معرفی
Tori Z. Forbes serves as Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with a secondary appointment in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She also directs the Materials Analysis, Testing, and Fabrication (MATFab) Facility, providing critical analytical resources for materials research. Her work bridges chemistry, environmental science, and nuclear engineering through innovative investigations of actinide materials.
Dr. Forbes completed her BS at Beloit College, earned her PhD from the University of Notre Dame in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, and conducted postdoctoral research at both the University of Notre Dame's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the NEAT-ORU program at the University of California at Davis.
Her research focuses on fundamental actinide chemistry, particularly exploring the unique properties of uranium and neptunium compounds. The Forbes research group specializes in developing novel actinide complexes to improve nuclear separations technologies, long-term storage of nuclear materials, and environmental remediation. They employ low-temperature synthesis techniques to create materials containing uranium-238 and neptunium-237, which are characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, NMR, Raman and IR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. A key area of investigation involves high-valent actinides (+5 and +6) that form actinyl cations, which are particularly relevant to nuclear waste and environmental systems.
Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward radiation chemistry and materials stability under extreme conditions, with numerous 2024-2025 papers examining radiation effects on uranyl compounds, actinide peroxides, and metal-organic frameworks. Her group has also made significant advances in metal-organic nanotubes (MONs), particularly uranium-based structures containing 'ice channels' that demonstrate unique water transport properties with potential applications in water purification membranes.
- NSF Career Award - Division of Solid State and Materials Chemistry
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Faculty Development Award
Dr. Forbes leads an active research program supported by federal agencies, with current projects investigating the transport of nuclear waste in environmental systems, development of novel nanomaterials for separations technologies, and fundamental actinide chemistry. Her research involves significant collaborations with colleagues in physical chemistry (Dr. Sara Mason) and Earth and Environmental Sciences (Dr. Adam Ward). The Forbes research group maintains strong connections with national laboratories and industry partners working in nuclear materials and environmental remediation.
The MATFab Facility, which Dr. Forbes directs, provides advanced materials characterization capabilities including high-resolution mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray diffraction services to researchers across the University of Iowa and external institutions. Her laboratory specializes in the synthesis and characterization of actinide materials under controlled atmospheric conditions, with capabilities for handling radioactive materials at appropriate safety levels.
