Faculty

Gary McPherson

Professor
Ph.D., 1969, Illinois

Office: 5078 Percival Stern Building
Email: garym@tulane.edu
Phone: (504) 862-3570

Discipline

Inorganic Chemistry

Areas of current interest

Our current research activities fall into two areas. The first involves the spectroscopic characterization of self organizing systems such as reversed micelles and organogels as well as the utilization of these systems for the synthesis of nanoparticles, polymers and novel composite materials. Spectroscopic techniques include IR, NMR, EPR, and fluorescence under steady state and time resolved conditions.

The second area of interest involves the environment fate and transport of heavy metals, Pb in particular. The goal of this research is a basic understanding of chemical principals that control the absorption and release of heavy metals in a contaminated environment. Analytical methods include AA, ICP, X-ray fluorescence, and ICP mass spectrometry.

Selected Publications

Tan, G., Ford, C., John, V.T., He, J., McPherson, G.L., Bose, A., "Surfactant solubilization and the direct encapsulation of interfacially active phenols in mesoporous silicas", Langmuir, 24 (3), pp. 1031-1036 (2008).

Zheng, T., Pang, J., Tan, G., He, J., McPherson, G.L., Lu, Y., John, V.T., Zhan, J. "Surfactant templating effects on the encapsulation of iron oxide nanoparticles within silica microspheres", Langmuir, 23 (9), pp. 5143-5147 (2007).

Zheng, T., Zhan, J., Pang, J., Tan, G.S., He, J., McPherson, G.L., Lu, Y., John, V.T. "Mesoporous carbon nanocapsules from enzymatically polymerized poly(4-ethylphenol) confined in silica aerosol particles", Advanced Materials, 18 (20), pp. 2735-2738 (2006).

Tan, G., John, V.T., McPherson, G.L., "Nucleation and growth characteristics of a binary low-mass organogel" , Langmuir, 22 (17), pp. 7416-7420 (2006).

Sahiner, N., Godbey, W.T., McPherson, G.L., John, V.T., "Microgel, nanogel and hydrogel-hydrogel semi-IPN composites for biomedical applications: Synthesis and characterization", Colloid and Polymer Science, 284 (10), pp. 1121-1129 (2006).

Liu, L., John, V.T., McPherson, G., Maskos, K., Bose, A., " 31P and1H NMR as probes of domain alignment in a rigid crystalline surfactant mesophase", Langmuir, 21 (9), pp. 3795-3801 (2005).

Singh, M., Ford, C., Agarwal, V., Fritz, G., Bose, A., John, V.T., McPherson, G.L., "Structural evolution in cationic micelles upon incorporation of a polar organic dopant", Langmuir, 20 (23), pp. 9931-9937 (2004).

Singh, M., Tan, G., Agarwal, V., Fritz, G., Maskos, K., Bose, A., John, V., McPherson, G., "Structural evolution of a two-component organogel", Langmuir, 20 (18), pp. 7392-7398 (2004).

Simmons, B., Li, S., John, V.T., McPherson, G.L., Taylor, C., Schwartz, D.K., Maskos, K., "Spatial Compartmentalization of Nanoparticles into Strands of a Self-Assembled Organogel", Nano Letters, 2 (10), pp. 1037-1042 (2002).

Simmons, B.A., Li, S., John, V.T., McPherson, G.L., Bose, A., Zhou, W., He, J., "Morphology of CdS Nanocrystals Synthesized in a Mixed Surfactant System", Nano Letters, 2 (4), pp. 263-268 (2002).

S immons, B.A., Taylor, C.E., Landis, F.A., John, V.T., McPherson, G.L., Schwartz, D.K., Moore, R.,"Microstructure determination of AOT + phenol organogels utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy", Journal of the American Chemical Society, 123 (10), pp. 2414-2421 (2001).

G. Irving, B. Simmons, S. Li., G. McPherson and V. John, “Control of Gas Hydrate Formation Using Surfactant Systems”, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 912, 515 (2000).

Y. Y. Waguespack, R. Premachandran, S. Banerjee, X. K. Wu, V. T. John, and G. L. McPherson, “A Novel Transformation from AOT Inverse Micelles to Luminescent Organogels Upon Addition of Selected Dihydroxynaphthalenes”, Langmuir, 16, 3036 (2000).

S. Li, G. C. Irvin, B. Simmons, S. Rachakonda, P. Ramannair, S. Banerjee, V. T. John, G. L. McPherson, W. Zhou, and A. Bose,“Structured Materials Syntheses in a Self-Assembled Surfactant”, Col. and Surf., 174, 275 (2000).

S. Li, V. T. John, S. H. Rachakonda, G. C. Irvin, G. L. McPherson, and C. J. O’Connor,“Higher Crystallinity Superparamagnetic Ferrites: Controlled Synthesis in Lecithin Gels and Magnetic Properties”, J. Appl. Phys., 85, 5178 (1999).

S. Li, V. T. John, S. H. Rachakonda, G. C. Irvin, G. L. McPherson, and C. J. O’Connor, “Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of a Novel Ferrite Organogel”, J. Appl. Phys., 85, 5965 (1999).