Dan Meisel
- Chemistry & Biochemistry and The Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory
- University of Notre Dame
- Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
- (574) 631-5457
- Email: dani@nd.edu
- B. Sc. 1967, M. Sc. 1969, Ph. D. 1974 all from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Using radiation and photochemical techniques we study basic issues that relate to:
- Safe storage of nuclear materials for the interim and longer time periods and the effects of interfaces on chemical processes during the generation of energy from nuclear fuels, and
- Mechanisms of solar energy conversion processes.
The fate of nuclear waste that is generated during the "burning" of nuclear fuels is of much concern.We try to understand what are the consequences of long term storage of the waste in glasses and what are the chemical effects of the air-glass-water interfaces that form in these systems. Similarly, how does the metal-oxide layer that forms around metallic surfaces (e.g., cooling pipelines) contribute to corrosion and loss of efficiency in the operation of nuclear plants. In the solar energy arena, two main steps in the methodologies that are being developed for solar conversion are our focus of interest. We try to maximize charge separation vs. the wasteful charge recombination step and we study the mechanism of redox catalysis that converts single-electron (radical) reactants into multi-electron (molecular, H2) products. In all of these studies materials of nanometer dimensions are the prime subject of interest.
Current Energy Related Research Grants
- Rad Lab; US-Israel Binational Science Foundation