Xiaofeng Guo is an assistant professor of the Department of Chemistry and the Alexandra Navrotsky Institute for Experimental Thermodynamics at Washington State University. His current research interests are thermodynamics of f-block solid-state systems. His radiological laboratory is equipped with various advanced high temperature calorimetric instruments capable of handling radionuclides (U, Th, Np, Pu) in a large quantity. He also has expertise in synchrotron X-ray based scattering and absorption spectroscopies, and their applications in in situ high-pressure and high-temperature studies. Guo received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis in 2014. He was a G. T. Seaborg postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2015 to 2017. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 2022.
Abstract:
Lanthanide and actinide bearing extended solid-state systems constitute an essential portion of nuclear technology and with versatile applications, which rely on our fundamental understanding and accurate description of thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria. In our group, we use a set of structural-thermodynamic techniques to achieve that understanding. Specifically, high-temperature calorimetry was implemented to directly determine the enthalpy quantities, such as heat capacity, heats of phase transition, heats of reaction, mixing and formation. In the field of nuclear material research, this technique is very useful for studying thermal stability, phase diagrams, geochemical processes, material synthesis and chemical compatibility. To correlate the emerging thermodynamics, we investigate the chemical states and structural features by performing synchrotron X-ray/neutron techniques, resonant spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations, to reveal the structural and electronic origins. In this talk, I will present our recent achievements in studying thermodynamics of advanced nuclear fuels, f-block ceramic materials, and rare-earth minerals.