Research

Molecular-scale structure, dynamics, chemistry, and mobility of molecules and ions at the solid-fluid interfaces of natural minerals, organic molecules, and synthetic porous materials.

Research Group Mission and Vision

Our scholarly efforts are motivated by global issues at the interface of energy and the environment, and we strive to lead the geochemistry community in designing, performing, analyzing, and interpreting solid-state NMR and other spectroscopic, thermal, and microscopic studies of solid-fluid interfaces in natural and engineered materials. We collaborate closely with computational chemists to understand the fundamental molecular-to-mesoscale structure, dynamics, energetics, kinetics, and reactivity of processes that occur at such solid-fluid interfaces; how physical and chemical properties influence these behaviors; and how interfacial behaviors affect macroscopic phenomena. While doing this work, we aim to develop scholarly and leadership skills in budding young scientists so they become future leaders in the geochemistry community. The next generation of scientist is enabled in our work through the process of personal and professional discovery in an environment that stresses collegiality, communication, collaboration, caring for others, independence in the laboratory, laboratory safety, and professional conduct.

Research Overview

The research program of Bowers and his students is best characterized as physical geochemistry and is focused on understanding the root physical and chemical behavior that underlies important issues related to energy and the environment, both past and present. Our main goal is to provide a better understanding of the molecular-scale structure, dynamics, and chemistry of ions, H2O, organic matter, and other fluids (such as supercritical CH4 and CO2) at solid-fluid interfaces and in nano-scale confined spaces of heterogeneous materials. Special emphasis is placed on geochemically-relevant materials such as oxides, silicates (especially phyllosilicates), carbonates, natural organic matter (NOM), rocks, and fossils, though we are broadly interested in the solid-fluid interfaces of porous engineered materials as well. By studying solid-fluid interfaces in natural systems with structural and compositional heterogeneity, our group advances our understanding of the fundamental physical and chemical behavior at the heart of non-conventional gas extraction (shale gas and tight gas), carbon dioxide capture and utilization, pollutant transport, environmental remediation, nutrient and carbon cycling, fossilization, diagenesis, and our energy future. In particular, our group has expertise in understanding smectite (clay) minerals and their interfaces.

We also have strong interests in understanding how emerging contaminants (PFAS, artificial sweeteners, etc.) move through and interact with their environment, how organic matter transforms at mineral-fluid interfaces, and what chemical properties exert control over these behaviors.

We accomplish our goals by studying how chemical parameters of the surface or fluids influence fluid structure, dynamics, and reactivity through integration of spectroscopic, microscopic, and molecular modeling tools. Our primary analytical tool is solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, supported by thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red spectroscopy (IR), electron/helium ion microscopy (SEM, TEM, HeIM), and elemental analysis (XRF). We collaborate closely with scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who bring a suite of novel high-pressure instrumentation to bear on problems related to non-conventional gas extraction and carbon dioxide sequestration, and with computational geochemists at several Universities and national laboratories to tie our experiments with the results of molecular dynamics simulations. Dr. Bowers also has special expertise in solid-state NMR studies of low-gamma quadrupolar nuclei. For many years our work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Science, Chemical, Biological, and Geological Sciences Program.

Our work has been featured in news bulletins, brochures, wall hangings, and promotional posters from EMSL at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in the American Ceramic Society Bulletin, and on the covers of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance and the Journal of Physical Chemistry C. Bowers and his students have also received numerous awards and honors for their scholarly work. Bowers tries to facilitate undergraduates obtaining hands-on experience with instruments at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory each year. If interdisciplinary research, publication in journals as an undergraduate, travel to meetings and national labs, materials/environmental science, rocks and minerals, fossils, or NMR are your things, I strongly encourage you to read through the list of potential projects below and come see me in person. Note: the specific tasks in each description are to provide you with some idea of how you can be involved...I’m happy to help you come up with your own avenues to follow!

Active Projects

Dr. Bowers has a variety of research interests and has explored many topics over time. Our flagship projects and active projects are presented below.

Interfacial Behavior in Shales , Shale Minerals, and Kerogens Exposed to Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Methane

We remain engaged in novel studies of how supercritical CO2 and methane interact and react with phyllosilicates, organic matter, and other shale minerals. Our goals are to understand how porous inorganic and organic materials take up and adsorb these supercritical fluids as well as how adsorption in these materials influence CO2/CH4 reorientation and exchange dynamics; how the presence of supercritical fluids influences cation and residual H2O binding and dynamics at surfaces and in nano-confined spaces of porous materials; and the rates and mechanisms of carbonate-forming chemical reactions in the thin water films that often form at these interfaces. This project involves close collaboration with scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which has unique capabilities for exploring these systems in situ under supercritical conditions.

Relevant publications - Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Methane:

Bavan P. Rajan, Sebastian T. Mergelsberg, Mark E. Bowden, Kelly A. Peterson, Sarah D. Burton, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Thomas W. Wietsma, Trent R. Graham, Odeta Qafoku, Christopher J. Thompson, Sebastien N. Kerisit, and John S. Loring. Decreasing hygroscopicity slows forsterite carbonation under low water conditions, Environmental Science and Technology, 59 (2025), 9049-9059. 10.1021/acs.est.5c01695
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Narasimhan Loganathan, John S. Loring, H. Todd Schaef, A. Ozgur Yazaydin. Chemistry and dynamics of supercritical carbon dioxide and methane in the slit pores of layered silicates, Accounts of Chemical Research, 56 (2023), 1862-1871. 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00188
Sebastian T. Mergelsberg, Eugene S. Ilton, Bavan P. Rajan, Benjamin A. Legg, Libor Kovarik, Sarah D. Burton, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Mark E. Bowden, Odeta Qafoku, Micah P. Prange, Christopher J. Thompson, Sebastien N. Kerisit, John S. Loring. Nanoscale silica-rich layer slows carbonation of divalent metal silicates when water is limited, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 10 (2023), 98-104. 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00866
Sydney S. Cunniff, H. Todd Schaef, Sarah D. Burton, Eric D. Walter, David W. Hoyt, John S. Loring, Geoffrey M. Bowers. Interlayer cation polarizability affects supercritical carbon dioxide adsorption by smectite clays, Langmuir, 38 (2022), 15540-15551. 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02139
Kai Bin Yu, Geoffrey M. Bowers, A. Ozgur Yazaydin. Supercritical carbon dioxide enhanced natural gas recovery from kerogen micropores, Journal of Carbon Dioxide Utilization, 62 (2022), 102105. 10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102105
Kai Bin Yu, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Narasimhan Loganathan, Andrey G. Kalinichev, and A. Ozgur Yazaydin. Diffusion behavior of methane in 3D kerogen models, Energy and Fuels, 35 (2021), 16515-16526. 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c02167
Narasimhan Loganathan, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Brice Ngouana-Wakou, Andrey G. Kalinichev, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Role of cations in the methane/carbon dioxide partitioning in nano- and meso-pores of illite using constant reservoir composition molecule dynamics modeling, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124 (2020), 2490-2500. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b10051
Geoffrey M. Bowers, John S. Loring, Eric D. Walter, Sarah D. Burton, David W. Hoyt, Mark E. Bowden, Bruce Arey, Randolph K. Larsen IV, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Influence of smectite structure and hydration on supercritical methane binding and dynamics in smectite pores, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 123 (2019), 29231-29244. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b08875
Geoffrey M. Bowers, John S. Loring, H. Todd Schaef, Sydney S. Cunniff, Eric D. Walter, Sarah D. Burton, Randolph K. Larsen IV, Quin R.S. Miller, Mark E. Bowden, Eugene S. Ilton, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Chemical trapping of carbon dioxide by clay minerals at reservoir conditions: Two mechanisms observed by in situ high-pressure and -temperature experiments, ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 3 (2019), 1034-1046. 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00038
Narasimhan Loganathan, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Bryce F. Ngouana-Wakou, Andrey G. Kalinichev, R. James Kirkpatrick, and A. Ozgur Yazaydin. Understanding methane-carbon dioxide partitioning in clay nano- and meso-pores with constant reservoir composition molecular dynamics modeling, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21 (2019), 6917-6924. 10.1039/c9cp00851a
Geoffrey M. Bowers, H. Todd Schaef, Quin R. S. Miller, Eric D. Walter, Sarah D. Burton, David W. Hoyt, Jake A. Horner, B. Peter McGrail, and R. James Kirkpatrick. C-13 NMR spectroscopy of methane and carbon dioxide in a natural shale, ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 3 (2019), 324-328. 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00214
Narasimhan Loganathan, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, R. James Kirkpatrick, and Geoffrey M. Bowers. Tuning the hydrophobicity of layer-structure silicates to promote adsorption of non-aqueous fluids: Effects of F- for OH- substitution on CO2 partitioning into smectite interlayers, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 123 (2019), 4848-4855. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b11296
Narasimhan Loganathan, Geoffrey M. Bowers, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Andrey G. Kalinichev, R. James Kirkpatrick. Competative adsorption of H2O and CO2 in 2-dimensional nano-confinement: GCMD simulations of Cs- and Ca-hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 122 (2018), 23460-23469. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b06602
Geoffrey M. Bowers, John S. Loring, H. Todd Schaef, Eric D. Walter, Sarah D. Burton, David W. Hoyt, Sydney S. Cunniff, Narasimhan Loganthan, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Interaction of hydrocarbons with clays at reservoir conditions: In situ IR and NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction for expandable clays with variably wet supercritical CH4 , ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 2 (2018), 640-652. 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00039
Narasimhan Loganathan, Geoffrey M. Bowers, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, H. Todd Schaef, John S. Loring, Andrey G. Kalinichev, R. James Kirkpatrick. Clay swelling in dry supercritical carbon dioxide: Effects of interlayer cations on the structure, dynamics, and energetics of CO2 intercalation probed by XRD, NMR, and GCMD simulations, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 122 (2018), 4391-4402. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b12270
Narasimhan Loganathan, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Andrey G. Kalinichev, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Molecular dynamics study of CO2 and H2O intercalation in smectite clays: Effect of temperature and pressure on interlayer structure and dynamics in hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 121 (2017), 24527-24540. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b06825
H. Todd Schaef, Narasimhan Loganathan, Geoffrey M. Bowers, R. James Kirkpatrick, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Sarah D. Burton, David W. Hoyt, Eugene S. Ilton, B. Peter McGrail, John S. Loring. Competitive coordination of interlayer cations by CO2 and clay, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 9 (2017), 36783-36791. 10.1021/acsami.7b10590
Geoffrey M. Bowers, H. Todd Schaef, John S. Loring, David W. Hoyt, Sarah D. Burton, Eric D. Walter, R. James Kirkpatrick. Role of cations in CO2 adsorption, dynamics, and hydration in smectite clays under in situ supercritical CO2 conditions. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 121 (2017), 577-592. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b11542
A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, R. James Kirkpatrick. Molecular dynamics modeling of carbon dioxide, water, and natural organic matter in Na-hectorite. Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, 17 (2015), 23356-23367. 10.1039/c5cp03552j
Geoffrey M. Bowers, David W. Hoyt, Brennan O. Ferguson, Sarah Burton, Tamas Varga, and R. James Kirkpatrick. 13C and 23Na MAS NMR investigation of supercritical CO2 incorporation in smectite-NOM composites, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 118 (2014), 3564-3573. 10.1021/jp410535d

Water and Ion Structure and Dynamics at Phyllosilicate Interfaces

Our groups original claim to fame are many contributions toward understanding the structural and dynamical roles of the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and H2O at smectite (clay) surfaces and confined interlayer spaces. This work is important because an accurate picture of the molecular-scale dynamic behaviors of all ions and the fluid components at mineral-fluid interfaces are essential to understand surface chemistry in general, including specific issues such as clay ion exchange chemistry, reactive transport in the environment, nutrient cycling, shale and tight gas extraction, geochemical carbon dioxide sequestration, and the potential of layered clays to serve as remediation materials.

Relevant publications - Smectite-Water Systems:

Raju Nanda, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Narasimhan Loganathan, Sarah D. Burton, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Temperature dependent structure and dynamics in smectite interlayers: Na-23 MAS NMR spectrscopy of Na-hectorite, RSC Advances, 9 (2019), 12755-12765.
Narasimhan Loganathan, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Andrey G. Kalinichev, R. James Kirkpatrick. Cation and water structure, dynamics and energetics in smectite clays: A molecular dynamics study of Ca-hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 120 (2016), 12429-12439. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b00230
Narasimhan Loganathan, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Andrey G. Kalinichev, R. James Kirkpatrick. Structure, Energetics and Dynamics of Cs+ and H2O in Hectorite: Molecular dynamics simulations with an unconstrained substrate surface, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 120 (2016), 10298-10310. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b01016
U. Venkataswara Reddy, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Narasimhan Loganathan, Mark Bowden, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, R. James Kirkpatrick. Water structure and dynamics in smectites: X-ray and 2H-NMR spectroscopy of Mg, Ca, Sr, Na, K, Cs and Pb-Hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 120 (2016), 8863-8876. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b03431
A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Geoffrey M. Bowers, R. James Kirkpatrick. Molecular dynamics modeling of carbon dioxide, water, and natural organic matter in Na-hectorite. Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, 17 (2015), 23356-23367. 10.1039/c5cp03552j
Jeffery A. Greathouse, David B. Hart, Geoffrey M. Bowers, R. James Kirkpatrick, Randall T. Cygan. Molecular simulation of structure and diffusion at smectite-water interfaces: Using expanded clay interlayers as model nanopores, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 199 (2015), 17126-17136. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b03314
R. James Kirkpatrick, Andrey G. Kalinichev, Geoffrey M. Bowers, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Krishnan Marimuthu, Moumita Saharay, Christin P. Morrow. NMR and computational molecular modeling studies of mineral surfaces and interlayer galleries, American Mineralogist, 100 (2015) 1341-1354. 10.2138/am-2015-5141
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Jared Wesley Singer, David L. Bish, R. James Kirkpatrick. Structural and dynamical relationships of Ca2+ and H2O in smectite/2H2O systems, American Mineralogist, 99 (2014), 318-331. 10.2138/am.2014.4499
Christin P. Morrow, A. Ozgur Yazaydin, Krishnan Marimuthu, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Andrey G. Kalinichev, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Structure and dynamics of clay surfaces and interlayers: molecular dynamics investigation of Na-hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 117 (2013), 5172-5187. 10.1021/jp312286g
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Jared Wesley Singer, David L. Bish, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Alkali metal and H2O dynamics at the smectite/water interface, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 115 (2011), 23395-23407. 10.1021/jp2072167
Geoffrey M. Bowers, David L. Bish, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Cation exchange at the mineral-water interface: pH dependence of K+ displacement at the surface of nano-muscovite, Langmuir, 24 (2008), 10240-10244. 10.1021/la8021112
Geoffrey M. Bowers, David L. Bish, and R. James Kirkpatrick. H2O and Cation Structure and Dynamics in Expandable Clays: 2H and 39K NMR Investigations of Hectorite, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112 (2008) 6430-6438. 10.1021/jp7119087
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Michael C. Davis, Ramesh Ravella, Sridhar Komarneni, and Karl T. Mueller. NMR Studies of Heat Induced Transitions in Structure and Cation Binding Environments in a Strontium Saturated Swelling Mica, Applied Magnetic Resonance, 32 (2007) 595-612. 10.1007/s00723-007-0042-z
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Ramesh Ravella, Sridhar Komarneni, and Karl T. Mueller. NMR Study of Strontium Binding by a Micaceous Mineral, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 110 (2006) 7159-7164. 10.1021/jp057205k

Fundamental Nature of Natural Organic Matter and Natural Organic Matter-Mineral Interactions

Natural organic matter refers to the complex array of organic decomposition byproducts of plant material found in soil or natural waters. These materials play important roles in water retention by soils and nutrient cycling, the transport of inorganic and organic pollutants, natural colloid formation, carbon cycling, and also in industrial fouling of filtration membranes and other materials. While much has been learned about the ways in which organic matter can associate with itself and with mineral surfaces under different chemical conditions from molecular modeling, the community is in need of experimental techniques verifying the findings.

We seek to enhance our understanding of the role NOM plays in the environment by exploring (i) the aggregate nature of NOM and how those aggregates form and change over time, (ii) the structure and dynamics of ions and fluids in NOM floccs, and (iii) the mechanisms and controls over NOM complexation with mineral surfaces. For example, armed with a fairly detailed understanding of metal and H2O behavior in pure smectite systems, we currently study ion and H2O structure and dynamics at organo-coated clay/H2O interfaces and organo/carbonate interfaces. We are particularly interested in how natural organic matter (NOM) and small polymeric organics impact the interfacial behavior in smectites, silicates, carbonates, aluminas, and other mineral systems. To accomplish these goals, we use a suite of electron imaging techniques, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and molecular modeling to study the molecular-to-micron structure of native NOM, NOM floccs, and NOM-mineral complexes as well as the behavior of ions and fluids in contact with these materials.

Relevant publications:

Narasimhan Loganathan, Brennan O. Ferguson, Bruce Arey, Haley E. Argersinger, Geoffrey M. Bowers. A mechanistic exploration of natural organic matter aggregation and surface complexation in smectite mesopores, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 124 (2020), 9832-9843. 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c08244
Raju Nanda, U. Venkataswara Reddy, Geoffrey M. Bowers, Mark Bowden, R. James Kirkpatrick. The structural and dynamical role of water in natural organic matter: A 2H NMR and XRD Study, Organic Geochemistry, 123 (2018), 90-102. 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2018.06.011
Geoffrey M. Bowers, Haley E. Argersinger, U. Venkataswara Reddy, Timothy A. Johnson, Bruce Arey, Mark Bowden, R. James Kirkpatrick. Integrated molecular and microscopic insight into morphology and ion dynamics in Ca2+-mediated natural organic matter floccs, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119 (2015), 17773-17783. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b05509

Trace Metal Distributions in Extinct and Extant Shark Enameloid

For several years, we have been examining the distribution of trace metals in the enameloid of largely fossilized shark teeth, primarily Otodus megalodon and its ancestors. Some exciting updates to come on this front soon...

Geochemical Transformations in the Calvert Cliffs

Located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and only a short distance from St. Mary's College of Maryland lie the Calvert Cliffs, an unconsolidated sediment body known to produce some of the most spectacular Miocene marine fossils in the world. A variety of geochemical processes occur in the Cliffs, including the chemistry that fossilizes shells and shark teeth, as well as some unique chemistries involving the cycling and transport of iron and manganese. We started collaborating with scientists at the Calvert Marine Museum in 2022 to study these different processes by probing the structure and composition of a variety of mineral samples and fossils from the Cliffs.

Distribution, Transformation, and Remediation of Artificial Sweeteners in Natural Waters

An important class of emerging organic contaminants are the artificial sweeteners. These molecules are resistant to breakdown in the body, meaning that they tend to be excreted, survive the wastewater treatment process, and accumulate in our natural waters. Tracking their abundance and distribution in the environment are important to understand the long-term impacts of artificial sweetener use. Likewise, knowing how the interaction of these molecules with surfaces and light impact their chemical transformation are important to determining the eventual fate of these molecules. Finally, porous natural materials such as those with which we have expertise may be quality adsorbents for these sweeteners, helping to remove them from the water. We intend to explore these ideas in our local watershed over the coming years.

Legacy Projects

The following projects are other areas of study linked to solid-fluid interfaces of established or newly forming minerals - in the environment or in the body. While our interest remains in these research foci, we made small contributions to the field and are not currently pursuing these topics.

Using C-13 NMR of Supercritical Methane to Measure Pore Size and Fluid Exchange Dynamics in Microporous Materials

Determine the pore size and pore size distributions in porous materials, particular heterogeneous materials with microporous domains, is an experimental challenge. The standard gas adsorption methods have numerous drawbacks and generate several types of errors, particularly in the case of microporous materials (those with pores < 5-10 nm). Likewise, there are very few computational or experimental methods that can examine exchange dynamics between the different types of fluid adsorption environments that exist in these materials, and almost none sensitive to exchange on the ms to s timescales - other than NMR. The existing gas adsorption and NMR approaches to studying pore size, connectivity, and fluid dynamics all rely on probe molecules that may or may not accurately represent the behavior of the fluid of interest. Because of the importance of CH4 in industrial and geochemical applications, we are working to develop quantitative correlations between the C-13 chemical shift of supercritical methane and pore size, pore functionality, etc. We are also using 2D exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) to quantify exchange rates for fluids between different adsorption environments, providing novel insights to this key transport-related dynamic parameter.

Relevant Publications:

Geoffrey M. Bowers, Eric D. Walter, Sarah D. Burton, Kaitlynn Schwarz, David W. Hoyt, and R. James Kirkpatrick. Probing pore size and connectivity in porous silicas using C-13 MAS NMR spectroscopy of supercritical methane, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124 (2020), 1536-1543. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c02718

Organic-Inorganic Interactions in Biomineral Stones, Plaques, and Permineralization

Biomineral formation in the renal system and in blood vessels cause numerous illnesses or deaths annually. The fundamental chemistry of their formation is quite similar to formation of analogous mineral phases in the environment, however, the role of biomolecules in the structure, formation mechanism, and formation rate of biomineral stones and plaques are not fully understood. For example, protein incorporation in calcium oxalate based renal stones is thought to be critically important, but where the proteins are located in the stones and how they contribute to stone formation largely remain a mystery. We are quite interested in applying our geochemistry experience to helping understand biomineralization in the hope of developing effective treatments for renal stone and related diseases.

Likewise, recent reports have suggested that some types of fossilization processes may preserve organic matter for tens of millions of years. How that happens, what organic matter is likely to survive those processes, and how organic molecules influence fossil formation are a series of related open questions that we can leverage our expertise to explore.

Relevant Publications:

Geoffrey M. Bowers and R. James Kirkpatrick. Natural abundance Ca-43 NMR as a tool for exploring calcium biomineralization: Renal stone formation and growth, Crystal Growth and Design, 11 (2011), 5188-5191. 10.1021/cg201227f

Cement Degradation and Microstructure

This is a legacy project that I do not expect to become active again in the future, however, I do remain interested in the chemistry and solid-fluid interactions of engineered cement and concrete materials. We generated one of the earliest studies using high-field 43Ca NMR to examine C-S-H model materials in cement. 43Ca NMR is the only technique capable of resolving amongst the prevailing tobermorite-Ca(OH)2 and tobermorite-jennite models of real C-S-H and will provide a crucial link between developing nano-metric scale models of C-S-H in cements and the traditional view of these materials.

Relevant Publications:

Geoffrey M. Bowers and R. James Kirkpatrick. Natural abundance 43Ca NMR spectroscopy of tobermorite and jennite: Model compounds for C-S-H, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 92 (2009) 545-548. 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2008.02906.x

Present and Past Collaborators

R. James Kirkpatrick - University of Illinois/Michigan State University (deceased)

John S. Loring - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Brian J. Smith - Bucknell University

Victor Perez - Calvert Marine Museum/St. Mary's College of Maryland

Stephen Godfrey - Calvert Marine Museum

John Nance - Calvert Marine Museum

Robert Hazen - Carnegie Institution

Ozgur Yazaydin - University College London

Narasimhan Loganathan - Michigan State University

David Hoyt - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Eric Walter - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Sarah Burton - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Bruce Arey - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Mark Bowden - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

H. Todd Schaef - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Andrey G. Kalinichev - Ecole des Mines de Nantes

David L. Bish - Indiana University

Randy Cygan - Sandia National Laboratory

Jeffrey Greathouse - Sandia National Laboratory

Andrew Lipton - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Sridhar Komarneni - Penn State University

Jon Chorover - University of Arizona

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