Dr. Forbes is an inorganic chemist who investigates the aqueous speciation of actinide elements and self-assembly of coordination compounds. Her group focuses on the speciation of thorium, uranium and neptunium in aqueous systems using a combination of diffraction and spectroscopic techniques. They collaborate with faculty interested in water quality issues related to naturally occurring radioactive materials and legacy nuclear waste. This includes efforts to test private wells for radium in rural Iowa and supporting efforts to understand uranium mobility in groundwater systems in New Mexico.
Dr. Forbes also directs the University of Iowa’s Materials Analysis, Testing, and Fabrication (MATFab) Facility, which offers state-of-the-art characterization, fabrication, and materials analysis capabilities to researchers across the UI campus and beyond.
Selected Publications:
- Rajapaksha, H., G. C. Benthin, E. L. Markun, C. J. Flester, S. E. Mason, T. Z. Forbes, “Bonding and reactivity of isostructural uranyl and neptunyl peroxide phases.” (2025) Chemistry Communications (invited article – Special edition on f-block chemistry) 8, 385. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01733-6
- Celik, E, D. May, K. P. Carter, R. Riessen, S. Wright, J. Nassif, R. S. Cole, T. Z. Forbes, “Novel approaches to meeting the radiochemistry workforce needs: A case study of the University of Iowa Radiochemistry Graduate Certificate program” (2025) Journal of Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-025-10400-y
- Markun, E. L, A. B. Motes, T. Z. Forbes, “Mechanochemical oxidation and dissolution of uranium oxide phases: Implications for nuclear material processing.” (2025) Journal of Nuclear Materials, 617, 156142 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.156142
- Kruse, S.J., S. K. Scherrer, G. P. Horne, J. A. LaVerne, T. Z. Forbes, “The inorganic chemist’s guide to actinide radiation chemistry: A review.” (2025) Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 12, 6398-6434 https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QI00975H
- Rajapaksha, H., Kruse, S. J., J.A. LaVerne, S.E. Mason, T. Z. Forbes, “Radiation-effects in uranyl tetrachloro coordination compounds: Impacts of lattice water.” (2025) Inorganic Chemistry 64, 9652-9661. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c00693
- Benthin, G. C., H. Rajapaksha, E. L. Markun, S.E. Mason, T. Z. Forbes, “Probing the Protonation and Stability of Heptavalent Neptunium with Computational Guidance.” (2024) Dalton Transactions, 3, 16170-16185 https://doi.org/10.1039/D4DT01706D
- Kruse, S. J., H. Rajapaksha, J. A. LaVerne, S.E. Mason, T. Z. Forbes, “Radiation-Induced Defects in Uranyl Trinitrate Solids”, (2024) Chemistry -A European Journal 30, e202400956. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202400956
- Scherrer, S., S. M. Greer, H. Rajapaksha, B. W. Stein, T. Z. Forbes, “Superoxide Radicals in Uranyl Peroxide Solids: Lasting Signatures Identified by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy” (2024) Angewandte Chemie 136, e202400379. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202400379