Ericmoore Jossou

Bio

Education

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada (2019)
• MSc, Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Nigeria (2013)
• BSc, Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria (2011)

Research Positions

• Staff Scientist, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, USA (2022–2023)
• Research Associate, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, USA (2019–2022)

Research

3D/4D Defects visualization and classification

High-resolution three/four-dimensional imaging of micro/nanostructural features makes it possible to establish high-fidelity qualitative and quantitative structure-property relationships in materials. Our group combines electron microscopy with scanning probe X-ray based techniques such as Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging and Bragg Ptychography to visualize structural properties and lattice defects in materials with nanoscale resolution. Coupling these techniques with state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms is a powerful tool for detecting and classifying defects in irradiated materials.

High throughput machine learning driven materials design

Traditional materials design relies mainly on manually characterizing physical and chemical properties to select candidate materials. As such, new materials design is time consuming and relies heavily on intuition, trial, and error. To ramp up the materials design process, we are coupling materials synthesis with high throughput characterization and materials informatics to make these decisions autonomously. Therefore, with these new tools, we can rationally narrow down a finite multi-element phase space to explore in detail. This approach will facilitate rapid alloy design with tailored properties for specific applications.

Machine Learning assisted interatomic potential for actinide materials

Actinide compounds such as UO₂, U-Zr, U₃Si₂, etc., are materials used as fuel in nuclear reactors. Understanding them at the atomic scale is critical for optimal nuclear fuel design. However, due to the complexity of describing the interactions of the 5f electrons, first principles-based methods such as density functional theory (DFT) for investigations of actinides are difficult and computationally expensive. To tackle this problem, we will develop machine-learning based interatomic potential with the accuracy of DFT to study the thermophysical, interfacial, and radiation properties of actinide systems.

Self-organization as a tool for controlling materials degradation

Self-organization of nanostructures such as gas bubbles, voids, and precipitates into superstructures is of great scientific and technological importance. Such ordering alters the potential energy surface, which has implications for the migration of defects, ions, and fission gases. This project is focused on understanding the superstructure-properties relationship to inform the design of radiation tolerant and cyclic process driven materials.

Publications

Selected Publications

1. Linu Malakkal, Anil Prasad, Jayangani Ranasinghe, Ericmoore Jossou, Lukas Bichler, Jerzy Szpunar; “Enhanced thermal conductivity of spark plasma-sintered thorium dioxide-silicon carbide composite fuel pellets”, Nuclear Engineering and Technology, In Press, Journal Pre-proof, Available online 27 June 2023.
2. Ericmoore Jossou, Ana Suzana, Longlong Wu, Jiecheng Diao, Tadesse Assefa, Ross Harder, Wonsuk Cha, Andrea Jokisaari, Kim Kisslinger, Jian Gan, Ian Robinson, Lynne Ecker, Simerjeet K. Gill; “Three-dimensional imaging of irradiated chromium using Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging”, npj materials degradation (2022) 6:99.
3. Ericmoore Jossou, Cheng Sun, Simerjeet K. Gill, Jian Gan, Lynne Ecker; “Unravelling the early-stage periodic ordering of Kr gas bubble in Molybdenum”; J. Phys. Chem. C (2021), 125, 23338–23348.
4. Jayangani Ranasinghe, Linu Malakkal, Barbara Szpunar, Anil Prasad, Ericmoore Jossou, Jerzy Szpunar, Lukas Bichler; DFT and experimental study on the thermal conductivity of U₃O₈ and U₃O_8-X; (X=Al and Mo)”, J. Nucl. Mater. (2021), 549, 1–15.
5. Cheng Sun, Chao Jiang, Ericmoore Jossou, Mehmet Topsakal, Simerjeet K. Gill, Yongqiang Wang, Lynne Ecker, Jian Gan; “Self-assembly of solid nanoclusters in molybdenum under gas ion implantation”, J. Scripta Materialia (2021), 194, 1–5.
6. Linu Malakkal, Ericmoore Jossou, Jayangani Ranasinghe, Barbara Szpunar, Jerzy Szpunar; “Density functional theory study of oxygen adsorption and dissociation on lower-miller index surfaces of ThN”, J. Phys. Chem. C (2020), 124, 45, 24849–24860.
7. Adebayo Adeleke, Ericmoore Jossou, Nnanna Ukoji, Adebayo Adeniyi, Peter Egbele; “Properties of alkaline-earth-metal-polynitrogen materials at high pressure crystal”, ACS Omega (2020), 5, 41, 26786–26794.
8. Simerjeet K. Gill, Mehmet Topsakal, Ericmoore Jossou, Xiaojing Huang, Khalid Hattar, Julia Mausz, Mohamed Elbakhshwan, Hanfei Yan, Yong S. Chu, Cheng Sun, Lingfeng He, Jian Gan, Lynne Ecker; “Impact of krypton irradiation on a single crystal tungsten: Multi-modal X-ray imaging study”, Scripta Materialia (2020), 188, 296–301.
9. Jayangani Ranasinghe, Linu Malakkal, Ericmoore Jossou, Barbara Szpunar, and Jerzy Szpunar; “Density functional theory study of the structural, mechanical and thermal conductivity of uranium dialuminide (UAl₂)”, J. Nucl. Mater. (2020), 540, 1–10.
10. Ericmoore Jossou, Linu Malakkal, Jaya Ranasinghe, Barbara Szpunar, and Jerzy Szpunar; “Thermophysical properties (U_xAm_1-x)O₂ MOX fuel”, J. Comput. Mater. Sci. (2020), 172, 109324.
11. Ericmoore Jossou, Linu Malakkal, Dzade Nelson, Antoine Claisse, Barbara Szpunar, Jerzy Szpunar; “Early oxidation of defective and oxygen covered U₃Si₂ {001}, {110} and {111} surface”, J. Phys. Chem. C (2019), 123, 32, 19453–19467.
12. Ericmoore Jossou, Md. Jahidur Rahman, Dotun Oladimeji, Benjamin Beeler, Barbara Szpunar, Jerzy Szpunar; “Anisotropic thermophysical properties of U₃Si₂ fuel: An atomic scale study”, J. Nucl. Mater., (2019), 512, 1–12.

Teaching

22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation

News

• Ericmoore Jossou: Optimizing nuclear fuels for next-generation reactors
• Looking Back, Reaching Forward
• School of Engineering welcomes new faculty
• Computing for the health of the planet