Jack A. Wilson

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the General Atomics Center for Transformational Nuclear Technologies at the University of South Carolina. My expertise is in materials for advanced nuclear energy systems operating under extreme chemical, thermal, and irradiation-relevant conditions.

I hold a PhD from Bangor University where I developed compositionally complex (high entropy) alloys for Gen III+ accident tolerant fuel claddings. This work involved alloy fabrication (arc melting, heat treatment, magnetron sputtering, sintering and powder processing methods), materials characterization (SEM/EDS, XRD, XRF, AFM, profilometry, DSC/TGA), and theoretical and computational approaches (materials design, atomistic simulation, calculation of phase diagrams).

In my current role, I am a co-developer of the ORNL/USC Molten Salt Database – Thermochemical (MSD–TC) for molten salt reactor applications. I use experimental thermochemistry (DSC/TGA, HTXRD, ICP-OES, IGF, PPMS), combined with thermochemical modeling to develop reliable descriptions of molten salt systems. I am also the lead developer of MOLTSA, a platform designed to standardize experimental thermochemical data and improve transparency and trust in molten salt thermochemical databases.

Selected publications

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Thermodynamics and Phase Stability of SmF3 with LiF, NaF, and KF for Molten Salt Reactor Applications

Jack A. Wilson et al.
ACS Omega (2026)

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MOLTSA: An R Shiny Platform for Molten-Salt Thermochemical Data Management, Analysis, and Assessment

Jack A. Wilson et al.
Journal of Open Research Software (2026)

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Thermodynamic properties of ZrCl4 with LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, MgCl2, and UCl3 for molten salt reactor applications

Jack A. Wilson et al.
Journal of Molecular Liquids (2025)

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Assessing the high concentration of vacancies in refractory high entropy alloys

Jack A. Wilson et al.
Materialia (2023)

Published works

  • Clara M. Dixon, Mina Aziziha, Aiswarya Padinhare Manissery, Jorge Paz Soldan Palma, Amir M. Mofrad, Jack A. Wilson, Hans-Conrad zur Loye, Hunter B. Tisdale, Juliano Schorne-Pinto, Theodore M. Besmann, "Thermodynamic Assessment of the Na,K,Cs|Cl,I Reciprocal Salt for Chloride-Fueled MSR Accident Analysis", Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–24 (2026), https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2026.2653362
  • Jack A. Wilson, Roy E. Wilson, Lianna M. Eaton, Emma L. Baker, Zachary K. Gardiner, Jorge Paz Soldan Palma, Juliano Schorne-Pinto, Pandu Wisesa, Theodore M. Besmann, "MOLTSA: An R Shiny Platform for Molten-Salt Thermochemical Data Management, Analysis, and Assessment" Journal of Open Research Software, 14, (2026), https://doi.org/10.5334/jors.685
  • P. M. Aiswarya, J. Schorne-Pinto, Y. Zhoujin, A. Husek, R. E. Booth, J. A. Wilson, G. Panigrahi, H. B. Tisdale, D. S. Maltsev, A. S. Ivanov, P. W. Halstenberg, S. Dai, H. zur Loye, T. M. Besmann, “Understanding the Structure and Thermal Stability of Cs3UCl6(s) in the CsCl-UCl3 System,” Inorg. Chem., Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6c00471.
  • Jack A. Wilson, Emma L. Baker, Lianna M. Eaton, Annabelle Husek, Aiswarya Padinhare Manissery, Clara M. Dixon, Yunping Zhoujin, Silu Huang, Rongying Jin, Theodore M. Besmann, "Thermodynamics and Phase Stability of SmF3 with LiF, NaF, and KF for Molten Salt Reactor Applications" ACS Omega, 11,17, (2026) 25896–25907, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.6c01404
  • C. M. Dixon, M. Aziziha, A. Mofrad, J. P. S. Palma, R. E. Booth, A. Padinhare Manissery, J. A. Wilson, H. zur Loye, H. B. Tisdale, J. Schorne-Pinto, T. M. Besmann, “Thermodynamic assessment of the Li, Na, K, Cs | F, I reciprocal salt for MSR applications”, The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, vol. 211, p. 107548, Dec. 2025, 10.1016/j.jct.2025.107548
  • L. Eaton, Z. Gardiner, J. Paz Soldan Palma, J. A. Wilson, and T. Besmann, "Centralizing Experimental Data to Accelerate Thermodynamic Modeling and Database Development for Molten Salts", 2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16146.93123
  • Jack A. Wilson, Mina Aziziha, Juliano Schorne-Pinto, Aiswarya Padinhare Manissery, Jorge Paz Soldan Palma, Clara M. Dixon, Ronald E. Booth, Hunter B. Tisdale, Yunping Zhoujin, Dmitry S. Maltsev, Sheng Dai, Phillip W. Halstenberg, Silu Huang, Rongying Jin, Hans-Conrad zur Loye, Theodore M. Besmann, Thermodynamic properties of ZrCl4 with LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, MgCl2, and UCl3 for molten salt reactor applications. J. Mol. Liq. 437, 128578 (2025).
  • T. M. Besmann, J. Pinto, J. P. S. Palma, R. E. Booth, P. M. Aiswarya, J. A. Wilson, Z. K. Gardiner, "Development and Application of the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database-Thermochemical (MSTDB-TC)", 2025, p. 567. doi: https://doi.org/10.13182/T140-48703.
  • G. F. Stephens, J. A. Wilson, S. F. Curling, G. He, J. P. Thomas, D. W. Williams, S. Ortner, C. Grovenor, M. J. D. Rushton, A. Cole-Bake, S. C. Middleburgh, “Lithium stabilization of amorphous ZrO2,” Progress in Nuclear Energy, vol. 171, p. 105165, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2024.105165.
  • T. M. Besmann, J. Schorne-Pinto, M. Aziziha, A. M. Mofrad, R. E. Booth, J. A. Yingling, J. P. S. Palma, C. M. Dixon, J. A. Wilson, D. Hartanto, “Applications of Thermochemical Modeling in Molten Salt Reactors,” Materials, vol. 17, no. 2, p. 495, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.3390/ma17020495.
  • Jack A. Wilson, Christopher Moore, David T. Goddard, Simon C. Middleburgh, "Assessing the high concentration of vacancies in refractory high entropy alloys", Materialia 28, 101764 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2023.101764
  • Jack A. Wilson, “Compositionally Complex Alloys in Accident Tolerant Fuel Coating Systems,” Doctoral thesis, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, 2023.
  • C. M. Moore, J. A. Wilson, M. J. D. Rushton, W. E. Lee, J. O. Astbury, and S. C. Middleburgh, “Hydrogen accommodation in the TiZrNbHfTa high entropy alloy,” Acta Mater., vol. 229, p. 117832, May 2022, doi: 10.1016/J.ACTAMAT.2022.117832.
  • A.X. Lin-Vines, J. A. Wilson, A. Fraile, Lee J. Evitts, M.J.D. Rushton, J.O. Astbury, W.E. Lee, S.C. Middleburgh, “Defect behaviour in the MoNbTaVW high entropy alloy (HEA),” Results Mater., vol. 15, p. 100320, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1016/J.RINMA.2022.100320.
  • Jack A. Wilson, Lee J. Evitts, Alberto Fraile, Roy E. Wilson, Michael J. D. Rushton, David T. Goddard, William E. Lee and Simon C. Middleburgh, “Predicting the thermal expansion of body-centred cubic (BCC) high entropy alloys in the Mo–Nb–Ta–Ti–W system,” J. Phys. Energy, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 034002, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.1088/2515-7655/AC6F7E.
  • Leah J. Taylor-Kearney, Samuel Madden, Jack A. Wilson, William K. Myers, Dona M. Gunawardana, Elisabete Pires, Philip Holdship, Anthony Tumber, Rosalind E. M. Rickaby, and Emily Flashman, “Plant Cysteine Oxidase Oxygen-Sensing Function Is Conserved in Early Land Plants and Algae,” ACS Bio Med Chem Au, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1021/ACSBIOMEDCHEMAU.2C00032.
  • Jack A. Wilson, L. Evitts, M. Rushton, D. Goddard, S. Middleburgh, and W. Lee, “High entropy alloys for accident tolerant fuel applications,” TopFuel 2021, Jun. 2021, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361225055_High_entropy_alloys_for_accident_tolerant_fuel_applications.
  • Zahraa S. Al-Taie, Simon R. Anetts, Jeppe Christensen, Simon J. Coles, Peter N. Horton, Daniel M. Evans, Leigh F. Jones, Frank F. J. de Kleijne, Shaun M. Ledbetter, Yassin T. H. Mehdar, Patrick J. Murphy and J. A. Wilson, “Proline derived guanidine catalysts forge extensive H-bonded architectures: a solution and solid state study,” RSC Adv., vol. 10, no. 38, pp. 22397–22416, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1039/C9RA07508A.

Curriculum Vitae

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Recommended Reading

Selected books and resources which have influenced me:

Nuclear Technology & Environment

  • Nuclear Renaissance: Technologies and Policies for the Future of Nuclear Power by William Nuttall
  • The Fall and Rise of Nuclear Power in Britain: A history by Simon Taylor
  • Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the Planet by Tim Gregory
  • Nuclear Materials Science by Karl Whittle
  • Atomic Accidents by James Mahaffey
  • Sustainable Energy – without the hot air by David MacKay

Chemistry & Materials Science

  • Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik
  • A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
  • Atkins' Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics by Peter Atkins
  • Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction by William Callister
  • Inorganic Chemistry by Catherine Housecroft and Alan Sharpe
  • Thermodynamics of Chemical Processes (Oxford Primer) by Gareth Price
  • Organic Chemistry by Jonathan Clayden, Nick Greeves, and Stuart Warren
  • Phase Diagrams and Thermodynamic Modeling of Solutions by Arthur Pelton

Philosophy & Outlook

  • How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley
  • Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
  • The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
  • The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
  • The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker

Fiction Favorites

  • Stoner by John Edward Williams
  • The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
  • The Road by Cormac McCarthy
  • Llyfr Glas Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros