Kenneth Sandhage B. Mifflin Hood Professor Georgia Institute of Technology Materials Science and Engineering 771 Ferst Drive, N.W. Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 Office:  M Bldg. 3100L Phone: 404.894.6882  | 404.894.9140 ken.sandhage@mse.gatech.edu Website: www.gems.gatech.edu B.S. Metallurgical Engineering, Purdue University Ph.D. Ceramics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987 Dr. Ken H. Sandhage is the B. Mifflin Hood Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the Director of the Center for Biologically Enabled Advanced Manufacturing (BEAM). Dr. Sandhage received a B.S. (1981) in Metallurgical Engineering with highest distinction from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. (1986) in Ceramics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After working as a Senior Scientist at Corning, Inc. and American Super-conductor Corp., he was on the faculty in the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering at Ohio State University for 12 years before joining Georgia Tech in 2003. Research Interests Biological/biochemical processing of inorganic materials and micro/nano-structures Near net-shape reaction processing of ceramics and composites High-temperature oxidation and corrosion Dr. Sandhage’s research focuses on novel reaction processing of advanced materials for electromagnetic, chemical, optical, sensor, refractory, and structural applications. This research has resulted in several patented processes for fabricating near net-shaped ceramics and composites at modest temperatures: the Bioclastic and Shape -preserving Inorganic Conversion or BaSIC method, U.S. Patent 7,067,104; the Displacive Compensation of Porosity or DCP method, U.S. Patent 6,407,022; the Volume Identical Metal Oxidation or VIMOX method, U.S. Patent 5,447,291. Sandhage and his students hold 23 patents. A major current initiative is biologically-enabled materials processing, including Genetically Engineered Materials and Micro/nanodevices (GEMs). Dr. Sandhage has received several distinctive honors throughout his career, including: 5 best paper awards, such as  the Purdy Award from the American Ceramic Society (1996); the Outstanding Materials Engineer Award from Purdue (1997); and the Lumley Research Award from Ohio State (1997, 2002). In 1999-2000, he was a Humboldt Fellow in the Advanced Ceramics Group at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg. He was the advisor to students Matt Dickerson and Ray Unocic, who were recipients of the 2002 National Collegiate Inventors Award. Dr. Sandhage is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, a member of the National Materials Advisory Board of the National Academies, and a member of the Materials Research Society and TMS.  He has also been a technical consultant for a number of companies and law firms. Selected Patents K. H. Sandhage, ““Shaped Microcomponents via Reactive Conversion of Biologically-derived Microtemplates,” U.S. Patent No. 7,204,971, April 17, 2007. K. H. Sandhage, “Shaped Microcomponents via Reactive Conversion of Biologically-derived Microtemplates,” U.S. Patent No. 7,067,104, June 27, 2006. K. H. Sandhage, P. Kumar, “Method for Fabricating Shaped Monolithic Ceramics and Ceramic Composites through Displacive Compensation of Porosity, and Ceramics and Composites made Thereby,” U. S. Patent No. 6,833,337, December 21, 2004. M. J. Mills, K. H. Sandhage, P.-I. Gouma, “Free-Standing Fluid Sensors, Filters, and Catalyst Devices, and Methods Involving Same,” U.S. Patent No. 6,689,322, Feb. 10, 2004. M. J. Mills, K. H. Sandhage, P.-I. Gouma, “Free-Standing Fluid Sensors, Filters, and Catalyst Devices, and Methods Involving Same,” U.S. Patent No. 6,682,700, Jan. 27, 2004. K. H. Sandhage, R. L. Snyder, “Electrolysis Apparatus and Methods Using Urania in Electrodes, and Methods of Producing Reduced Substances, from Oxidized Substances, Including the Electrowinning of Aluminum,” U.S. Patent No. 6,616,826, Sept. 9, 2003. K. H. Sandhage, R. R. Unocic, M. B. Dickerson, M. Timberlake, K. Guerra, “Method for Fabricating High-Melting, Wear-Resistant Ceramics and Ceramic Composites at Low Temperatures, U.S. Patent No. 6,598,656, July 29, 2003. K. H. Sandhage, P. Kumar, “Method for Fabricating Shaped Monolithic Ceramics and Ceramic Composites through Displacive Compensation of Porosity, and Ceramics and Composites made Thereby,” U. S. Patent No. 6,407,022, June 18, 2002. K. H. Sandhage, “Method for Oxygenating Oxide Superconductive Materials,” U.S. Patent No. 6,284,713, Sept. 4, 2001. N. Claussen, K. H. Sandhage, P. Kumar, R. Janssen, P. Beyer, F. Wagner, N. Travitsky, “Die Casting of Refractory Metal-Ceramic Composite Materials,” European Patent No. 1,252,349, German Patent No. 10,047,384, Aug. 9, 2001. E. R. Podtburg, K. H. Sandhage, A. Otto, L. J. Masur, C. A. Craven, J. D. Schreiber, “Oxide Superconductor Precursors,” U.S. Patent No. 6,219,901, April 24, 2001. K. H. Sandhage, “Method for Oxygenating Oxide Superconductive Materials,” U.S. Patent No. 6,153,561, Nov. 28, 2000. K. H. Sandhage, R. L. Snyder, “Electrodes, Electrolysis Apparatus and Methods Using Uranium-bearing Ceramic Electrodes, and Methods of Producing a Metal from a Metal Compound, Dissolved in a Molten Salt, Including Electrowinning of Aluminum,” U.S. Patent No. 6,146,513, Nov. 14, 2000. A. Otto, L. J. Masur, E. R. Podtburg, K. H. Sandhage, “High Pressure Oxidation of Precursor Alloys,” U.S. Patent No. 6,066,599, May 23, 2000. E. R. Podtburg, K. H. Sandhage, A. Otto, L. J. Masur, C. A. Craven, J. D. Schreiber, “Composite Metal Preforms for Oxidation to Manufacture High-Temperature Superconductors,” U. S. Patent No. 5,851,957, Dec. 22, 1998. J. Gilliland, A. Morrow, K. H. Sandhage, “Radiation Resistant Optical Waveguide Fiber,” U. S. Patent No. 5,681,365, October 28, 1997. J. Gilliland, A. Morrow, K. H. Sandhage, “Radiation Resistant Optical Waveguide Fiber,” U. S. Patent No. 5,509,101, April 16, 1996. A. Otto, L. Masur, E. Potdburg, K. H. Sandhage, “High Pressure Oxidation of Precursor Alloys,” U. S. Patent No. 5,472,527, Dec. 5, 1995. K. H. Sandhage, “Processes for Fabricating Structural Ceramic Bodies and Structural Ceramic-Bearing Composite Bodies,” U. S. Patent No. 5,447,291, Sept. 5, 1995. K. H. Sandhage, “Electroceramics and Process for Making the Same,” U. S. Patent No. 5,318,725, June 7, 1994. K. H. Sandhage, “A Process for Making Ceramic/Metal and Ceramic/Ceramic Laminates by the Oxidation of a Metal Precursor,” U. S. Patent No. 5,259,885, Nov. 9, 1993. D. R. Powers, K. H. Sandhage, M. J. Stalker, “Method for Making a Preform Doped with a Metal Oxide,” U. S. Patent No. 5,203,897, Apr. 20, 1993. G. D. Smith, G. McKimpson, L. J. Masur, K. H. Sandhage, “Process for Forming Superconductor Precursor,” U. S. Patent No. 5,034,373, July, 23, 1991. Selected Publications Z. Bao, M. R. Weatherspoon, Y. Cai, S. Shian, P. D. Graham, S. M. Allan, G. Ahmad, M. B. Dickerson, B. C. Church, Z. Kang, C. J. Summers, H. W. Abernathy, III, M. Liu, K. H. Sandhage, “Shape-preserving Reduction of Silica Micro-Assemblies into Microporous Silicon Replicas,” Nature, 446 [3] 172-175 (2007).  M. R. Weatherspoon, M. B. Dickerson, G. Wang, Y. Cai, S. Shian, S. C. Jones, S. R. Marder, K. H. Sandhage, “Thin, Conformal, and Continuous SnO2 Coatings on Hydroxyl-Amplified Biosilica (Diatom) Templates via Layer-by-Layer Alkoxide Deposition,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., accepted, in press. Y. Cai, M. B. Dickerson, M. S. Haluska, Z. Kang, C. J. Summers, K. H. Sandhage, “Manganese-doped Zinc Orthosilicate-bearing Phosphor Microparticles with Controlled 3-D Shapes Derived from Diatom Frustules,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 90 [4] 1304-1308 (2007). E. M. Ernst, B. C. Church, C. S. Gaddis, R. L. Snyder, K. H. Sandhage, “Enhanced Hydrothermal Conversion of Surfactant-modified Diatom Microshells into Barium Titanate Replicas,” J. Mater. Res., 22 [5] 1121-1127 (2007). S.-J. Lee, S. Shian, Ch.-H. Huang, K. H. Sandhage, “Rapid, Non-photocatalytic Destruction of Organophosphorous Esters Induced by Nanostructured Titania -based Replicas of Diatom Microshells,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 90 [5] 1632-1636 (2007). U. Kusari, Z. Bao, Y. Cai, G. Ahmad, K. H. Sandhage, L. G. Sneddon, “Formation of Nanostructured, Nanocrystalline Boron Nitride Microparticles with Diatom-Derived 3 -D Shapes,” Chem. Comm., [11] 1177-1179 (2007). N. Kroger, M. B. Dickerson, G. Ahmad, Y. Cai, M. S. Haluska, K. H. Sandhage, N. Poulsen, V. C. Sheppard, “Bio-enabled Synthesis of Rutile (TiO2) at Ambient Temperature and Neutral pH,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 45, 7239-7243 (2006).  A. W. Schill, C. S. Gaddis, W. Qian, M. A. El-Sayed Y. Cai, V. T. Milam, K. H. Sandhage, “Ultrafast Electronic Relaxation and Charge Carrier Localization in CdS/CdSe/CdS Quantum Dot Heterostructures,” Nano Lett., 6 [9] 1940-1949 (2006). G. Ahmad, M. B. Dickerson, B. C. Church, Y. Cai, S. E. Jones, R. R. Naik, J. S. King, C. J. Summers, N. Kroger, K. H. Sandhage, “Rapid, Room-Temperature Formation of Crystalline Calcium Molybdate Phosphor Microparticles via Peptide-Induced Precipitation,” Adv. Mater., 18, 1759-1763 (2006). E. Koep, C. Jin, M. Haluska, R. Das, R. Narayan, K. H. Sandhage, R. L. Snyder, M. Liu, “Microstructure and Electrochemical Properties of Cathode Materials for SOFCs Prepared via Pulsed Laser Deposition,” J. Power Sources, 161 [1] 250-255 (2006).  S. Yoo, H. Rick, K. H. Sandhage, S. A. Dregia, S. A. Akbar, “Kinetic Mechanism of TiO2 Nanocarving via Reaction with Hydrogen Gas,” J. Mater. Res., 21 [7] 1822-1829 (2006). H. R. Luckarift, M. B. Dickerson, K. H. Sandhage, J. C. Spain, “Rapid, Room-Temperature Synthesis of Anti-bacterial Bio-nano-composites of Lysozyme with Amorphous Silica or Titania,” Small, 2 [5] 640-643 (2006). (Cover article) M. R. Weatherspoon, M. S. Haluska, Y. Cai, J. S. King, C. J. Summers, R. L. Snyder, K. H. Sandhage, “Phosphor Microparticles of Controlled 3-D Shape from Phytoplankton,” J. Electrochem. Soc., 153 [2] H34-H37 (2006). S. Shian, Y. Cai, M. R. Weatherspoon, S. M. Allan, K. H. Sandhage, “Three-Dimensional Assemblies of Zirconia Nanocrystals Via Shape-preserving Reactive Conversion of Diatom Microshells,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 89 [2] 694-698 (2006). M. S. Haluska, I. Dragomir, K. H. Sandhage, and R. L. Snyder, “X-ray Diffraction Analyses of 3-D MgO-based Replicas of Diatom Microshells Synthesized by a Low -Temperature Gas/Solid Displacement Reaction,” Powder Diff., 20 [4] 306-310 (2005). M. S. Haluska, R. L. Snyder, K. H. Sandhage, S. T. Misture, “A Closed, Heated Reaction Chamber Design for Dynamic High-Temperature X-ray Diffraction Analyses of Gas/Solid Displacement Reactions,” Rev. Sci. Instr., 76, 126101-1 - 126101-4 (2005). Y. Cai, K. H. Sandhage, “Zn2SiO4-coated Microparticles with Biologically-controlled 3-D Shapes,” Phys. Stat. Sol. (a), 202 [10] R105-R107 (2005). (Cover article) K. H. Sandhage, R. L. Snyder, G. Ahmad, S. M. Allan, Y. Cai, M. B. Dickerson, C. S. Gaddis, M. S. Haluska, S. Shian, M. R. Weatherspoon, R. A. Rapp, R. R. Unocic, F. M . Zalar, Y. Zhang, M. Hildebrand, B. P. Palenik, “Merging Biological Self-assembly with Synthetic Chemical Tailoring: The Potential for 3-D Genetically-Engineered Micro/nanodevices (3-D GEMS),” Int. J. Appl. Ceram. Technol., 2 [4] 317-326 (2005).  Y. Cai, S. M. Allan, F. M. Zalar, K. H. Sandhage, “Three-dimensional Magnesia-based Nanocrystal Assemblies via Low-Temperature Magnesiothermic Reaction of Diatom Microshells,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 88 [7] 2005-2010 (2005). M. R. Weatherspoon, S. M. Allan, E. Hunt, Y. Cai, K. H. Sandhage, “Sol-Gel Synthesis on Self-Replicating Single-Cell Scaffolds: Applying Complex Chemistries to Nature’s 3-D Nanostructured Templates,” Chem. Comm., [5] 651-653 (2005). J. Zhao, C. S. Gaddis, Y. Cai, K. H. Sandhage, “Free-standing Microscale Structures of Zirconia Nanocrystals with Biologically Replicable 3-D Shapes,” J. Mater. Res., 20 [2] 282-287 (2005). M. B. Dickerson, R. R. Naik, P. M. Sarosi, G. Agarwal, M. O. Stone, K. H. Sandhage, “Ceramic Nanoparticle Assemblies with Tailored Shapes and Tailored Chemistries via Biosculpting and Shape-preserving Inorganic Conversion,” J. Nanosci. Nanotech., 5 [1], 63-67 (2005). C. S. Gaddis, K. H. Sandhage, “Freestanding Microscale 3-D Polymeric Structures with Biologically-derived Shapes and Nanoscale Features,” J. Mater. Res., 19 [9], 2541-2545 (2004).  M. B. Dickerson, R. R. Naik, M. O. Stone, Y. Cai, and K. H. Sandhage, “Identification of Peptides that Promote the Rapid Precipitation of Germania Nanoparticle Networks via Use of a Peptide Display Library,” Chem. Comm. [15] 1776-1777 (2004). S. Yoo, S. A. Akbar, K. H. Sandhage, “Nanocarving of Titania (TiO2): A Novel Approach for Fabricating a Chemical Sensing Platform,” Ceram. Int., 30 [7] 1121 -1126 (2004). M. B. Dickerson, P. J. Wurm, J. R. Schorr, W. P. Hoffman, E. Hunt, K. H. Sandhage, “Near Net-Shaped, Ultra-High Melting, Recession-Resistant Rocket Nozzles Liners via the Displacive Compensation of Porosity (DCP) Method,” J. Mater. Sci., 39 (19) 6005-6015 (2004). R. R. Unocic, F. M. Zalar, P. M. Sarosi, Y. Cai, and K. H. Sandhage, “Anatase Assemblies from Algae: Coupling Biological Self-assembly of 3-D Nanoparticle Structures with Synthetic Reaction Chemistry,” Chem. Comm., [7] 795-796 (2004). S. Yoo, S. A. Akbar, K. H. Sandhage, “Oriented Single Crystal Titania Nanofibers via Nanocarving with Hydrogen-bearing Gas,” Adv. Mater., 16 [3] 260-264 (2004). Z. Grzesik, M. B. Dickerson, K. H. Sandhage, “The Incongruent Reduction of Tungsten Carbide by a Zirconium-Copper Melt,” J. Mater. Res., 18 [9] 2135-2140 (2003). N. A. Travitsky, P. Kumar, K. H. Sandhage, R. Janssen, N. Claussen, “In Situ ynthesis of Al2O3 Reinforced Ni-based Composites,” Adv. Eng. Mater., 5 [4] 256 -259 (2003). Return to top