Welcome to the Moreau Group
Welcome to the Moreau group at Washington State University. Our group’s efforts intersect the fields of radioactivity, nanotechnology, and advanced X-ray characterization. We are particularly interested in exploring what happens when we make actinide materials, such as oxides of uranium and plutonium, down to nanometer length scales. Nanotechnology has greatly impacted other parts of the periodic table due to differences in electronic structure that occur from their high surface area to volume ratio. We are excited to learn about and exploit such properties within radioactive materials towards the development of nanomaterials for advanced nuclear fuels, targeted radiotherapy and environmental remediation. Through combining inorganic synthesis techniques to develop new nanoscale constructs with X-ray spectroscopy and scattering methods to understand their structural properties in detail, our interdisciplinary efforts enable us to carve new territory in nanoscale and actinide chemistry. Further, we develop an understanding of nanoscale structural attributes of the systems we develop, from their initial nucleation to preferential degradation.
The research island of Dr. Moreau
Dr. Moreau shares a name with the fictional mad scientist from H.G. Wells’s novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau”, published in 1896. While the group has no interest in making animal/human hybrids as did the fictional character, we do share the similarities in truly believing that what we do will make impactful contributions to society and enjoy combining different fields in new ways.
Interested in joining our efforts?
The Moreau group is part of the WSU radiochemistry division in the Department of Chemistry, as well as the Materials Science and Engineering Program. We have openings for talented graduate students who have interest in being a part of our multi-faceted research efforts. We also welcome undergraduate students who plan to contribute at least three semesters of research effort. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Moreau (liane.moreau@wsu.edu).