Richard G. Blair
Inorganic materials, forensic science, and X-ray diffraction analysis

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Phone: 407-823- 0639 (lab) Fax: 407-823-2252 E-mail: rblair@mail.ucf.edu Website: http://blair.research.cos.ucf.edu/ Postdoctoral Scholar, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA

Recent Accomplishments

• November, 2007: R. G. Blair, S. M. Hick, J. H. Truitt, "Solid Acid Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Cellulosic Materials" (Patent Pending, US 935,712).
• September, 2007: Work featured in NASA Tech Briefs, NPO-44356.

Research

Our research focuses on new methods of the rapid synthesis of inorganic materials, examination of the mechanism of compound formation, and identification using X-ray diffraction.

• We are investigating the kinetics and mechanism of alkali and alkaline earth carbide synthesis through high-energy ball milling.
• The rapid identification of pharmacologically active substances and their metabolites through microcrystal growth and single crystal X-ray diffraction is also being pursued. This project is carried out through the National Center for Forensic Science in collaboration with the San Bernardino County (California) Sheriff.
• We also are searching for new crystallization agents to aid in the microcrystal formation of new pharmacological substances of interest to law enforcement.

Selected Publications

1. Falcao, E. H. L.; Blair, R. G.; Mack, J. J.; Viculis, L. M.; Kwon, C-W.; Bendikov, M.; Kaner, R. B.; Dunn, B. S; Wudl F. "Microwave exfoliation of a graphite intercalation compound" Carbon, 2007, 45 (6), 1367-1369.
2. Huang, C-K.; Fleurial, J-P.; Snyder, G.J.; Blair, R.; May, A. "Mechanical alloying for making thermoelectric compounds" NASA Tech Briefs, NPO-44356.
3. Anderson, A. J.; Blair, R. G.; Hick, S. M.; Kaner, R. B. "Microwave initiated solid-state metathesis routes to Li2SiN2" J. Mater. Chem., 2006, 16 (14), 1318-1322.
4. Blair, R. G.; Anderson, A.; Kaner, R. B. "A Solid-State Metathesis Route to MgSiN2" Chem. Mater., 2005, 17 (8), 2155-2161.
5. Huang, J.; Virji, S.; Blair, R. G.; Tun, K. N.; Weiller, B. H.; Kaner, R. B. "Chemical vapor sensors based on polyaniline nanofibers" PMSE Preprints, 2004, 90, 177-178.
6. Blair, R. G.; Gillan, E. G.; Nguyen, N. K. B.; Daurio, D.; Kaner, R. B. "Rapid solid-state synthesis of titanium aluminides" Chem. Mater., 2003, 15 (17), 3286-3293.
7. Cumberland, R. W.; Blair, R. G.; Wallace, C. H.; Reynolds, T. K.; Kaner, R. B. "Thermal Control of Metathesis Reactions Producing GaN and InN" J. Phys. Chem. B, 2001, 105 (47), 11922-11927.

Patents

1. R. G. Blair , S. M. Hick, J. H. Truitt, "Solid Acid Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Cellulosic Materials" (Patent Pending, US 935,712) 2007.

Graduate Students

Students in the Blair lab will have the opportunity to conduct solid-state inorganic synthesis and learn to identify their products by powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy; this research also includes a large amount of inert-atmosphere work. Additional research opportunities include microcrystal growth of metal-pharmaceutical complexes, analysis by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and compilation into a comparative database.