Paul Forster

Paul Forster is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), with additional appointments in the radiochemistry program. His research focuses on synthesizing and characterizing nanoporous materials for gas storage, separation, and nuclear waste applications.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara (advisor: Anthony K. Cheetham) and a B.S. in Chemistry, Summa cum Laude, from Oregon State University (advisor: A. W. Sleight).

Dr. Forster's research program centers on materials discovery through hydro/solvothermal synthesis, with emphasis on nanoporous frameworks exhibiting tunable pore chemistry. His group employs crystallography, neutron scattering, and gas sorption techniques to study structure-property relationships, particularly for hydrogen storage via coordinatively unsaturated metal sites and nuclear waste remediation involving technetium/actinide chemistry. Systematic studies of synthesis parameters (temperature, pH, concentration) enable precise control over material formation.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent innovation in hybrid inorganic-organic materials, with dominant themes in gas-solid interactions (hydrogen storage, fission product capture) and structural characterization (single-crystal diffraction, neutron studies). His work bridges fundamental synthesis with energy and nuclear security applications.

Dr. Forster directs a research group equipped with a Bruker Apex II diffractometer (SEB 2120) and maintains programmatic access to synchrotron facilities at the Advanced Light Source (Berkeley) and Advanced Photon Source (Chicago) for advanced structural studies.