Reactivity Enhanced Low-Valent Alkaline Earth Metal Compounds. The project aims to develop highly activated low oxidation state alkaline earth metal complexes as cheap and sustainable alternatives to toxic/expensive late transition metal complexes, that currently dominate the transformation of inert small molecule substrates into value-added organic chemicals. The project expects to generate major fundamental and applied advances in chemistry, using innovative synthetic and computational approac ....Reactivity Enhanced Low-Valent Alkaline Earth Metal Compounds. The project aims to develop highly activated low oxidation state alkaline earth metal complexes as cheap and sustainable alternatives to toxic/expensive late transition metal complexes, that currently dominate the transformation of inert small molecule substrates into value-added organic chemicals. The project expects to generate major fundamental and applied advances in chemistry, using innovative synthetic and computational approaches, and a multidisciplinary collaborative team. Expected outcomes include building of academic and, later, industrial research capacity, knowledge, an international network, and a highly trained workforce. Success should see substantial economic, environmental and societal benefits flowing to Australia.Read moreRead less
Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electr ....Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electronic factors can be used to modify and advance rare earth chemistry. This project should provide significant benefit such as are a better knowledge base in rare earth chemistry to underpin future applications in chemical manufacturing, new materials, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Rare earth-free high-performance magnets. This project aims to discover new magnetic materials that are competitive for advanced technology applications, free of the rare earth metals that currently dominate the high-performance end of the market. Global demand for non-renewable rare earth metals is rapidly approaching a critical point and alternatives are needed. The project will use data-mining algorithms augmented by quantum calculations to find the most promising candidates among tens of tho ....Rare earth-free high-performance magnets. This project aims to discover new magnetic materials that are competitive for advanced technology applications, free of the rare earth metals that currently dominate the high-performance end of the market. Global demand for non-renewable rare earth metals is rapidly approaching a critical point and alternatives are needed. The project will use data-mining algorithms augmented by quantum calculations to find the most promising candidates among tens of thousands of reported but untested materials, so that synthesis and characterisation resources can be directed to the right places. After iterative cycling to optimise the chemical composition and structure, the best materials will be prepared for fabrication into technologically useful forms.Read moreRead less
Alkane transformations through binding to metals. Alkanes are fully saturated hydrocarbons and they are the major components of petroleum, including natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon fuels. They are abundant but finite, and their primary usage has been as fuels since they burn readily and release energy. Alkanes are relatively low-value, high-volume chemical feedstocks which are not easy to convert into more useful value-added materials. This project focuses on developing positively charged met ....Alkane transformations through binding to metals. Alkanes are fully saturated hydrocarbons and they are the major components of petroleum, including natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon fuels. They are abundant but finite, and their primary usage has been as fuels since they burn readily and release energy. Alkanes are relatively low-value, high-volume chemical feedstocks which are not easy to convert into more useful value-added materials. This project focuses on developing positively charged metal-based compounds that can bind directly to alkanes to increase their reactivity and enable their transformation into higher value products such as alcohols and olefins which are important chemical feedstocks.Read moreRead less
Switching, sensing and multifunctionality in spin crossover materials. This project aims to increase the temperature range where molecular spin states can be switched optically or electronically, and to develop new multifunctional materials combining switchable hosts with functional guests. By combining novel theories, synthesis and experiments, this project expects to generate step-change advances in the understanding of spin-switching materials and discover materials with novel properties wort ....Switching, sensing and multifunctionality in spin crossover materials. This project aims to increase the temperature range where molecular spin states can be switched optically or electronically, and to develop new multifunctional materials combining switchable hosts with functional guests. By combining novel theories, synthesis and experiments, this project expects to generate step-change advances in the understanding of spin-switching materials and discover materials with novel properties worthy of commercial development. Significant anticipated outcomes and benefits include the identification and development of several new classes of materials function, each of major fundamental interest, and the generation of new advanced materials with applications in electronics, sensing and gas separations.Read moreRead less
Counting the Electrons: Nickel Catalysed Electrochemical C-H Activation. Modern chemical synthetic methods using organometallic catalysts are highly prized in chemical industry and provide a multibillion dollar driver for world economies. However, traditional catalysis is expensive because of the reliance on rare earth metals often conjunction with toxic additives or reagents. The aim of this work is to develop new inexpensive transition metal catalysts based on earth abundant nickel and harness ....Counting the Electrons: Nickel Catalysed Electrochemical C-H Activation. Modern chemical synthetic methods using organometallic catalysts are highly prized in chemical industry and provide a multibillion dollar driver for world economies. However, traditional catalysis is expensive because of the reliance on rare earth metals often conjunction with toxic additives or reagents. The aim of this work is to develop new inexpensive transition metal catalysts based on earth abundant nickel and harness the power of electrons through electrochemistry to dramatically improve the reactivity of these catalysts. This project will seek to improve the way both complex and commonly used chemicals constructed through an atom economical process with potentially renewably produced electrons.Read moreRead less
Data Driven Discovery of New Catalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis. This project aims to discover new catalytic strategies for the synthesis of valuable nitrogen-containing molecules. An innovative approach combining statistical modelling techniques and chemical synthesis tactics will be used to establish a unique platform for predictable catalyst design that significantly accelerates the discovery process. As a result, new organometallic catalysts that efficiently convert simple and readily access ....Data Driven Discovery of New Catalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis. This project aims to discover new catalytic strategies for the synthesis of valuable nitrogen-containing molecules. An innovative approach combining statistical modelling techniques and chemical synthesis tactics will be used to establish a unique platform for predictable catalyst design that significantly accelerates the discovery process. As a result, new organometallic catalysts that efficiently convert simple and readily accessible chemical building blocks into complex chiral amine derivatives in a safer and more cost effective manner will be identified. These new catalytic strategies will be of significant utility, enabling the invention and more sustainable manufacture of agrochemicals, life-saving medicines, and functional materials.Read moreRead less
Heavy Metal Chemistry Goes Nuclear: Radioactive Rhenium and Terbium Agents. This project aims to make fundamental advances in the basic knowledge of the bioinorganic chemistry of radioactive metals that have the potential to be used in the future as radioactive drugs. Technological advances in the production of radioactive isotopes of rhenium and terbium have increased the feasibility of using these radionuclides as radioactive drugs, but their use requires new basic knowledge in their fundament ....Heavy Metal Chemistry Goes Nuclear: Radioactive Rhenium and Terbium Agents. This project aims to make fundamental advances in the basic knowledge of the bioinorganic chemistry of radioactive metals that have the potential to be used in the future as radioactive drugs. Technological advances in the production of radioactive isotopes of rhenium and terbium have increased the feasibility of using these radionuclides as radioactive drugs, but their use requires new basic knowledge in their fundamental coordination chemistry. This project will develop new ways to synthesise radioactive rhenium and terbium complexes. The outcomes of this project will be an improved understanding of the coordination chemistry rhenium and terbium which is required to inform their future translation to new radiopharmaceuticals.Read moreRead less
Investigating Energy Transfer Pathways in Lanthanoid Elements. This project aims to investigate fundamental aspects concerning the luminescent properties of compounds containing lanthanoid elements. These elements have extensive use in many high-tech applications, yet essential knowledge related to their properties is still quite limited. This project will elucidate in detail the origin of lanthanoid luminescence through a multidisciplinary approach combining synthetic chemistry and spectroscopy ....Investigating Energy Transfer Pathways in Lanthanoid Elements. This project aims to investigate fundamental aspects concerning the luminescent properties of compounds containing lanthanoid elements. These elements have extensive use in many high-tech applications, yet essential knowledge related to their properties is still quite limited. This project will elucidate in detail the origin of lanthanoid luminescence through a multidisciplinary approach combining synthetic chemistry and spectroscopy. The outcomes of this proposal will expand our limited knowledge in this field, underpinning the future development of novel materials for advanced applications. This will lead to significant economic benefit in Australia as new commercial applications relying on lanthanoid luminescence will be developed.Read moreRead less
Boron Nitrogen Isostere-Doped Organometallics for Molecular Electronics. The challenge of connecting two or more metals by a single chain of carbon atoms attracts intense study, thereby mimicking electronic circuitry at the molecular level. BN-Isosteric compounds involve selectively replacing (doping) carbon atoms with the elements boron (B) and nitrogen (N). These unprecedented materials should emulate and likely exceed the properties of all-carbon systems. This project aims to design and s .... Boron Nitrogen Isostere-Doped Organometallics for Molecular Electronics. The challenge of connecting two or more metals by a single chain of carbon atoms attracts intense study, thereby mimicking electronic circuitry at the molecular level. BN-Isosteric compounds involve selectively replacing (doping) carbon atoms with the elements boron (B) and nitrogen (N). These unprecedented materials should emulate and likely exceed the properties of all-carbon systems. This project aims to design and synthesise the first molecular BN-isosteric carbon-wire materials including examples based on metal-carbon multiple bonding. Expected outcomes beyond their isolation include high-level interrogation of the structure-function behaviour of their electrical and optical properties relevant to the technologies that will emerge.Read moreRead less