Rate My Professor Thomas Becker

Dr. Thomas Becker serves as Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University. He studied Physics at the University of Ulm in Germany and obtained his PhD from the University of Twente in the Netherlands in 2005. Becker's research centers on scanning probe microscopy techniques, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), to explore interfaces, surfaces, corrosion processes, and forensic applications such as latent fingermark detection and explosives adhesion. He manages the Scanning Probe Microscopy Facility at Curtin University and contributes to teaching units like CHEM1005 Biological Chemistry.

Becker has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications demonstrating his expertise in surface science and materials characterization. Key works include 'Carbon steel corrosion: a review of key surface properties and role of FeCO3 in different electrolytes' (RSC Advances, 2017), 'A review of plant extracts as green corrosion inhibitors for CO2 corrosion of carbon steel' (npj Materials Degradation, 2022), 'Visualization of He distribution in zircon and implications for thermal history reconstruction' (Science Advances, 2017), 'Nanomechanical mapping of latent fingermarks' (Forensic Chemistry, 2016), 'Fundamental studies of the adhesion of explosives to textile fibers' (Forensic Science International, 2017), 'Investigating hydrogel formation using in situ variable-temperature scanning probe microscopy' (Chemical Science, 2015), and 'Ligand-Mediated Control of the Surface Oxidation States of Bismuth Nanoparticles' (Langmuir, 2023). His Scopus profile records 71 documents, 2,258 citations, and an h-index of 25. Becker's contributions extend to studies on bioleaching, nanoparticle synthesis, bacterial behavior visualization, and air abrasive powders for dental applications, influencing corrosion inhibition, nanotechnology, and forensic chemistry fields.