Frontiers in Nanotechnology Seminar Series Presents, James Tour from Rice University

“Flash Joule Heating for Synthesis, Remediation and Valorization”

James Tour will discuss flash Joule heating as a rapid, solvent-free method to synthesize materials and convert waste into valuable products. Applications include recovery of metals from electronic waste, batteries, ores, and industrial residues; production of graphene or carbon nanotubes from waste plastics and food; and transformation of retired wind turbines and aircraft into silicon carbide nanostructures.

The technique also enables soil remediation from heavy metals, PFAS, and other contaminants. Reaction kinetics will be explored in the context of current-induced transformations. This low-cost approach can be implemented with simple equipment, such as a $120 arc welder and graphite rods.

Get to Know James
(Click HERE for CV)

James Tour is a synthetic organic chemist and a pioneer in nanomaterials research, with contributions spanning organic synthesis, nanoelectronics, and materials for energy and medicine. He is best known for developing laser-induced graphene and flash Joule heating (FJH), a low-cost, solvent-free process for synthesizing graphene and other materials in seconds. FJH is now being used to recover valuable metals from electronic waste and ores, upcycle plastics and food waste, and remediate contaminated soils.

Tour received his PhD from Purdue University with Ei-ichi Negishi and conducted postdoctoral work with Barry Trost at Stanford. He joined Rice University in 1999, where he is a professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Materials Science and NanoEngineering, and Computer Science. He has published more than 800 papers, holds over 140 granted patents, and has an h-index of 178 with more than 150,000 citations.

Tour is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors. His honors include the Centenary Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Oesper Award from the American Chemical Society, the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, and the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award. He has also founded 15 companies based on his lab’s technologies.