Science | Fred Mosselmans

Fred Mosselmans
Microfocus Spectroscopy

Fred Mosselmans Fred Mosselmans is Principal Beamline Scientist on the Microfocus Spectroscopy beamline I18, and a visiting professor at the University of Kent, School of Physical Sciences and a visiting lecturer at the University of Oxford. His main interest is the development and application of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, particularly with regard to Environmental Science research.

Email: Fred Mosselmans
Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778568
Beamline I18: Microfocus Spectroscopy

Key Research Areas

X-ray absorption spectroscopy, environmental sciences

Current Research Interests

The unique feature of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is its ability to give local structural information around a particular element irrespective of its state or environment. Over the last 30 years the analysis of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) data has provided insight into scientific problems as diverse as the composition of extra-terrestrial materials, the tolerance of toxic metals by so called hyper-accumulators, the chemical design of the latest catalysts and the performance of new light-emitting devices.
 
I am currently involved in several projects using X-ray spectroscopy, notably:
  • with a NERC consortium grant BIGRAD looking at developing reliable models to predict the fate of radionuclides in the chemically disturbed zone around an underground waste depository in thousands of years time,
  • with medical professionals from Charing Cross Hospital looking at the fate of metal atoms in the tissue around artificial hips,
  • with the University of St Andrews in looking at the visible and UV light emission from feldspars when illuminated by X-rays,
  • with Imperial College, London, in developing a furnace to study the effect of oxygen fugacity by means of XANES analysis in high temperatures melts,
  • with the University of Reading looking the effect of earthworms on the mobility of toxic metals in contaminated land,
  • with the Mary Rose Trust and the University of Kent in developing technologies to help preserve historical artefacts.

Selected Recent Publications

    1.     Ba XAFS in Ba-rich standard minerals and the potential for determining Ba structural state in calcium carbonate AA Finch , N Allison , H Steaggles , CV Wood , J Mosselmans Chemical Geology DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.11.015
     
    2.     Macroscopic and spectroscopic analysis of lanthanide adsorption to bacterial cells BT Ngwenya , M Magennis , J Tourney , V Olive , RM Ellam , KD Atkinson , JFW Mosselmans GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2009.03.018
     
    3.     The chemical form of metallic debris in tissues surrounding metal-on-metal hips with unexplained failure A J Hart , P Quinn , B Sampson , Ann A Sandison , Kirk K Atkinson , J Skinner , J Powell , F Mosselmans Acta Biomaterialia DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2010.06.006
     
     
    4.     X-ray Spectromicroscopy of Mineral Intergrowths in the Santa Catharina Meteorite P Schofield , AD Smith , F Mosselmans , H Ohldag , A. Scholl , S Raoux , G. Cressey , BA Cressey , P Quinn , C Kirk , S C Hogg Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-908X.2010.00038.x
     
    5.     I18--the microfocus spectroscopy beamline at the Diamond Light Source. F Mosselmans , S Cavill , A Peach , S Keylock , S Gregory , P Quinn , J Roque Rosell , K Atkinson , A Dent , S Diaz-Moreno , P Leicester Journal of Synchrotron Radiation DOI: 10.1107/S0909049509032282