Research Interests

Nuclear Chemistry - Recycling Nuclear Waste

Our goal here is to optimize the chemistry involved in these reprocessing systems. Specific projects include: 

• Quantifying the free-radical-induced degradation of metal ion-extraction ligands and solvents used in nuclear reprocessing chemistry: Here we generate different radicals in acidic water and organic media using electron pulse radiolysis and laser flash techniques and measure their reaction kinetics with different complexes used to recycle nuclear waste.  We measure the overall species degradation and how it impacts the process extraction efficiencies.

• Complexation kinetics of lanthanides and actinide ions under process conditions: We are interested in understanding how fast metal ions coordinate with ligands in both the aqueous and organic phases.  Using stopped-flow UV-visible absorption spectroscopy we can directly monitor formation and decomplexation kinetics over a range of temperatures to obtain kinetics and thermodynamics of these processes. 

• Thermal-induced lanthanide complex chemistry in condensed media: In this work we are measuring the thermally-induced chemistry of ligands, and ligand-metal complexes, in the acidic aqueous phase. We perform measurements over the range of temperatures anticipated in large-scale reprocessing systems. 

 Wastewater Remediation Chemistry

Our goal here is to understand the radical-induced chemistry for the conversion of wastewater to drinking water. This chemistry includes:

• Studying free radical kinetic and determining reaction mechanisms for radical reactions in water: Here we use electron-pulse radiolysis/transient absorption techniques to generate and monitor radical reactions in high quality water, in support of large-scale Advanced Oxidation Process technologies.  We study multiple classes of dangerous chemical contaminants in order to determine reaction kinetic rate constants, reaction efficiencies, to feed into kinetic models  or real-world systems.
  
  

• Kinetic modeling of Advanced Oxidation Process treatment of contaminated wastewater:  In this area of research we are constructing computer models to quantitatively collate our kinetic, thermodynamic, and mechanistic data to be used to describe Advanced Oxidation Process chemistry.  We are covering the most important chemical contaminant classes, such as antibiotics and estrogenic steroids

Chemical Carcinogenesis Chemistry

Understanding the role of radicals in the chemical activation of carcinogenic molecule (e.g. nitrosamines) under physiological conditions. We are interested in: 

• The mechanisms of redox chemistry involved in chemical carcinogenesis: Particularly for nitrosamines we are studying how they become activated into carcinogenic species under physiological conditions, and what radicals are involved in these processes.  

• Metal ion-ligand biochemical systems for use in cancer treatment therapies: Here we are studying the radiolytic stability of delivery molecules used for tumor treatment. We are investigating how radicals react with these systems, their efficacy in degrading the metal-ligand complexes used, and what modifications can be made to improve these systems.

Contaminant Plastic Remediation Chemistry

We are looking at the chemistry involved in removing micro- and nanoplastic pollution from waters. Our interests here include:

• Free radical based removal of plastic waste from water systems: We are interested in seeing how real-world radicals, both oxidizing and reducing, interact with plastic nanoparticle pollutants through the measurement of reaction kinetics and thermodynamics in different quality waters.