Sulfur-based materials for infrared optics and thermal imaging. This project aims to investigate novel sulfur polymers for use in infrared optics and thermal imaging. Current thermal imaging lenses are made in energy-intensive processes from expensive semiconductors and toxic chalcogenide glasses. In contrast, highly abundant elemental sulfur can be converted into polymers that are highly transparent to mid- and long-wave infrared light, providing a promising low-cost alternative. In developing ....Sulfur-based materials for infrared optics and thermal imaging. This project aims to investigate novel sulfur polymers for use in infrared optics and thermal imaging. Current thermal imaging lenses are made in energy-intensive processes from expensive semiconductors and toxic chalcogenide glasses. In contrast, highly abundant elemental sulfur can be converted into polymers that are highly transparent to mid- and long-wave infrared light, providing a promising low-cost alternative. In developing this technology, expected outcomes include novel methods to manufacture polymers from low-cost sulfur and their use as lenses for thermal imaging. Significant benefits are expected, such as access to low-cost, recyclable materials for thermal imaging required in surveillance, diagnostics, and spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Plasmonic nanoparticle catalysis for nitrogen-based synthesis. Light can generate an optical force to capture small objects. This requires intense light – a laser, which limits optical trapping in catalysis applications. This project aims to apply plasmonic nanoparticles with normal-intensity light to take advantage of plasmonic-generated optical forces for catalytic chemical synthesis. The optical trapping/releasing of small molecules is highly selective and responsive to molecule structure and ....Plasmonic nanoparticle catalysis for nitrogen-based synthesis. Light can generate an optical force to capture small objects. This requires intense light – a laser, which limits optical trapping in catalysis applications. This project aims to apply plasmonic nanoparticles with normal-intensity light to take advantage of plasmonic-generated optical forces for catalytic chemical synthesis. The optical trapping/releasing of small molecules is highly selective and responsive to molecule structure and so presents a great opportunity to radically alter chemical synthesis pathways, which will be illustrated with reactions on liquid-solid and gas-solid interfaces. This highly innovative strategy will be used to discover new nitrogen-based syntheses which are both fundamentally and industrially important.Read moreRead less
Diamond Voltage Microscopy: A new tool for neuroscience. This project aims to develop an optoelectronic voltage imaging microscope that can capture the sub-cellular electrical dynamics of neuronal networks. This will be achieved by leveraging the team’s technological breakthrough in the production of near-surface fluorescent defects in semiconducting diamond, which can optically detect local changes in electric potential. The expected outcomes of the project are a new microscopy modality and exp ....Diamond Voltage Microscopy: A new tool for neuroscience. This project aims to develop an optoelectronic voltage imaging microscope that can capture the sub-cellular electrical dynamics of neuronal networks. This will be achieved by leveraging the team’s technological breakthrough in the production of near-surface fluorescent defects in semiconducting diamond, which can optically detect local changes in electric potential. The expected outcomes of the project are a new microscopy modality and experimental framework which enables in vitro electrophysiological stimulation and recording at network scale and with single-synapse resolution. This will provide a much-needed tool to understand mechanisms underlying learning, memory formation and recall, and cognitive decline.Read moreRead less
Super-Resolution Nanothermometry on Live Cells. This project aims to deliver new temperature sensors and advance the field of nanothermometry beyond its optical diffraction limit and current reliability issues. The project expects to forge a new way to study organelle metabolism and functional interactions by creating a super-resolution heat map of living cells. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of ionic energy transfer among lanthanide ions, innovative super-resolution imaging nanothermom ....Super-Resolution Nanothermometry on Live Cells. This project aims to deliver new temperature sensors and advance the field of nanothermometry beyond its optical diffraction limit and current reliability issues. The project expects to forge a new way to study organelle metabolism and functional interactions by creating a super-resolution heat map of living cells. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of ionic energy transfer among lanthanide ions, innovative super-resolution imaging nanothermometers, new biochemistry and cell biology protocols, and spectroscopy and microscopy instruments. The adoption of these outcomes in new technologies should provide significant benefits in cell biology research, life sciences, engineering sciences and Australia’s imaging and sensor industries.Read moreRead less
Nature’s advanced optical materials and their role in thermal management. This project aims to discover the nano-structural properties of beetles than enable effective management of solar and thermal radiation in different environments. A further aim is to reveal how these composite biological materials combine thermal control with desirable mechanical properties, such as strength and flexibility. Passive control of radiative energy is critical for both animal survival and for the design of many ....Nature’s advanced optical materials and their role in thermal management. This project aims to discover the nano-structural properties of beetles than enable effective management of solar and thermal radiation in different environments. A further aim is to reveal how these composite biological materials combine thermal control with desirable mechanical properties, such as strength and flexibility. Passive control of radiative energy is critical for both animal survival and for the design of many manufactured materials, particularly in a warming world. This interdisciplinary project will provide new knowledge of the different ways that biological materials mediate radiative energy exchange with the environment. This knowledge is essential for the design of bioinspired, energy-efficient, multi-functional materials.Read moreRead less