James O'Brien

James O'Brien is a Professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, specializing in experimental physical chemistry with a focus on high-resolution laser spectroscopy and gas phase analytical chemistry. His research leverages Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy (ILS) for applications in planetary atmospheric analysis, molecular transition studies, and advanced material deposition techniques.

Education:

• PhD from Australian National University
• BSc from James Cook University

Research interests include developing ultra-sensitive ILS techniques for acquiring quantitative absorption spectra, studying electronic transitions in small molecules like PtS, PtF, and WO3, and applying spectroscopy to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes for materials such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon oxide. His work intersects fundamental and applied research in chemistry and materials science.

Recent publications demonstrate expertise in analyzing electronic states and transitions of transition metal compounds using ILS and Fourier transform detection, with a focus on rotationally resolved data for astrophysical and materials science applications.