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Jesse Sears
Technologist

Jesse Sears is a technologist with the Instrument Development and Automation Laboratory at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). His job is to design, build, modify, and/or adapt EMSL’s instruments to meet user needs. Sears’s work involves cryogenic systems, vacuum chambers, and designing high temperature and cryogenic probes, high pressure systems, and microwave and radio frequency equipment.

Research Interests

  • Cryogenics, vacuum, nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance instrumentation and accessories, and super conducting magnets
  • Unique probe design and construction
  • Low (cryogenic) temperature and high temperature/high pressure, variable temperature work

Education

  • AAS in Electronic Engineering-Spring, Southeast Community College, 1979
  • SolidWorks and SolidWorks Simulation

Awards and Recognition

  • R&D 100 Award for High Pressure magic angle spinning rotors (2016)
  • Two patents awarded for high pressure rotors designs, one for constant flow probe and rotor design, and one for a dynamic magic angle turning probe design.
  • Three Directors Awards, for probe development, EMSL

Publications

2019

Chamas A., L. Qi, H.S. Mehta, J.A. Sears, S.L. Scott, E.D. Walter, and D.W. Hoyt. 2019. "High Temperature/Pressure MAS-NMR for the Study of Dynamic Processes in Mixed Phase Systems." Magnetic Resonance Imaging 56. PNNL-SA-138048. doi:10.1016/j.mri.2018.09.026

Mehta, H. S., Y. Chen, J. A. Sears, E. D. Walter, M. Campos, J. Kothandaraman, D. J. Heldebrant, D. W. Hoyt, K. T. Mueller, and N. M. Washton. 2019. “A Novel High-Temperature MAS Probe with Optimized Temperature Gradient across Sample Rotor for in-Situ Monitoring of High-Temperature High-Pressure Chemical Reactions.” Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 102: 31-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssnmr.2019.06.003.

2018

Walter E.D., L. Qi, A. Chamas, H.S. Mehta, J.A. Sears, S.L. Scott, and D.W. Hoyt. 2018. "Operando MAS NMR Reaction Studies at High Temperatures and Pressures." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 122, no. 15:8209-8215. PNNL-SA-130852. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b11442

2014

Xue J., N.G. Isern, R. Ewing, A.V. Liyu, J.A. Sears, H. Knapp, and J. Iversen, et al. 2014. "New generation NMR bioreactor coupled with high-resolution NMR spectroscopy leads to novel discoveries in Moorella thermoaceticum metabolic profiles." Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 98, no. 19:8367-8375. PNNL-SA-96892. doi:10.1007/s00253-014-5847-8

2013

Turcu R.V., D.W. Hoyt, K.M. Rosso, J.A. Sears, J.S. Loring, A.R. Felmy, and J.Z. Hu. 2013. "Rotor Design for High Pressure Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 226. PNNL-SA-88703. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2012.08.009

2012

Hu J.Z., J.A. Sears, H.S. Mehta, J.J. Ford, J. Kwak, K. Zhu, and Y. Wang, et al. 2012. "A Large Sample Volume Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Probe for In-Situ Investigations with Constant Flow of Reactants." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP 14, no. 7:2137-2143. PNNL-SA-82533. doi:10.1039/c1cp22692d

2011

Hoyt D.W., R.V. Turcu, J.A. Sears, K.M. Rosso, S.D. Burton, A.R. Felmy, and J.Z. Hu. 2011. "High-pressure Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 212, no. 2:378-385. PNNL-SA-80681. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2011.07.019

Hoyt D.W., R.V. Turcu, J.A. Sears, K.M. Rosso, S.D. Burton, J. Kwak, and A.R. Felmy, et al. 2011. "IN SITU MAGIC ANGLE SPINNING NMR FOR STUDYING GEOLOGICAL CO(2) SEQUESTRATION." In 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, March 27-31, 2011, Anaheim, California, 241, 245-Fuel. Washington Dc:American Chemical Society. PNNL-SA-77039.

Kwak J., J.Z. Hu, R.V. Turcu, K.M. Rosso, E.S. Ilton, C.M. Wang, and J.A. Sears, et al. 2011. "The Role of H2O in the Carbonation of Forsterite in Supercritical CO2." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 5, no. 4:1081-1092. PNNL-SA-76665. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2011.05.013

Vijayakumar M., S.N. Kerisit, K.M. Rosso, S.D. Burton, J.A. Sears, Z. Yang, and G.L. Graff, et al. 2011. "Lithium Diffusion in Li4Ti5O12 at High Temperatures." Journal of Power Sources 196, no. 4:2211-2220. PNNL-SA-70935.

2010

Ellis P.D., J.A. Sears, P. Yang, M. Dupuis, T. Boron, V. Pecoraro, and T. Stich, et al. 2010. "Solid-State 55Mn NMR Spectroscopy of bis(µ-oxo)dimanganese(IV) [Mn2O2(salpn)2], a Model for the Oxygen Evolving Complex in Photosystem II." Journal of the American Chemical Society 132, no. 47:16727-16729. PNNL-SA-72469. doi:10.1021/ja1054252

Kwak J., J.Z. Hu, D.W. Hoyt, J.A. Sears, C.M. Wang, K.M. Rosso, and A.R. Felmy. 2010. "Metal Carbonation of Forsterite in Supercritical CO2 and H2O Using Solid State 29Si, 13C NMR Spectroscop." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114, no. 9:4126 - 4134. PNNL-SA-68897. doi:10.1021/jp1001308

2009

Baer D.R., M.H. Engelhard, A.R. Felmy, J.J. Ford, J.Z. Hu, A.S. Lea, and P. Nachimuthu, et al. 2009. "New Approaches for Characterizing Sensor and Other Modern Complex Materials." ECS Transactions 19, no. 6:137-148. PNNL-SA-65017. doi:10.1149/1.3118546

Hu J.Z., J.A. Sears, J. Kwak, D.W. Hoyt, Y. Wang, and C.H. Peden. 2009. "An Isotropic Chemical Shift-Chemical Shift Anisotropic Correlation Experiment Using Discrete Magic Angle Turning." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 198, no. 1:105-110. PNNL-SA-63634.

Vijayakumar M., S.N. Kerisit, Z. Yang, G.L. Graff, J. Liu, J.A. Sears, and S.D. Burton, et al. 2009. "A Combined 6,7Li NMR and Molecular Dynamics Study of Li Diffusion in Li2TiO3." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113, no. 46:20108-20116. PNNL-SA-67583. doi:10.1021/jp9072125

2008

Cho H.M., W.J. Shaw, V.M. Parvanov, G.K. Schenter, A.J. Karkamkar, N.J. Hess, and C.J. Mundy, et al. 2008. "Molecular Structure and Dynamics in the Low Temperature (Orthorhombic) Phase of NH3BH3." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 112, no. 18:4277-4283. PNNL-SA-58394.

2006

Hu J., D.N. Rommereim, R.A. Wind, K.R. Minard, and J.A. Sears. 2006. "A Simple Approach for Obtaining High Resolution, High Sensitivity 1H NMR Metabolite Spectra of Biofluids with Limited Mass Supply." In Proceedings of the 2006 International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BIOCOMP '06), edited by HR Arabnia and H. Valafar, 360-366. Las Vegas, Nevada:CSREA Press. PNNL-SA-48823. A Simple Approach for Obtaining High Resolution, High Sensitivity 1H NMR Metabolite Spectra of Biofluids with Limited Mass Supply

2004

Lipton A.S., R.W. Heck, J.A. Sears, and P.D. Ellis. 2004. "Low Temperature Solid-State NMR Experiments of Half-Integer Quadrupolar Nuclides: Caveats and Data Analysis." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 168. PNWD-SA-6205.

2001

Lipton A.S., G.W. Buchko, J.A. Sears, M.A. Kennedy, and P.D. Ellis. 2001. "Zn-67 Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of the Minimal DNA Binding Domain of Human Nucleotide Excision Repair Protein XPA." Journal of the American Chemical Society 123, no. 5:992-993. PNWD-SA-5156.

Lipton A.S., J.A. Sears, and P.D. Ellis. 2001. "A General Strategy for the NMR Observation of Half -Integer Quadrupolar Nuclei in Dilute Environments." Journal of Magnetic Resonance 151, no. 1:48-59. PNWD-SA-5154.