Professor Rahul R. Nair
Research Area Lead: 2D Materials
Professor Rahul R. Nair is a Carlsberg/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair and Professor of Materials Physics at the National Graphene Institute (NGI), Henry Royce Institute, and Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. He did his MSc degree in Physics from the Mahatma Gandhi University in India and obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of Manchester in 2010. He was appointed as a Professor of Materials Physics in 2016 at the University of Manchester.
His current research focuses on molecular transport through sub-nanometer two-dimensional (2D) capillaries and developing two-dimensional materials-based membranes for energy-efficient separation and filtration applications. He has published over 60 highly cited peer-reviewed research articles, including several Science and Nature articles, and holds several patents on graphene-based membranes. His awards include a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust, Royal Society University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society, IUPAP Young Scientist Award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the Moseley Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics, European Research Council (ERC) starting grant, Lee Hsun Lecture Award on Materials Science from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Creativity Prize from the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW), the Philip Leverhulme Prize from the Leverhulme Trust, and CAS International Cooperation Award for Young Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was also selected as a Blavatnik laureate in Physical Science and Engineering in 2024 for his pioneering research in two-dimensional materials-based membranes, addressing global challenges.
