PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Staff Scientist, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, LLNL (2009-now)

Post-Doctoral Researcher, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, LLNL (2006–2009)

Post-Doctoral Researcher at SRI International, Physical Sciences Division, Menlo Park, CA (2005-2006)

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS

Francesco Fornasiero serves as team leader for a DTRA-sponsored multi-institutional project aiming at the development of breathable and protective fabrics based on stimuli-responsive multifunctional membranes. On this role he manages a 5-institution, 30-person team. He has also been LLNL principal investigator of several other projects in the nanofluidics area funded through government and state agencies (DoD DTRA, DOE, CA-DWR) or supported by LLNL-LDRD program. He pioneered ion nanofluidics studies in carbon nanotubes and has expertise in nanocomposite fabrication, material transport, membrane science, and carbon nanotube growth.  He has co-authored 7 patents, 2 book chapters, and 30+ peer-reviewed articles. He received several national awards including the 2010 R&D100 Editors Choice Award, the Young Scientist Award at Pacifichem (2010), Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Award for Outstanding Technology Development (2009), and multiple LLNL Excellence in Publication Awards.

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (2005)

M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (2001)

Laurea, Chemical Engineering, University of Padua, Italy (1998)

1. Acar E. T., Buchsbaum S. F., Combs C., Fornasiero F. and Siwy Z. S. “Biomimetic potassium selective nanopores,” Sci. Adv., 5 (2): eaav2568 (2019) [https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav2568]
2. Rao R., Pint C. L., Islam A. E., Weatherup R. S., Hofmann S., Meshot E., Wu F., Zhou C., Dee N. T., Amama P., Shi W., Plata D., Carpena J., Penev E. S., Yakobson B. I., Balbuena P., Bichara C., Futaba D., Noda S., Shin H., Kim K. S., Simard B., Mirri F., Pasquali M., Fornasiero F., Kauppinen E. I., Arnold M. S., Cola B. A., Nikolaev P., Arepalli S., Cheng H-M, Zakharov D., Stach E. A., Wei F., Terrones M., Geohegan D. B., Maruyama B., Maruyama S., Zhang J., Li Y., Adams W. W., Hart A. J. “Carbon Nanotubes and Related Nanomaterials: Critical Advances and Challenges for Synthesis towards Mainstream Commercial Applications,” ACS Nano, 12 (12):11756−11784 (2018) [ACS Editor’s Choice]  [https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b06511]
3.  Meshot E. R., Zwissler D., Bui N., Kuykendall T., Wang C., Hexemer A., Wu K. J., and Fornasiero F. “Quantifying the hierarchical order in aligned carbon nanotube forests from atomic to micrometer scale,” ACS Nano, 11 (6): 5405–5416 (2017) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6b08042]
4. Bui N., Meshot E. R., Kim S., Peña J., Gibson P.W., Wu K. J., and Fornasiero F. “Ultra–breathable and protective membranes with sub–5 nm CNT pores,” Adv. Mater. 28 (28): 5871–5877 (2016) [back cover]  [http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201600740]
5. Guo S., Meshot E. R., Kuykendall T., Cabrini S., and Fornasiero F., “Nanofluidic Transport through Isolated Carbon Nanotube Channels: Advances, Controversies, and Challenges”, Adv. Mater. 27 (38): 5726-5737 (2015) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201500372]
6. Fornasiero F., In J.B., Kim S., Park H.G., Wang Y., Grigoropoulos C.P., Noy A., Bakajin O., “pH–Tunable Ion Selectivity in Carbon Nanotube Pores,” Langmuir 26 (18): 14848–14853 (2010) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la101943h]
7. Stadermann M., Sherlock S.P., In J.B., Fornasiero F., Park H.G., Artyukhin A.B., Wang Y., De Yoreo J.J., Grigoropoulos C.P., Bakajin O., Chernov A. A., Noy A., “Mechanism and Kinetics of Growth Termination in Controlled CVD Growth of Multi–wall Carbon Nanotube Arrays”, Nano Letters 9 (2): 738–744 (2009) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nl803277g]
8. Fornasiero F., Park H.G., Holt J.K., Stadermann M., Grigoropoulos C.P., Noy A., Bakajin O., “Ion Exclusion by sub 2–nm Carbon Nanotube Pores”, PNAS, 105 (45):17250–117255 (2008) [cover]  [http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0710437105]
9. Noy A., Park H.G., Fornasiero F., Holt J.K., Grigoropoulos C.P., Bakajin O., “Nanofluidics in Carbon Nanotubes”, Nano Today, 2 (6): 22–29 (2007) [cover] [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1748–0132(07)70170–6]
10. Rodriguez O., Fornasiero F., Arce A., Radke C.J., Prausnitz J.M., “Solubilities and Diffusivities of Water Vapor in Poly(methylmethacrylate), Poly(2–hydroxyethylmethacrylate), Poly(N–vinyl–2–pyrrolidone) and Poly(acrylonitrile)” Polymer 44 (20): 6323–6333 (2003) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0032–3861(03)00654–2]

1. Director's Award for Science and Technology as lead of the Dynamic Multifunctional Materials for a Second Skin team, September 17, 2018.
2. LLNL Outstanding Mentor Award, November 16, 2017
3. Deputy Director for Science and Technology Excellence in Publication Award, LLNL, August 24, 2017 “Ultra–breathable and protective membranes with sub–5 nm CNT pores,” Adv. Mater. 28 (28): 5871–5877 (2016)
4. PLS Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication, LLNL, August 24, 2017, “Quantifying the hierarchical order in aligned carbon nanotube forests from atomic to micrometer scale,” ACS Nano, 11 (6): 5405–5416 (2017)
5. PLS Directorate Award, for the Development of CNT fabrics that repel chemical and biological agents, LLNL, March 5, 2013
6. Young Scientist Award for “New Materials and Concepts for next Generation Membranes”, Pacifichem, December 2010, Honolulu (HI)
7. 2010 R&D100 Editors Choice Award, “Ultrapermeable Carbon Nanotube Membranes”, November 2010, Orlando (FL)
8. FLC (Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer) Award for Outstanding Technology Development, San Francisco, September 2009
9. Outstanding Post–doc Fellow Award, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, LLNL, August 2009
10. Excellence in Publication Award, CMELS Directorate, LLNL, September 2008, “Ion Exclusion by sub 2–nm Carbon Nanotube Pores”, PNAS, 105 (45):17250–117255 (2008)