Inorganic mineral species influence most of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the natural world. However, soluble inorganic nanoclusters (0.5 - 10 nm) may be the driving force for many of these processes as they exist in nearly every naturally occurring aqueous system and are among the most reactive components in the environment. Research in the Forbes group focuses on obtaining a molecular level understanding these clusters by synthesizing and characterizing environmentally relevant model compounds.

A major research thrust in the Forbes lab is to investigate the transport of actinides on nanophase colloidal particles present in aqueous systems. Actinides are a major component of high-level nuclear waste and are particularly problematic due to their long-lived radioactivity and toxicity. Actinides such as Pu(IV) has defied traditional transport modeling that suggest limited transport and has been observed several kilometers away from the original source. Detailed size fractionation of the species present in groundwater indicates that it is associated with iron oxide colloids with diameters less than 1.5 nm.

By synthesizing and structurally characterizing heterometallic actinide nanoclusters that contain an iron oxide core, we can begin to gain a molecular understanding of the interactions between the contaminant and the colloidal species. These clusters can then be used as spectroscopic standards to probe for the presence of heterometallic actinide nanoclusters in natural aqueous solutions.

Students in the Forbes group will learn in a variety of synthesis techniques, structural analysis using single crystal X-ray diffraction, and spectroscopic characterization of materials. In addition, many of the research projects in the group will involve working with actinides such as uranium and thorium and students will be trained to safely work with radioactive materials