Through our scientific and technological genius, we've made of this world a neighborhood. And now through our moral and ethical commitment, we must make of it a brotherhood.
Background
Baratunde Cola is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned his PhD from Purdue University, and earned his BE and MS from Vanderbilt University.
Interests
Cola’s research studies heat transfer, combustion and energy systems, and micro and nano engineering. These include nanoengineering; energy transport and conversion in nanostructures; nanomaterials synthesis; thermal properties measurements; thermo-electrochemical energy conversion; and thermal transport in polymers and molecular junctions. He seeks to develop new science and technology exploiting energy transport processes at the nanoscale to excite, educate, and employ the world.
Cola is particularly interested in investigating energy transport through interfaces and nanosized contacts, which are ubiquitous in nanostructured devices. His students learn to conduct research as part of an interdisciplinary team and to apply fundamental principles from science and engineering to solve problems that enable technologies supporting clean energy solutions, smaller and more affordable electronics, and general improvements to global living standards.
Sample Work
Patent
Electrothermal Interface Material Enhancer
B.A. Cola and T.S. Fisher. Electrothermal Interface Material Enhancer. U.S. Patent 8,220,530, issued July 17, 2012.
Patent
Palladium Thiolate Bonding of Carbon Nanotubes
T.S. Fisher, S.L. Hodson, B.A. Cola, T. Bhuvana, and G. Kulkarni. Palladium Thiolate Bonding of Carbon Nanotubes. U.S. Patent 8,541,058, issued September 24, 2013.
Patent
Methods for Attaching Carbon Nanotubes to a Carbon Substrate
B.A. Cola and T.S. Fisher. Methods for Attaching Carbon Nanotubes to a Carbon Substrate. U.S. Patent 8,919,428, issued December 30, 2014.
Publication
A Carbon Nanotube Optical Rectenna
A. Sharma, V. Singh, T.L. Bougher, and B.A. Cola. A Carbon Nanotube Optical Rectenna. Nature Nanotechnology, online.