2006). Chosen to appear in the 15 July 2006 Virtual Journal of Biological Physics.

21. D. T. N. Chen, A. W. C. Lau, L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam, M. Goulian T. C. Lubensky and A. G. Yodh, “Fluctuations and Rheology in Active Bacterial Suspensions”, Physical Review Letters 99, 148302 (2007).

22. M. B. Bryning, D. E. Milkie, M. F. Islam, L. A. Hough, J. M. Kikkawa and A. G. Yodh, “Carbon Nanotube Aerogels”, Advanced Materials 19, 661 (2007).

23. D. T. N. Chen, K. Chen, L. A. Hough, M. F. Islam and A. G. Yodh, “Rheology of Carbon Nanotube Networks During Gelation”, Macromolecules 43 248-2053 (2009).

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