- Distinguished Professor, Chemistry, College of Science
Our research interests are focused in solid state and materials chemistry and encompass a wide variety of projects. An important goal is the ability to design and synthesize new materials whose structure and properties can be predicted and controlled. Layered compounds are amenable to manipulation to produce new structures because of the weak forces between layers. We have learned how to separate the layers of several classes of compounds and are reconstituting them into novel materials. For example, we have prepared staged materials in which alternating layers are hydrophobic and hydrophilic.
The surfaces of our layered materials react with a variety of molecules to bond them to the surface. We are developing such materials for drug delivery, heterogeneous catalysis, and polymer-nanoparticle composites.
Single crystal X-ray diffraction has been the key tool in elucidating the structure of solids. For many compounds, single crystals are unavailable so that indirect methods need to be used. We pioneered the solution of crystal structures from X-ray powder data and have had considerable success. The methods need to be improved and extended to more complex systems such as poorly crystallized materials. Combined use of X-ray, neutron and synchrotron methods are in progress and extension to EXAFS and amorphous scattering techniques is contemplated.
- Ph.D. in , Rutgers University - (New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States) 1954
- M.A. in , Temple University - (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States) 1951
Academic Articles590
- Chen, Y., Wang, X., Clearfield, A., & Liang, H. (2019). Anti-Galling Effects of alpha-Zirconium Phosphate Nanoparticles as Grease Additives. Proceedings of STLE/ASME International Joint Tribology Conference, IJTC 2006. 141(3),
- Kabir, H., Zhu, H., May, J., Hamal, K., Kan, Y., Williams, T., ... Cheng, I. F. (2019). The sp(2)-sp(3) carbon hybridization content of nanocrystalline graphite from pyrolyzed vegetable oil, comparison of electrochemistry and physical properties with other carbon forms and allotropes. CARBON. 144, 831-840.
- Khatua, S., Bar, A. K., Sheikh, J. A., Clearfield, A., & Konar, S. (2018). Achieving Amphibious Superprotonic Conductivity in a Cu-I Metal-Organic Framework by Strategic Pyrazinium Salt Impregnation. Chemistry - A European Journal. 24(4), 872-880.
- Contreras, A. R., Bakhmutov, V. I., Elliott, D. W., & Clearfield, A. (2018). Benzene-d(6) and toluene-d(8) as guest molecules in micropores of a layered zirconium phosphonate: H-2, C-13{H-1}, and P-31{H-1} solid-state NMR, deuterium NMR relaxation, and molecular motions. Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry. 56(12), 1158-1167.
- Bakhmutov, V. I., Elliott, D. W., Contreras, A. R., & Clearfield, A. (2018). Guest Molecules in a Layered Microporous Tin(IV) Phosphonate - Phosphate Material: Solid State NMR Studies. J Phys Chem A. 122(51), 9901-9909.
Books3
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- Clearfield, A., Reibenspies, J. H., & Bhuvanesh, N. (2009). Principles and Applications of Powder Diffraction. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chapters8
- Clearfield, A. (2015). Zirconium phosphate nanoparticles and their extraordinary properties. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. Tailored Organic-Inorganic Materials. (pp. 1-44). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Clearfield, A., Perry, H. P., & Gagnon, K. J. (2013). Porous Pillared Clays and Layered Phosphates. Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry II (Second Edition): From Elements to Applications. (pp. 169-211). Elsevier.
- Clearfield, A. (2012). Nature’s nanoparticles: Group IV phosphonates. Environmental Applications of Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Sorbents and Sensors, 2nd Edition. (pp. 123-157). IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS.
- Clearfield, A. (2012). Twenty-five years of nuclear waste remediation studies. Environmental Applications of Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Sorbents and Sensors, 2nd Edition. (pp. 159-206). IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS.
- Hobbs, D. T., Nyman, M., Medvedev, D. G., Tripathi, A., & Clearfield, A. (2011). Evaluation of new inorganic sorbents for strontium and actinide removal from high-level nuclear waste solutions. Inorganic Chemistry: Reactions, Structure and Mechanisms. (pp. 165-169).
Conference Papers40
- Amghouz, Z., Garcia, J. R., Garcia-Granda, S., Clearfield, A., Rodriguez Fernandez, J., de Pedro, I., & Blanco, J. A. (2012). Lanthanide phosphonates: Synthesis, thermal stability and magnetic characterization. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 536(SUPPL.1), S499-S503.
- Sun, L., Liu, J., Kirumakki, S. R., Schwerdtfeger, E. D., Howell, R. J., Al-Bahily, K., ... Sue, H. J. (2010). Designing synthetic nanoplatelets for the preparation of polypropylene nanocomposites.
- Bakhmutov, V. I., Shpeizer, B. G., Prosvirin, A. V., Dunbar, K. R., & Clearfield, A. (2008). Formation of Ni/NiO nanoparticles in supermicroporous silica-based SiO
2 -Al2 O3 -NiO materials: Structural and magnetic studies. 791-792.
- Boo, W. J., Sun, L. Y., Lee, S. M., Moghbelli, E., Warren, G., Clearfield, A., & Sue, H. J. (2007). Fundamental structure-property relationship of polymer nanocomposites. 1, 119-122.
- Clearfield, A. (2006). Coordination chemistry of phosphonic acids with special relevance to rare earths. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 418(1-2), 128-138.
- CHEM491 Research Instructor
- CHEM635 Intro X-ray Diffr Methds Instructor
- CHEM689 Sptp:app Meth Crys Str Determ Instructor
- CHEM691 Research Instructor
- Sun, Yujia (2018-12). Construction of Highly Stable Metal-Organic Frameworks with Multiple Functionalities. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Mosby, Brian Matthew (2014-05). Surface Modification of Layered Zirconium Phosphates: A Novel Pathway to Multifunctional Nanomaterials. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Mukherjee, Atashi (2014-05). Functionalized Zirconium Phosphate Nano Platelets - From Surface Design to Drug Delivery. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Gagnon, Kevin James (2013-08). Crystalline Metal-Organic Frameworks Based on Conformationally Flexible Phosphonic Acids. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Kinnibrugh, Tiffany Lewis (2013-08). Synthesis and Characterization of Porous Metal Phosphonates. (Doctoral Dissertation)