JOEL S. THOMPSON, Senior Chemist
Dr. Thompson received his Ph.D. under A. S. Borovik, at the University of Kansas (2003) where he specialized in the synthesis and characterization of organo-metallic complexes. Prior to obtaining his Ph.D., Joel had worked as a high school teacher for ten years and had spent two years working as a radiochemical technician for an environmental chemistry firm in Colorado.
While at Eltron Research Inc., Dr. Thompson has performed the following tasks:
- The design, synthesis, and testing of various hydrogenation catalysts.
- Screening of catalysts for the decomposition of CINCH rocket fuels.
- Implementation of methods to bind metallic coatings to polymeric substrates.
- The design and synthesis of photoactive materials to remediate mine drainage.
- The development of an electrochemical sensor for nitrate/nitrite ions.
- The synthesis and characterization of a new family of polyamide plastics.
Because of this training, he is proficient at organic synthesis and organo-metallic complexation in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In addition, he is knowledgeable in various analytical techniques used to characterize organo-metallic complexes and to measure these types of analytes in aqueous streams.