Research Projects

Research interests are in applying neutron and synchrotron x-ray studies including small-angle scattering and x-ray absorption spectroscopy to modern materials engineering problems. Areas of focus include understanding catalysis in hydrogen storage materials, microfabricating carbon nanotube devices, and examining polyelectrolyte self-assembly processes.
Research Highlights
	“For planar surfaces and colloidal particles which Are water sensitive, such as NaAlH4, formamide has shown potential as a working solvent for performing layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly.”
	“USAXS has provided a practical approach to parameterize stochastic microstructures produced during high energy ball milling of doped and undoped NaAlH4 powders. Here, USAXS data, parameterized using surface fractal analysis shows that doped alanate powders decrease particle surface area with longer mill time.”
	“Microwaves are explored for enhancing kinetics during the hydrogen desorption reaction. Microwave assisted dehydrogenation of NaAlH4 doped with 2 mol % TiCl2 has been carried out in the absence and presence of metallic Al phase. Presence of metallic Al shows reversible product phases upon microwave exposure. Without it, the NaAlH4beomces amorphous upon microwave exposure.”
	“We report studies concerning the time frame for catalytic reactions between NaAlH4 and TiCl3 during high energy milling. Spectral features in x-ray absorption were analyzed for samples milled for various times (0 minutes, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 25 minutes, and 125 minutes). A structural transition from Ti^3+ to Ti^0 is observed within the first 5 minutes of milling. The Ti^0 structure persists for samples milled for times longer than 5 minutes—even after those samples underwent a subsequent single hydrogen desorption/absorption cycle.”