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O. Thompson Mefford

O. Thompson Mefford

Associate Professor

Phone: (864) 656-2486
Office: 100B Riggs Hall
E-mail: mefford@clemson.edu
Website: http://meffordresearch.com/

Overview

Dr. Mefford completed his BS in Textile and Polymer Chemistry at Clemson University in 2003. He earned his PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering in 2007 from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and also received the Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year Award. Before returning to Clemson University, Dr. Mefford worked on a variety of projects as a researcher for the Ohio State University Department of Chemistry.

His research focuses on developing stable, biocompatible polymer-metal oxide nanoparticle complexes and composites for biomedical, environmental, and energy applications. These applications include: developing materials for hyperthermia, investigating the thermal properties of macromolecule-nanoparticle complexes, and crosslinking networks of magnetic nanoparticles. The development of such complexes and composites will demonstrate the stability and interactivity of nanoparticles and improve upon them to give a better functionality for a given application.

Education

Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (2007)
B.S., Clemson University (2003)

Research Areas

Polymers
Nanomaterials
Magnetism
Environmental

Selected Publications

 

  1. C.J. Culbreath*, M.S. Taylor, S.D. McCullen, O.T. Mefford, “A Review of Additive Manufacturing in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine,” Biomedical Materials & Devices, (2024).
  2. Y. Du,* O.T. Mefford, ”Effects of molecular interactions on the release of small molecules from silicone rubber,” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 141 (31), e55716 (2024).
  3. A. Adogwa, E. Chukwu, A. Malaj*, V.R. Punyapu, O. Chamness, N. Glisson, B. Bruce, S. Lee, M.J. Zachman, D.A. Bruce, R.B. Getman, O.T. Mefford, M. Yang “Catalytic Reaction Triggered by Magnetic Induction Heating Mechanistically Distinguishes Itself from the Standard Thermal Reaction,” ACS Catalysis, 14, 4008-4017 (2024).
  4. Z. Yan*, A. Chaluvadi, S. Fitzgerald, S. Spence*, C. Bleyer*, J. Zhu, T.M. Crawford, R.B. Getman, J. Watt, D.L. Huber, and O.T. Mefford, “Effect of Manganese Substitution of Ferrite Nanoparticles on Particle Grain Structure,” Nanoscale Advances, 4(18), 3957 (2022).
  5. Z. Yan*, S. FitzGerald, T.M. Crawford, O.T. Mefford, “Oxidation of wüstite rich iron oxide nanoparticles via post-synthesis annealing,” Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 539, 168405. (2021)