Current Research Interests

Professor Gerson’s current research interests are:

1. The development of a microdiffraction fluorescence probe for the Australian Synchrotron;
2. Metallurgical synchrotron microprobe case studies of Cu activation of metal sulfide minerals, As uptake in children’s toenails and cryogenic treatment of tool steels;
3. Development and application of synchrotron-based analyses for mineral’s processing including the location of Ni within laterite ores and their leaching mechanisms, the location of U within ores; pyrite and chalcopyrite dissolution and Cu activation mechanisms;
4. Development of dry coating methodologies for TiO₂ nano-particles;
5. Quantum chemical and experimental analysis of the effect of dopants on TiO₂ thin films;
6. Mechanisms of and remediation strategies for acid mine drainage;
7. Nucleation and growth mechanisms of aluminium hydroxide and the effect of crystal growth modifiers;
8. Risk characterisation of asbestos cement.

Research Expertise

Professor Gerson’s scientific expertise and skill base lie in the influence of structure, both spatial and electronic, on reactivity. Specific areas of expertise are:

• synchrotron science;
• structural studies of minerals and materials;
• precipitation and crystallisation;
• surface modification and plasma reactions;
• electronic and optical properties of materials.

Recent Professional Experience

• 2006 – present Research Professor, ACeSSS, University of South Australia (UniSA)
• 2004 – 2005 Associate Research Professor, ACeSSS, UniSA
• 2004 – present Director of Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Science (ACeSSS), UniSA
• 2001 – 2004 Associate Research Professor, Ian Wark Research Institute, UniSA
• 1997 – 2000 Senior Research Fellow, Ian Wark Research Institute, UniSA
• 1993 – 1996 Research Fellow, Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia (UniSA)
• 1991 – 1993 Exxon Research Fellow, Kings College, London University
• 1987 – 1990 Research Assistant, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Academic Qualifications

• 10/87-12/90 Ph.D (Chemistry), Structural and Kinetic Studies Associated with the Crystallisation of n-Alkanes, Homologous Mixtures and Real Waxes.
• 2/84-2/86 M.Sc. (Hons) Chemistry, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• 2/81-11/83 B.Sc Chemistry

Professional Society Memberships

• Royal Australian Chemical Institute: Treasurer of Solid State Division as of June, 1996-1998, Fellow as of 2004;
• Australian Analytical X-ray Association, 1994 – present;
• Australian Crystallographic Society, 1994 – present;
• Beamline Facilities Consultative Group for the nuclear reactor OPAL, ANSTO, 1998 to 2000;
• Industrial Synchrotron Round-table (ISR, State of Victoria, 1999 to 2001;
• National Science Advisory Committee for the Australian Synchrotron, 2001 to 2006;
• Australian Synchrotron Research Program, Advisory Board member, 2002 – present;
• Member of the management committee for the South Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing, SAPAC, 2005 – present;
• Member of the South Australian Synchrotron Steering Group, 2005-present;
• Member of Beamline Advisory Committee for the VESPERS beamline at Canadian Light Source (synchrotron), 2003 - present.

Publications Summary

Publications summary: 13 book chapters, 64 refereed journal publications; 22 referred conference proceedings.

Book Chapters and Reviews

1. A.R. Gerson, P.J. Halfpenny, S. Pizzini, R. Ristic, K.J. Roberts, D.B. Sheen and J.N. Sherwood, Application of synchrotron  X-radiation to problems in materials science in X-ray Characterization of Materials, Edited by E. Lifshin, Published by VCH, Weinheim, Germany, 2A (1999, republished from 1992) 105-171.
2. A.R. Gerson, The role of fuzzy interfaces in the nucleation growth and agglomeration of aluminium hydroxide in concentrated caustic solutions, Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials 187-220 (2001)
3. A.R. Gerson, C. Anastasio, S. Crowe, D. Fowle, B. Guo, I. Kennedy, E. Lombi, P.S. Nico, M.A. Marcus, R. Martin, D. Patunct, J.A. Roberts, C.G. Weisener and M.L. Werner, Frontiers in Assessing the Role of Chemical Speciation and Natural Attenuation on the Bioavailability of Contaminants in the Terrestrial Environment, in Chemical Bioavailability in Terrestrial Environment, (Ed. R. Naidu) Elsevier, in press (2007)

Journal Articles

1. A.R. Gerson and S.C. Nyburg, A twinned structure for n-tetracosane, Acta Cryst., B48, 737-741 (1992).
2. A.R. Gerson, K.J. Roberts, J.N. Sherwood, A.M. Taggart and G. Jackson, The role of growth environment on the crystallisation of normal alkanes in the homologous series C18H38 to C29H60. Journal of Crystal Growth, 128, 1176-1181 (1993).
3. A.R. Gerson, S.C. Nyburg, Structures of two binary n-alkane solid solutions, Acta. Cryst., B50, 252-256 (1994).
4. A.G. Lange, K.E. Prince, R. St.C. Smart and A.R. Gerson, The mechanism of copper activation of sphalerite, Applied Surface Science, 137, 207-223 (1999)
5. M.C. Barnes, J. Addai-Mensah and A.R. Gerson, The mechanism of the sodalite to cancrinite phase transformation in synthetic spent Bayer liquor, Mesoporous and Macroporous Solids, 31, 287-302 (1999).
6. A.R. Gerson, S.C. Nyburg and A. McAleer, Crystal structures and voids in diesel waxes, Journal of Applied Crystallography, 32, 296-299 (1999).
7. T. Bredow and A.R. Gerson, Effect of exchange and correlation on bulk properties of MgO, NiO and CoO, Physical Review B, 61, 5194-5201 (2000).
8. T.J. Soar, J.A. Counter and A.R. Gerson, A static light and X-ray scattering study of caustic aluminate liquors, Langmuir, 16, 4784-4791 (2000).
9. S. Gredelj, A.R. Gerson, S. Kumar and G.P. Cavallaro, Characterization of aluminium surfaces with and without plasma nitriding by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Applied Surface Science, 174, 240-250 (2001).
10. C.G. Weisener, R.St.C. Smart and A.R. Gerson, Kinetics and mechanism of the leaching of low Fe sphalerite, Geochimica and Cosmochimica Acta, 67, 823-830 (2002).
11. M. Steveson, T. Bredow and A.R. Gerson, MSINDO quantum chemical calculations of the structure of aluminium doped anatase and rutile, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, 4, 358-365 (2002).
12. H. Li, J. Addai-Mensah, J.C. Thomas and A.R. Gerson, A study of Al(III)-containing species in fresh/caustic aluminate solutions, Colloids and Surfaces A, 223, 83-94 (2003).
13. M.C. Barnes, A.R. Gerson, S. Kumar and N-M. Hwang, The effect of RF power on the deposition of anatase clusters, Thin Solid Films, 436, 181-185 (2003).
14. M.C. Barnes, S. Kumar, L. Green, N.-H. Hwang and A.R. Gerson, The mechanism of TiO₂ deposition by direct current magnetron reactive sputtering, Thin Solid Films, 446, 29-36 (2004).
15. H. Li, J. Addai-Mensah, J.C. Thomas and A.R. Gerson, The influence of Al(III) supersaturation and NaOH concentration on the rate of crystallization of Al(OH)₃ precursor particles from sodium aluminate solutions, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 286, 511-519 (2005).
16. S.L. Harmer, J.E. Thomas, D. Fornasiero and A.R. Gerson, The evolution of surface layers formed during chalcopyrite leaching, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 70, 4392-4402 (2006).
17. M.M. Islam, T. Bredow and A.R. Gerson, Electronic properties of oxygen-deficient and aluminium doped rutile TiO₂ from first principles, Physical Review B, 76, 045217 (2007).