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Professor Abraham Clearfield is known to many as one of the founding fathers in the area of solid state inorganic chemistry, and an international leader in various parts of structural chemistry.
Clearfield's profound interest in inorganic chemistry and crystallography has led him and a team of researchers to discover inventive ways of using crystal X-ray diffraction to explicate solid structures.
Clearfield's research team is comprised mostly of undergraduate students.
"It is wonderful to see them develop their skills and learning abilities," he said. "I have had some outstanding young men and women who have gone on to the best graduate schools or to medical careers."
The team's work involves the coordination of compounds, layered compounds and inorganic ion interactions among different metals including zeolites, which are considered versatile catalysts.
Clearfield said their process of making compounds can take months before the results are finally understood.
The professor is widely known for his research developments in nuclear waste disposal using methods of ion exchanging. "We develop sorbents to remove the highly radioactive species from the waste for burial at Yucca Flats, [Nev.]," Clearfield said.
Among these intense research processes, Clearfield found the time to write and publish about 530 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored several books.
Clearfield has received many awards including the Excellence in Research Award from the College of Science and the Distinguished Achievement Research Award from the Association of Former Students.
As far as the future is concerned, Clearfield said, "Matter is so complex that the deeper we dig, the more we find. All sorts of new discoveries will be made.
"We will require new fuels, new sources of energy, more powerful computers and new antibiotics; shortages of food, water, natural resources and new ways to support society with all these essentials will require new chemistry."
Clearfield's educational background includes a bachelor's in 1948 and master's in 1951 from Temple University in Philadelphia and earned a doctorate from Rutgers University in 1954.
Before joining the faculty of Ohio University in 1963, he spent several years conducting research and obtained several patents for advances of effectiveness for manufacturing processes.
Clearfield came to Texas A&M in 1976 as a professor and served as chairman of the inorganic division as well as associate dean of the College of Science and director of the materials science and engineering program.
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