Email
pmrao@wpi.edu
Office
50 Prescott St (Gateway II) - 4910
Phone
+1 (508) 8314828
Lab Links
/nanoenergy.wpi.edu
Affiliated Department or Office
Materials Science & Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2007
PhD Mechanical Engineering Stanford University 2013

My research is aimed at discovering, understanding and developing advanced materials for a range of applications including solar energy conversion, catalysis, printed electronics, sensors, and functional coatings. Our lab specializes in the synthesis of nanostructured thin film materials using scalable processes. Students and researchers in my lab can expect to work on highly interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, solid state physics, and thermal sciences.

Email
pmrao@wpi.edu
Affiliated Department or Office
Materials Science & Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2007
PhD Mechanical Engineering Stanford University 2013

My research is aimed at discovering, understanding and developing advanced materials for a range of applications including solar energy conversion, catalysis, printed electronics, sensors, and functional coatings. Our lab specializes in the synthesis of nanostructured thin film materials using scalable processes. Students and researchers in my lab can expect to work on highly interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, solid state physics, and thermal sciences.

Office
50 Prescott St (Gateway II) - 4910
Phone
+1 (508) 8314828
Lab Links
/nanoenergy.wpi.edu
Research Interests
Solar Energy Materials
Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Materials
Scalable Synthesis of Nanostructured Thin Film Materials
Printed Electronics
Inkjet Printing of Materials
Professional Affiliations
NextFlex Manufacturing USA Institute
Professional Highlights & Honors

News

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Telegram.com
WPI researchers work to rid local lakes of harmful cyanobacteria

Pamela Weathers, professor of biology and biotechnology, and Pratap Rao, associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering, were interviewed by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette about the impact of algal blooms on local bodies of water. Rao and a team of graduate and undergraduate students received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to create 3D-printed floating structures designed to mimic natural objects that serve as photocatalysts, which have been shown to break down cyanobacteria and associated toxins.

Waste Advantage Magazine
EPA Awards Nearly $1.2M to Student Teams for Innovative Solutions to Environmental and Public Health Challenges

A WPI research team working to tackle harmful algal blooms by creating 3D-printed floating structures which serve as photocatalysts was chosen for funding by the Environmental Protection Agency. The project will include students in mechanical & materials engineering and robotics engineering, Professors Pratap Rao and Markus Nemitz, and postdoctoral fellow Ceren Yilmaz Akkaya.