Advanced Fibre Interfaces in Active Water Management Systems. Flooding is a critical issue in Australia, generating considerable economic losses, including by stormwater contamination. The current project will pioneer an integrated solution for stormwater retention, while removing chemical pollutants. In collaboration with the company ROCKWOOL-Lapinus - based on a stonewool fibre platform - we will (i) design fibre coatings based on a versatile and chemically simple deposition process, (ii) inco ....Advanced Fibre Interfaces in Active Water Management Systems. Flooding is a critical issue in Australia, generating considerable economic losses, including by stormwater contamination. The current project will pioneer an integrated solution for stormwater retention, while removing chemical pollutants. In collaboration with the company ROCKWOOL-Lapinus - based on a stonewool fibre platform - we will (i) design fibre coatings based on a versatile and chemically simple deposition process, (ii) incorporate functionalities onto the fibres allowing active stormwater treatment to e.g. retain pollutants or target heavy metals and (iii) investigate these interfaces in-depth by advanced surface and interface characterisation methods to understand the fibre interface properties from nano- to macroscale.Read moreRead less
Plant plasters: Efficient spray micro-coatings for plant delivery. This proposal will study and apply recently-discovered methods of strongly attaching beneficial chemicals to plant leaves, stalks, and fruit. The materials have an unusually good ability to stick to crop plants and deliver herbicide or pesticide active ingredients more efficiently than standard additives, without toxicity. Recent findings have shown significant health risks from commercial herbicide additives and their run-off in ....Plant plasters: Efficient spray micro-coatings for plant delivery. This proposal will study and apply recently-discovered methods of strongly attaching beneficial chemicals to plant leaves, stalks, and fruit. The materials have an unusually good ability to stick to crop plants and deliver herbicide or pesticide active ingredients more efficiently than standard additives, without toxicity. Recent findings have shown significant health risks from commercial herbicide additives and their run-off into vulnerable ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef. This project will explain the unusually effective, but simple, adhesion and delivery performance, incorporate the new additives into commercially-relevant formulations for our industrial partner, and work to deliver the materials at relevant manufacturing scales.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100036
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
A customised triple-beam microscope for precise fabricating/characterising . This project aims to establish a customised triple-beam microscope to enable precise fabrication and polishing (using ion beams) and characterisation (using electron beam) of a wide range of advanced materials. It will provide solutions to prepare ultra-high quality and artefact-free specimens for transmission electron microscopy studies, and allow fabrication of unique nanostructures and nanostructured templates for hi ....A customised triple-beam microscope for precise fabricating/characterising . This project aims to establish a customised triple-beam microscope to enable precise fabrication and polishing (using ion beams) and characterisation (using electron beam) of a wide range of advanced materials. It will provide solutions to prepare ultra-high quality and artefact-free specimens for transmission electron microscopy studies, and allow fabrication of unique nanostructures and nanostructured templates for high-performance applications. The customised features of the proposed instrument are the first of its kind in Australia. The new knowledge developed through this project will significantly impact on scientific insights and practical applications of new materials related to physics, chemistry, biology, geology and engineering.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100558
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Biomimetic catalysis for sustainable polymer syntheses. New classes of sustainable polymers are required to produce biodegradable materials for nanotechnology applications. This project aims to address this demand by developing versatile polymerisation catalysis protocols inspired by enzymatic systems. This new method of polymer synthesis expects to generate a diverse set of nanomaterials using chemical networks that modulate reaction conditions on-demand, providing facile control over polymer f ....Biomimetic catalysis for sustainable polymer syntheses. New classes of sustainable polymers are required to produce biodegradable materials for nanotechnology applications. This project aims to address this demand by developing versatile polymerisation catalysis protocols inspired by enzymatic systems. This new method of polymer synthesis expects to generate a diverse set of nanomaterials using chemical networks that modulate reaction conditions on-demand, providing facile control over polymer form and resulting function. The expected outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of polymer structure-property relationships and stimuli-responsive systems, and should provide significant benefits for the deployment of biorenewable polymers as next-generation soft materials.Read moreRead less
Engineering better sprays for leaf coating: from drop impact to retention. This proposal aims to understand the performance of a unique rheological modifier that can enable an order of magnitude increase in coating efficiency for aerosol sprays while not affecting the quality of droplet formation during spraying. The effect occurs via a dispersed network of fibrous particles in water, providing a weak but useful ability to coat surfaces by responsively adjusting its structure. The material is ex ....Engineering better sprays for leaf coating: from drop impact to retention. This proposal aims to understand the performance of a unique rheological modifier that can enable an order of magnitude increase in coating efficiency for aerosol sprays while not affecting the quality of droplet formation during spraying. The effect occurs via a dispersed network of fibrous particles in water, providing a weak but useful ability to coat surfaces by responsively adjusting its structure. The material is expected to enable a broad array of applications, from agricultural treatments to nasal sprays, by exhibiting responsive behaviour at concentrations much lower than conventional modifiers require. The project will study the responsiveness of the system in single droplet, spray, and coating form as well as an active delivery system.Read moreRead less
Understanding novel electronic and magnetic states in 4d and 5d oxides. This project aims to investigate the correlation between structural and electronic drivers of behaviour in complex metal oxides. Transition metal oxides are critical for modern electronics and discovering new materials and determining their physical properties is essential for the introduction of new technologies. This project will synthesis and characterise thermally novel oxides containing 4d and 5d transition metals to es ....Understanding novel electronic and magnetic states in 4d and 5d oxides. This project aims to investigate the correlation between structural and electronic drivers of behaviour in complex metal oxides. Transition metal oxides are critical for modern electronics and discovering new materials and determining their physical properties is essential for the introduction of new technologies. This project will synthesis and characterise thermally novel oxides containing 4d and 5d transition metals to establish the relationships between the chemistry, crystal structure and physical properties of such oxides. The unusual hierarchy of interactions in such oxides, and high sensitivity to crystal fields and subtle structural distortions, makes such oxides candidate materials for the realisation of various emergent quantum phases that may be used in the next generation of electronics. The proposal has the potential to significantly advance Australian research and development capacity in advanced materials and the associated high-tech industries.Read moreRead less