About

Jean Paul Allain is the Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State University. His affiliation includes the Nuclear Engineering and Biomedical Engineering departments. The Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at Penn State is recognized as one of the top ranked nuclear engineering programs in the United States, with a strong focus on experimental research. The department offers educational programs for bachelor of science, master of science, master of engineering, and doctoral degrees. The Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC), which houses the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor—the country's first and longest operating licensed nuclear research reactor—is available to faculty and students for research and instruction. This access to an operating research reactor provides unique research and educational opportunities that distinguish Penn State's program. The department emphasizes research in nuclear science and applications, nuclear materials, thermal hydraulics, reactor physics, plasma physics, nuclear security, safeguards, safety, and the nuclear fuel cycle. Professor Allain's work is aligned with these research areas, contributing to the department's mission of advancing nuclear science and engineering.

Research topics

• Composite material
• Biomedical engineering
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Medicine
• Chemical engineering
• Metallurgy
• Biochemistry
• Engineering
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• The effect of gamma ray irradiation on few layered MoSe2: A material for nuclear and space applications

  AIP Advances · 2024-02-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  In recent years, emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2), have been at the center of attention for many researchers. This is due to their unique and fascinating physicochemical properties that make them attractive in space and defense applications that include shielding harsh irradiation environments. In this study, we examined the effects of gamma (γ) rays at various doses on the structural, chemical, and optical properties of MoSe2 layers. After the samples were exposed to intense gamma radiation (from a 60Co source) with various exposure times to vary the total accumulated dosage (up to 100 kGy), Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies were used to study and probe radiation-induced changes to the samples. When compared to pristine materials, very few changes in optical properties were typically observed, indicating good robustness with little sensitivity, even at relatively high doses of gamma radiation. The imaging using scanning electron microscopy revealed a number of nano-hillocks that were connected to substrate alterations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies revealed that Mo’s binding energies remained the same, but Se’s binding energies blueshifted. We associated this shift with the decrease in Se vacancies that occurred after irradiation as a result of Mo atoms creating adatoms next to Se atoms. When compared to pristine materials, very few changes in optical, chemical, and structural properties were typically observed. These findings highlight the inherent resilience of MoSe2 in hostile radioactive conditions, which spurs additional research into their optical, electrical, and structural characteristics as well as exploration for potential space, energy, and defense applications.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Nanotechnology for Cerebral Aneurysm Treatment

  2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Osteointegration of Ti Bone Implants: A Study on How Surface Parameters Control the Foreign Body Response

  ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering · 2024-07-30 · 18 citations

  review

  The integration of titanium (Ti)-based implants with bone is limited, resulting in implant failure. This lack of osteointegration is due to the foreign body response (FBR) that occurs after the implantation of biodevices. The process begins with protein adsorption, which is governed by implant surface properties, e.g., chemistry, charge, wettability, and/or topography. The distribution and composition of the protein layer in turn influence the recruitment, differentiation, and modulation of immune and bone cells. The subsequent events that occur at the bone–material interface will ultimately determine whether the implant is encapsulated or will integrate with bone. Despite the numerous studies evaluating the influence of surface properties in the various stages of the FBR, the factors that affect tissue–material interactions are often studied in isolation or in small correlations due to the technical challenges involved in assessing them in vitro or in vivo. Consequently, the influence of protein conformation on the Ti bone implant surface design remains an unresolved research question. The objective of this review is to comprehensively evaluate the existing literature on the effect of surface parameters of Ti and its alloys in the stages of FBR, with a particular focus on protein adsorption and osteoimmunomodulation. This evaluation aims to systematically describe these effects on bone formation.

  PublisherDOI

• Discovering tungsten-based composites as plasma facing materials for future high-duty cycle nuclear fusion reactors

  Scientific Reports · 2024-06-15 · 11 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Despite of excellent thermal properties and high sputtering resistance, pure tungsten cannot fully satisfy the requirements for plasma facing materials in future high-duty cycle nuclear fusion reactions due to the coupled extreme environments, including the high thermal loads, plasma exposure, and radiation damage. Here, we demonstrated that tungsten-based composite materials fabricated using spark-plasma sintering (SPS) present promising solutions to these challenges. Through the examination of two model systems, i.e., tungsten-zirconium composite for producing porous tungsten near the surface and dispersoid-strengthened tungsten, we discussed both the strengths and limitations of the SPS-fabricated materials. Our findings point towards the need for future studies aimed at optimizing the SPS process to achieve desired microstructures and effective control of oxygen impurities in the tungsten-based composite materials.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Author Correction: Discovering tungsten-based composites as plasma facing materials for future high-duty cycle nuclear fusion reactors

  Scientific Reports · 2024-08-07

  erratumOpen accessSenior author

  The original version of the Article contained errors in Figure 6.A wrong scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image was used for panel 6 g, which shows an SEM image acquired near the location of panel 6f with a higher magnification.Additionally, the scale bar for panel 6f is not accurate, and the labels "0.19 GW m -2 1000 pulses 1 ms", "0.38 GW m -2 1000 pulses 1 ms", and "0.38 GW m -2 10,000 pulses 1 ms" were incorrect.Consequently, in Figure 6,

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Dispersion-strengthened tungsten alloy composites

  Elsevier eBooks · 2024-11-22 · 1 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Contributors

  Elsevier eBooks · 2024-11-22

  book-chapterOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• The ion-gas-neutral interactions with surfaces-2 (IGNIS-2) facility for the study of plasma–material interactions

  Review of Scientific Instruments · 2024-04-01 · 3 citations

  article

  The Ion-Gas-Neutral Interactions with Surfaces-2 (IGNIS-2) surface science facility has been designed at the Pennsylvania State University with the specific purpose of enabling experiments to study plasma-material interactions. This in situ surface modification and characterization facility consists of multiple reconfigurable substations that are connected through a central transfer chamber. This fully connected vacuum system ensures that the physical and chemical properties of samples are not altered between surface modification and analysis. The modification techniques in IGNIS-2 include a low-energy (<300 eV), high-flux (up to 1016 cm-2 s-1) broad-beam ion source, a liquid metal dropper, a lithium injection system, an RF sputter source, and an evaporator. Its characterization techniques include charged particle-based techniques, such as low-energy ion scattering (enabled by two <5 keV ion sources) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photon and light-based techniques, such as x-ray fluorescence, multi-beam optical stress sensors, and optical cameras. All of these techniques can be utilized up to mTorr pressures, allowing both in situ and in operando studies to be conducted. Results are presented on lithium wetting experiments of argon-irradiated tungsten-based composites, surface stress measurements of tungsten films during deuterium ion irradiation, and temperature-programmed desorption of deuterium-irradiated graphite to demonstrate the in situ capabilities of this new facility.

  PublisherDOI

• Analysis of Antibacterial Efficacy and Cellular Alignment Regulation on Plasma Nanotextured Chitosan Surfaces

  Langmuir · 2023-10-05 · 6 citations

  articleSenior author

  To address implant-related infections, antibacterial solutions specific to biomaterials are required to prevent bacterial proliferation. Traditional antibiotic usage has been found insufficient, motivating researchers to investigate alternative strategies such as surface modification and the application of antifouling or infection-resistant properties. A developing interest lies in designing surfaces that mimic natural antibacterial nanotopographies. In this study, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the outcomes from plasma nanotexturing, with particular emphasis on how the organization of topography influences antibacterial efficacy and the regulation of cell alignment. Plasma nanotexturing was applied to chitosan surfaces, which gradually transformed from nanopores to pillars and eventually into tilted pillars, as the plasma parameters (fluence and angle) increased. We used directed plasma nanosynthesis, a plasma-based technique that primarily induces topographical alterations on the surfaces. The surfaces were systematically characterized, incorporating methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A comprehensive comparison of the nanotextures was executed by utilizing a trapezoidal method to calculate aspect ratios and assess texture orientation by examining the gaps in the nanostructures. We evaluated antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus strains and assessed the survival and alignment of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Our findings reveal a significant reduction in bacterial adhesion (>80%) and growth on nanotextured surfaces, underscoring their potential for clinical applications. Moreover, we measured cell alignment, presenting the results in both a color-coded and numerical format to demonstrate the preferential alignment orientation induced specially by the tilted nanotexture. These insights highlight the profound impacts of plasma nanotexturing, indicating its potential for innovative biomedical applications such as advanced wound healing and tissue engineering.

  PublisherDOI

• A liquid metal dropper for experiments on the wettability of liquid metals on plasma facing components

  Review of Scientific Instruments · 2023-10-01 · 7 citations

  articleSenior author

  A liquid metal dropper has been developed as a part of the Ion-Gas-Neutral Interactions with Surfaces 2 (IGNIS-2) facility at The Pennsylvania State University. The dropper has the capability of directly applying drops to candidate plasma facing materials for nuclear fusion reactors to enable measurements of their liquid metal wetting properties. The results presented here are specific to the use of lithium in the dropper. This paper discusses the design choices of the liquid metal dropper and its chamber, including the heating and temperature control and the dropper's motorized operation. Lithium drops of masses ranging from 0.05 g up to 0.13 g, equivalent to drop diameters between 5.6 mm to 1 cm, have been consistently dispensed by the dropper. A new algorithm is developed and used to automate the analysis of the contact angle between the liquid drops and substrate material for efficient analysis of video data recorded to study the wetting properties of candidate plasma-facing components.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• F. Bedoya

  Intel (United States)

  132 shared

• Predrag Krstić

  Stony Brook University

  91 shared

• F. J. Domínguez-Gutiérrez

  National Centre for Nuclear Research

  77 shared

• R. Kaita

  Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  66 shared

• D. N. Ruzic

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  56 shared

• Camilo Jaramillo

  54 shared

• Adri C. T. van Duin

  Pennsylvania State University

  49 shared

• Md Mahbubul Islam

  49 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2001

Awards & honors

• Early Career Award