Research Topic: Multifunctional nanomaterials for imaging and radiation enhancement

Research Topic: Accident Tolerant Fuel Cladding materials

Furkan Erdogan is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University under Dr. Jessika Rojas. Furkan's research background is robust and covers various domains, including radiation shielding and protection, polymer composites, waste management, fuel cycle, and detailed investigations into nuclear materials and corrosion, particularly in molten salt environments.

Dr. Ali Gawi was involved in the synthesis and characterization of multifunctional nanomaterials for imaging and therapeutic properties. Dr. Gawi was involved in the investigation of inorganic nanomaterials as carriers of Cu-67 radiometal.

The main objective of Connor's research project is to investigate the surfaces of accident tolerant fuel cladding when they have been subjected to high temperature steam oxidation. The materials surfaces evolve as a result of oxides formation and it will lead to changes in materials wettability and topography. 

The Critical Heat Flux (CHF) is one of the key parameters used to evaluate the thermal performance of a fuel product and to establish safety and operational margins. Preliminary studies for the proposed ATF concepts indicate that their cladding surface characteristics may result in substantive impacts in their CHF behavior. The main objective of this project is to investigate the cladding surfaces of the ATF and conduct a series of CHF experiments, at low and high pressure, with advanced temperature and fluid measurement instrumentation to obtain high fidelity qualitative and quantitative measurements for the thermal-hydraulic behavior of the ATF cladding. Finally, we will develop new or enhanced CHF models based on high resolution data obtained from experimental results. The ultimate goal of this project is to implement the new models into existing US NRC licensed Subchannel codes such as COBRA-IIIC, COBRATF or VIPRE.

"I graduated from College of Charleston in May 2018 with a B.S. in Physics. In August of 2018 I started my graduate studies in pursuit of my M.S. in Medical Physics. Medical physics encompasses many topics in the medical industry including radiation therapy and multiple imaging modalities. Radiotherapy is an effective and successful treatment option for many cancer patients. However, radiation still struggles to differentiate between healthy tissue and diseased tissue despite large advances in treatment planning and delivery technology. My research is looking into the synthesis and use of inorganic nanoparticles for a radiosensitization effect to maximize efficiency of radiation therapy treatments. Multifunctional nanomaterials could advance the field of radiation oncology. The synthesis and characterization of these materials must first be very well defined and understood before implementation of such items. This is a very practical and exciting area of research that I am proud to be apart of and participate in the intersection of many areas of science"

Research Topic: Radiosensitizers – Nanomaterials for Cancer Treatment

Radiotherapy is one of the most effective alternatives to treat cancer. Therefore research on novel materials that enhance the absorbed dose in cancer tissue is of valuable interest as it may reduce the side effects on healthy cells. My research is focused on the controlled synthesis and characterization of high Z nanomaterials deposited on oxides that enhance the absorbed dose in the region where they are located. Therefore, this nanomaterials have great potential in radiation therapy applications. The materials are being manufactured through a novel radiolytic method that avoids the use of harsh chemicals and environments commonly involved in the synthesis of nanomaterials. 

Research Topic: Multifunctional nanomaterials for molecular imaging and cancer treatment

This research topic is focused on the synthesis of lanthanide phosphate nanomaterials and their application in molecular imaging and/or cancer treatment. These lanthanide phosphate nanomaterials are considered as multifunctional platforms since they can be implemented in diagnosis as well as in treatment. Lanthanide phosphates can be exhibit luminescence properties when doped with certain elements. Furthermore, gadolinium phosphate can be implemented in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to its magnetic properties. Moreover, the lanthanide phosphate nanomaterials can be used as carriers for radionuclides for targeted radiotherapy. These nanomaterials can host other types of radionuclides such as positron emitters, thus they may potentially be used for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in diagnostics. 

Research Topic: Surface Characterization of Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuels claddings

Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) are defined as nuclear fuel, that in comparison to the current  UO2 - Zircaloy fuel cladding system, can tolerate a loss of active cooling in the reactor core for a considerably longer amount of time, while maintaining or improving the fuel performance during normal operating conditions, design basis accidents, and beyond design basis accidents.  My part of the project is focused on characterizing the surface of various ATF fuel cladding concepts provided by our industry partners.  I am working on characterizing the porosity, roughness, contact angle, and wettablility of the surfaces using advanced material examination techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface profilometry, and contact angle goniometry. 

Synthesis of transition metal nanoparticles, in particular, the ferromagnetic late-transition metals and alloys, are of interest which can be precursors for soft magnetic nanocrystalline nanocomposites having low permeabilities and high Curie points.  These ferromagnetic nanoparticles can be produced using a variety of wet-chemical methods, such as the polyol process, however, one of my interests is exploring limitations of the synthesis, (size, phase, magnetic properties), thru DoE as well as developing efficient flow-based processes and seed-mediated techniques that can predict and control of their physical properties.  Furthermore, an exotic synthesis method on the rise is based on radiolysis. The radiolytic methods used to synthesize nanomaterials require an ionizing radiation source and may be performed in water.  This is a remarkable feature when considering the potential to generate zero-valent metal nanoparticles of elements under ambient reaction conditions using no added reducing agents.

Research Topic: Synthesis of gold nanoparticles for cancer treatment

The current research project is focused on the synthesis of radioactive gold nanoparticles highly monodisperse by reduction of gold with sodium citrate. The particles will be subjected neutron activation: 197Au(n, γ)198Au. This reaction produces Gold -198 which is a moderate energy beta and gamma emitter. The colloidal suspension containing the radioactive gold nanoparticles will be used in-vitro using specific cell cultures to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency. The advantage of using beta-emitting radioisotopes is that energy deposition occurs within a few millimeters in aqueous media. Then, if they are located in the vicinity of the tumor, that allows to prevent damage to non-cancerous cells and potentially reduce side effects.

"As a Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate, the potential of nuclear power production kindles my interest for innovating Nuclear Industries by improving the efficiency and safety of nuclear reactors. I hope to implement and expand our research as I continue my undergraduate studies and pursue graduate school and industry experience. I initially assisted Dr. Rojas and my Graduate Mentor, Rajnikant Umretiya, with research as a volunteer in the beginning of the 2018 fall semester and have since been contributing to our research project performing surface characterization of several concept accident tolerant nuclear fuel. Since my initial engagement, I have continued assisting with this research through the 2019 Dean’s Undergraduate Research Initiative program."

Graduated from VCU in 2018 with Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering. Previous education includes a Shielded Metal Arc Welding Certificate from Albany Technical Institute. "My interests are mainly focused on the research and development of new nuclear engineering technologies with an emphasis on the areas of aerospace applications and generation four power reactors. Secondary interests include modern physics and high-energy particle physics". 

Graduated from VCU in 2018 with Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering. "I am pursing nuclear engineering because of the challenges that awaits to be solved and the accomplishments that have been achieved. I enjoy exploring everything with a curious mind and working with my hands".

Hailey Joined the lab through the DERI program for 2018-2019. Hailey did a great job working on modified TiO2 through X-ray irradiation for photocatalysis. 

Mary Joined the lab through the DERI program for 2019-2020. Mary did a nice job on characterizing steam oxidized accident tolerant fuel cladding materials using surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. 

Bethany Joined the lab through the DERI program for 2019-2020. Bethany did a nice job on developing epoxy resin containing bismuth oxide nanoparticles for their applications in radiation shielding.