Daniel Gall, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is being honored for his work to craft the next generation of custom nanoscale structures, which could be used in the production of hydrogen for energy storage, corrosion-resistant electrodes for fuel cells, and coatings for high-temperature bearings in fuel-efficient jet engines and gas turbines. Gall has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Daniel Gall Photo Credit: Rensselaer/Kris Qua

The projected five-year, $400,000 grant will help Gall develop a fundamental understanding of how material vapors condense on surfaces and assemble into nanostructures. This knowledge could lead to the construction of some of the world’s most specialized nanomaterials, he said.

Gall will focus his research on nitrides, building highly specialized arrays of nanopipes and nanorods. The research will use two distinct techniques for controlling the nanostructure form: glancing angle deposition and low-energy ion-assisted growth. By using nitrides and combining these two approaches to nanostructure formation, Gall envisions creating nanostructures that could have broad applications in high-temperature self-lubricating coatings, high-throughput gas-purification devices, and pressure sensors.

The CAREER Award is given to faculty members at the beginning of their academic careers and is one of NSF’s most competitive awards, placing emphasis on high-quality research and novel education initiatives.

Gall’s research will be integrated with an education and community outreach effort to teach university and schoolchildren about nanostructures. He will design a hands-on exhibit for the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology, to help children ages 5-12 understand atoms and how they can be arranged to create specialized nanostructured materials. Gall also will work at the university level creating courses and course work focused on nanostructure growth, and he will include undergraduate students in his ongoing research. 

Gall earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Basel in 1994, and a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000. He joined the Rensselaer faculty in 2002.

Published March 5, 2007