James Tour

James Tour
Tour in 2018
Born
New York City, U.S.
Alma materPurdue University, PhD
Syracuse University, BS
Known forMolecular electronics
Nanotechnology
Graphene production techniques
Carbon nanotube chemistry
Nanocar
NanoPutian
AwardsOesper Award (2021)
Centenary Prize (2020)
Trotter Prize (2014)
Feynman Prize (2008)
Scientific career
FieldsOrganic Chemistry
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
InstitutionsRice University, 1999-present
University of South Carolina, 1988–1999
ThesisMetal-Promoted Cyclization and Transition-Metal-Promoted Carbonylative Cyclization Reactions (1986)
Doctoral advisorEi-ichi Negishi
Websitewww.jmtour.com

James Mitchell Tour is an American chemist and nanotechnologist. He is a Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Education

Tour received degrees from Syracuse University (BS, 1981), Purdue University (PhD, 1986 under Ei-ichi Negishi) and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1986–1987) and Stanford University (1987–1988).[1]

Career

Tour's work is primarily focused on carbon materials chemistry and nanotechnology. Tour's work on carbon materials encompasses fullerene purification,[2][3] composites,[4][5] conductive inks for radio frequencies identification tags,[6][7] carbon nanoreporters for identifying oil downhole,[8][9] graphene synthesis from cookies and insects,[10] graphitic electronic devices,[11][12] carbon particle drug delivery for treatment of traumatic brain injury,[13][14] the merging of 2D graphene with 1D nanotubes to make a conjoined hybrid material,[15] a new graphene-nanotube 2D material called rebar graphene,[16] graphene quantum dots from coal,[17] gas barrier composites,[18] graphene nanoribbon deicing films,[19] supercapacitors and battery device structures,[20][21] and water splitting to H2 and O2 using metal chalcogenides.[22]

In addition, Tour has conducted research on the synthesis of graphene oxide,[23][24] its mechanism of formation,[25] and its use in capturing radionuclides from water.[26] Tour has developed oxide-based electronic memories that can also be transparent and built onto flexible substrates.[27] His group has also developed the use of porous metal structures to make renewable energy devices including batteries and supercapacitors, as well as electronic memories.[28]

More recently, the Tour group's discovery of laser-induced graphene (LIG) has spurred innovations including an array of device structures made from LIG foams.[29] His lab's discovery of the flash graphene process in 2019 for the 10-millisecond bulk formation of graphene from carbon sources including coal, petroleum coke, biochar, food waste and mixed plastic waste, has implications in environmental stewardship through materials and waste upcycling.[30]

Tour worked in molecular electronics and molecular switching molecules. He pioneered the development of the Nanocar, single-molecule vehicles with four independently rotating wheels, axles, and light-activated motors.[31] Tour was the first to show that Feringa-based motors[32] can be used to move a molecule on a surface using light[33] as opposed to electric current from an STM tip. His early career focused upon the synthesis of conjugated polymers and precise oligomers.[34]

Tour has also been involved in scientific outreach, such as NanoKids, an interactive learning DVD to teach children fundamentals of chemistry and physics. He also developed SciRave, a Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero package to teach science concepts to middle school and elementary school students. He has testified before the US Congress on two occasions to warn about budget cuts.[35]

In the Scientific American article "Better Killing Through Chemistry",[36] which appeared a few months after the September 11 attacks, Tour highlighted the ease of obtaining chemical weapon precursors in the United States.

Tour is on the board and working with companies including Weebit (silicon oxide electronic memory),[37] Dotz (graphene quantum dots),[38] Zeta Energy (batteries),[39] NeuroCords (spinal cord repair),[40] Xerient (treatment of pancreas cancer), LIGC Application Ltd. (laser-induced graphene),[41] Nanorobotics (molecular nanomachines in medicine),[42] Universal Matter Ltd. (flash graphene synthesis),[43] Roswell Biotechnologies (molecular electronic DNA sequencing),[44] and Rust Patrol (corrosion inhibitors).[45]

Tour's lab's research into graphene scaffolding gel has been shown to repair spinal cords of paralyzed mice.[35]

Tour has about 650 research publications and over 200 patents, with an H-index > 170 with total citations over 130,000 (Google Scholar, as of November 2023).[46][47][48]

Awards

Tour was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry's Centenary Prize for innovations in materials chemistry with applications in medicine and nanotechnology.[49] Tour was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2015.[50][51] [52]

He was named among "The 50 most Influential Scientists in the World Today" by TheBestSchools.org in 2014.[53]

Tour was named "Scientist of the Year" by R&D Magazine in 2013.[54] Tour won the ACS Nano Lectureship Award from the American Chemical Society in 2012. Tour was ranked one of the top 10 chemists in the world over the past decade by Thomson Reuters in 2009.

That year, he was also made a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In 2005, Tour's journal article "Directional Control in Thermally Driven Single-Molecule Nanocars" was ranked the Most Accessed Journal Article by the American Chemical Society.[55]

Tour has twice won the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching at Rice University in 2007 and 2012.

In 2016, Tour was listed as an ISI highly cited researcher.[56]

Opposition to evolution and origin of life studies

Tour became a born-again Christian in his first year at Syracuse[35] and identifies as a Messianic Jew.[57] Tour signed the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism,[1] a statement issued by the Discovery Institute disputing the scientific consensus on evolution, but, in spite of the Discovery Institute's promotion of the pseudoscience of intelligent design, Tour does not consider himself to be an intelligent design proponent.[58] According to The New Yorker, Tour said his signing of the "Dissent" "reflected only his personal doubts about how random mutation occurs at the molecular level... [and] that, apart from a habit of praying for divine guidance, he feels that religion plays no part in his scientific work."[35]

On May 19, 2023, James Tour debated Dave Farina, science educator and creator of the Professor Dave Explains YouTube channel, at Rice University on abiogenesis. The topic of the debate was "Are we clueless about the origin of life?", with Tour arguing that humanity is clueless.[59]

References

  1. ^ a b "James M Tour Group".
  2. ^ Scrivens, W. A.; Tour, J. M. (1992). "Synthesis of Gram Quantities of C60 by Plasma Discharge in a Modified Round-Bottomed Flask. Key Parameters for Yield Optimization and Purification". J. Org. Chem. 1992 (57): 6932–6936. doi:10.1021/jo00051a047.
  3. ^ Scrivens, W. A.; Bedworth, P. V.; Tour, J. M. (1992). "Purification of Gram Quantities of C60. A New Inexpensive and Facile Method". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992 (114): 7917–7919. doi:10.1021/ja00046a051.
  4. ^ Higginbotham, A. L.; Moloney, P. G.; Waid, M. C.; Duque, J. G.; Kittrell, C.; Schmidt, H. K.; Stephenson, J. J.; Arepalli, S.; Yowell, L. L.; Tour, J. M. (2008). "Carbon Nanotube Composite Curing Through Absorption of Microwave Radiation". Composites Sci. Tech. 68 (15–16): 3087–3092. doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2008.07.004.
  5. ^ Mitchell, C. A.; Bahr, J. L.; Arepalli, S.; Tour, J. M.; Krishnamoorti, R. (2002). "Dispersion of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes in Polystyrene". Macromolecules. 35 (23): 8825–8830. Bibcode:2002MaMol..35.8825M. doi:10.1021/ma020890y.
  6. ^ Jung, M.; Kim, J.; Noh, J.; Lim, N.; Lim, C.; Lee, G.; Kim, J.; Kang, H.; Jung, K.; Leonard, A.; Pyo, M.; Tour, J. M.; Cho, G. "All Printed and Roll-to-Roll Printable 13.56 MHz Operated 1-bit RF Tag on Plastic Foils," IEEE Trans. Elect. Dev 1 2010, 57, 571-580.
  7. ^ Noh, J.; Jung, M.; Jung, K.; Lee, G.; Lim, S.; Kim, D.; Kim, S.; Tour, J. M.; Cho, G. (2011). "Integrable single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) network based thin film transistors using roll-to-roll gravure and inkjet". Org. Electronics. 12 (12): 2185–2191. doi:10.1016/j.orgel.2011.09.006.
  8. ^ Berlin, J. M.; Yu, J.; Lu, W.; Walsh, E. E.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, P.; Chen, W.; Kan, A. T.; Wong, M. S.; Tomson, M. B.; Tour, J. M. (2011). "Engineered Nanoparticles for Hydrocarbon Detection in Oil-field Rocks". Energy Environ Sci. 2011 (4): 505–509. doi:10.1039/c0ee00237b.
  9. ^ Hwang, C.-C.; Wang, L.; Lu, W.; Ruan, G.; Kini, G. C.; Xiang, C.; Samuel, E. L. G.; Shi, W.; Kan, A. T.; Wong, M. S.; Tomson, M. B.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "Highly Stable Carbon Nanoparticles Designed for Downhole Hydrocarbon Detection". Energy Environ Sci. 2012 (5): 8304–8309. doi:10.1039/c2ee21574h.
  10. ^ Ruan, G.; Sun, Z.; Peng, Z.; Tour, J. M. (2011). "Growth of Graphene from Food, Insects, and Waste". ACS Nano. 5 (9): 7601–7607. doi:10.1021/nn202625c. PMID 21800842.
  11. ^ Sinitskii, A.; Tour, J. M. (2009). "Lithographic Graphitic Memories". ACS Nano. 3 (9): 2760–2766. doi:10.1021/nn9006225. PMID 19719147.
  12. ^ Li, Y.; Sinitskii, A.; Tour, J. M. (2008). "Electronic Two-Terminal Bistable Graphitic Memories". Nature Materials. 7 (12): 966–971. Bibcode:2008NatMa...7..966L. doi:10.1038/nmat2331. PMID 19011617.
  13. ^ Sano, D.; Berlin, J. M.; Pham, T. T.; Marcano, D. C.; Valdecanas, D. R.; Zhou, G.; Milas, L.; Myers, J. N.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "Noncovalent Assembly of Targeted Carbon Nanovectors Enables Synergistic Drug and Radiation Cancer Therapy in Vivo". ACS Nano. 6 (3): 2497–2505. doi:10.1021/nn204885f. PMC 3314092. PMID 22316245.
  14. ^ Sharpe, M. A.; Marcano, D. C.; Berlin, J. M.; Widmayer, M. A.; Baskin, D. S.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "Antibody-Targeted Nanovectors for the Treatment of Brain Cancers". ACS Nano. 6 (4): 3114–3120. doi:10.1021/nn2048679. PMID 22390360.
  15. ^ Zhu, Y.; Li, L.; Zhang, C.; Casillas, G.; Sun, Z.; Yan, Z.; Ruan, G.; Peng, Z.; Raji, A.-R. O.; Kittrell, C.; Hauge, R. H.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "A Seamless Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube Graphene Hybrid Material". Nature Communications. 3: 1225. Bibcode:2012NatCo...3.1225Z. doi:10.1038/ncomms2234. PMID 23187625.
  16. ^ Yan, Z.; Peng, Z.; Casillas, G.; Lin, J.; Xiang, C.; Zhou, H.; Yang, Y.; Ruan, G.; Raji, A.-R. O.; Samuel, E. L. G.; Hauge, R. H.; Yacaman, M. J.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Rebar Graphene". ACS Nano. 8 (5): 5061–5068. doi:10.1021/nn501132n. PMC 4046778. PMID 24694285.
  17. ^ Ye, R.; Xiang, C.; Lin, J.; Peng, Z.; Huang, K.; Yan, Z.; Cook, N. P.; Samuel, E. L. G.; Hwang, C.-C.; Ruan, G.; Ceriotti, G.; Raji, A.-R. O.; Martí, A. A.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Coal as an Abundant Source of Graphene Quantum Dots". Nature Communications. 4 (2943): 1–6. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.2943Y. doi:10.1038/ncomms3943. PMID 24309588.
  18. ^ Xiang, C.; Cox, P. J.; Kukovecz, A.; Genorio, B.; Hashim, D. P.; Yan, Z.; Peng, Z.; Hwang, C.-C.; Ruan, G.; Samuel, E. L. G.; Sudeep, P. M.; Konya, Z.; Vajtai, R.; Ajayan, P. M.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Functionalized Low Defect Graphene Nanoribbons and Polyurethane Composite Film for Improved Gas Barrier and Mechanical Performances" (PDF). ACS Nano. 7 (11): 10380–10386. doi:10.1021/nn404843n. PMID 24102568.
  19. ^ Volman, V.; Zhu, Y.; Raji, A.-R.; Genorio, B.; Lu, W.; Xiang, C.; Kittrell, C.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Radio-Frequency-Transparent, Electrically Conductive Graphene Nanoribbon Thin Films as Deicing Heating Layers". ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 6 (1): 298–304. doi:10.1021/am404203y. PMID 24328320.
  20. ^ Yang, Y.; Fan, X.; Casillas, G.; Peng, Z.; Ruan, G.; Wang, G.; Yacaman, M. J.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Fe2O3/Fe3C Graphene Heterogeneous Thin Films for Lithium-Ion Batteries". ACS Nano. 8 (4): 3939–3946. doi:10.1021/nn500865d. PMC 4004288. PMID 24669862.
  21. ^ Zhang, C.; Peng, Z.; Lin, J.; Zhu, Y. Ruan; Hwang, C.-C.; Lu, W.; Hauge, R. H.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Splitting of a Vertical Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Carpet to a Graphene Nanoribbon Carpet and Its Use in Supercapacitors". ACS Nano. 7 (6): 5151–5159. doi:10.1021/nn400750n. PMID 23672653.
  22. ^ Lin, J.; Peng, Z.; Wang, G.; Zakhidov, D.; Larios, E.; Yacaman, M. J.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Enhanced Electrocatalysis for Hydrogen Evolution Reactions from WS2 Nanoribbons". Advanced Energy Materials. 4 (10): 1301875. Bibcode:2014AdEnM...401875L. doi:10.1002/aenm.201301875. S2CID 96788831.
  23. ^ Dimiev, A. M.; Alemany, L. B.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Graphene Oxide. Origin of Acidity, Its Instability in Water, and a New Dynamic Structural Model". ACS Nano. 7 (1): 576–588. doi:10.1021/nn3047378. PMID 23215236.
  24. ^ Zhu, Y.; James, D. K.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "New Routes to Graphene, Graphene Oxide and Their Related Applications". Adv. Mater. 24 (36): 4924–4955. Bibcode:2012AdM....24.4924Z. doi:10.1002/adma.201202321. PMID 22903803. S2CID 205246630.
  25. ^ Dimiev, A. M.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Mechanism of Graphene Oxide Formation". ACS Nano. 8 (3): 3060–3068. doi:10.1021/nn500606a. hdl:1911/77432. PMID 24568241.
  26. ^ Romanchuk, A. Yu.; Slesarev, A. S.; Kalmykov, S. N.; Kosynkin, D. V.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Graphene Oxide for Effective Radionuclide Removal". Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15 (7): 2321–2327. Bibcode:2013PCCP...15.2321R. doi:10.1039/c2cp44593j. PMID 23296256.
  27. ^ Yao, J.; Lin, J.; Dai, Y.; Ruan, G.; Yan, Z.; Li, L.; Zhong, L.; Natelson, D.; Tour, J. M. (2012). "Highly Transparent Nonvolatile Resistive Memory Devices from Silicon Oxide and Graphene". Nature Communications. 3: 1–8. Bibcode:2012NatCo...3.1101Y. doi:10.1038/ncomms2110. PMID 23033077.
  28. ^ Yang, Y.; Ruan, G.; Xiang, C.; Wang, G.; Tour, J. M. (2014). "Flexible Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Metal-Based Energy Devices". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014 (136): 6187–6190. doi:10.1021/ja501247f. PMID 24735477.
  29. ^ Stanford, Michael G.; Li, John T.; Chen, Yuda; McHugh, Emily A.; Liopo, Anton; Xiao, Han; Tour, James M. (October 22, 2019). "Self-Sterilizing Laser-Induced Graphene Bacterial Air Filter". ACS Nano. 13 (10): 11912–11920. doi:10.1021/acsnano.9b05983. ISSN 1936-0851. PMID 31560513. S2CID 203581358.
  30. ^ Luong, Duy X.; Bets, Ksenia V.; Algozeeb, Wala Ali; Stanford, Michael G.; Kittrell, Carter; Chen, Weiyin; Salvatierra, Rodrigo V.; Ren, Muqing; McHugh, Emily A.; Advincula, Paul A.; Wang, Zhe (January 2020). "Gram-scale bottom-up flash graphene synthesis". Nature. 577 (7792): 647–651. Bibcode:2020Natur.577..647L. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-1938-0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 31988511.
  31. ^ Chu, P.-L.; Wang, L.-Y.; Khatua, S.; Kolomeisky, A.; Link, S.; Tour, J. M. (2013). "Synthesis and Single-Molecule Imaging of Highly Mobile Adamantane-Wheeled Nanocars". ACS Nano. 7 (1): 35–41. doi:10.1021/nn304584a. PMID 23189917.
  32. ^ Carroll, GT; Pollard, MM; van Delden, RA; Feringa, BL (2010). "Controlled rotary motion of light-driven molecular motors assembled on a gold surface" (PDF). Chemical Science. 1 (1): 97–101. doi:10.1039/C0SC00162G. hdl:11370/4fb63d6d-d764-45e3-b3cb-32a4c629b942. S2CID 97346507.
  33. ^ Saywell, Alex; Bakker, Anne; Mielke, Johannes; Kumagai, Takashi; Wolf, Martin; García-López, Víctor; Chiang, Pinn-Tsong; Tour, James M.; Grill, Leonhard (2016). "Light-induced Translation of Motorized Molecules on a Surface" (PDF). ACS Nano. 10 (12): 10945–10952. doi:10.1021/acsnano.6b05650. PMID 27783488. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  34. ^ Tour, J. M. (1996). "Conjugated Macromolecules of Precise Length and Constitution. Organic Synthesis for the Construction of Nanoarchitectures". Chem. Rev. 1996 (96): 537–553. doi:10.1021/cr9500287. PMID 11848764.
  35. ^ a b c d Colapinto, John (December 14, 2014). "Material Question". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  36. ^ Musser, George (November 2001). "Better Killing through Chemistry: Buying chemical weapons material through the mail is quick and easy". Scientific American. 285 (6): 20–1. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1201-20. PMID 11759580. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
  37. ^ "Board of Directors – Weebit – A Quantum Leap In Data Storage". Weebit. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  38. ^ "About". Tag | Trace | Verify. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  39. ^ "Home". Zeta Energy. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  40. ^ "Spinal cord repair with graphene-polymer nanoribbons". Materials Today. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  41. ^ "Guardian G-Volt masks use graphene and electrical charge to repel viruses". Dezeen. March 6, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  42. ^ "Nanorobotics". nanorobotics.tech. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  43. ^ "About Us". Universal Matter. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  44. ^ "Technology". Roswell Biotechnologies. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  45. ^ "Technology". Rust Patrol. Retrieved June 18, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  46. ^ "James Tour". September 18, 2020.
  47. ^ "James M. Tour".
  48. ^ "James Tour | Faculty | The People of Rice | Rice University".
  49. ^ "Professor James Tour | Centenary Prize winner 2020". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  50. ^ "Current NAI Fellows 2015". National Academy of Inventors. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  51. ^ "James M Tour - AD Scientific Index 2024".
  52. ^ "James Tour". September 18, 2020.
  53. ^ Staff Writers (January 21, 2014). "The 50 Most Influential Scientists in the World Today". TheBestSchools.org.
  54. ^ "R&D Magazine announces 2013 Scientist of the Year". Research & Development. November 1, 2013.
  55. ^ "Resume of James M. Tour, Ph.D." (PDF).
  56. ^ Williams, Mike (November 18, 2016). "9 Rice faculty on prominent 'highly cited' list". Rice University. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  57. ^ "James M Tour Group » Personal Statement". Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  58. ^ "James M Tour Group » Evolution/Creation". Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  59. ^ Shad, Nayeli (May 26, 2023). "Rice's James Tour and YouTuber 'Professor Dave' debate the origins of life". The Rice Thresher. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2024.