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The Mechanosynthesis Group is led by Prof. John Hart in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Our research focuses on nanostructured materials, ranging from fundamental studies of synthesis and structure, to development of novel material and device applications, to creation of production techniques which realize these applications at commercial scales. Many of our initial projects involve carbon nanotubes, which are long molecular structures having exceptional mechanical stiffness and strength, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and unique chemical and optical functionalities.

We aim to foster a highly creative, energetic, and focused research environment. We utilize skills and insights from many disciplines in engineering and science, and we apply these tools to build elegant solutions to our research questions. We collaborate with many research groups and industrial partners throughout the world. Please contact us if you'd like to join the group, collaborate, visit, or comment on our work.

August 2008: Davor Copic, Erik Polsen, Michael DeVolder, and Yongyi Zhang join our group - people

July 2008: SabreTube desktop CVD system wins R&D100 award as one of "100 most technologically significant new products of the year" - about the SabreTube

May 2008: Our collaboration with Prof. Carol Livermore's group at MIT is featured in the Boston Globe, "Thinking small could pay off big" - article

March 2008: John receives DARPA Young Faculty Award - press release

November 2007: John is interviewed in the BBC Documentary "Visions of the Future" - BBC series page

Graduate course, next offered Winter 2009: Manufacturing of Nanoscale and Nanostructured Materials (ME599) - see teaching section

Overview of carbon nanotube manufacturing and applications (Presented at NSTI Nanotech, May 2007) - view slides