New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. P ....New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. Plastic is present everywhere in human life, but its manufacture and disposal have a strong negative impact on the environment; the new materials manufactured in this project are viable alternatives to plastics, and are sustainable from a production and disposal point of view.Read moreRead less
Novel Complex Architecture Polymers via a Combination of RAFT Chemistry and Pericyclic Reactions: Synthesis and Characterization. The project aims at advancing the synthetic limits and broadening the synthetic scope of living free radical polymerization and thus enhancing the library of polymer structures available for applications ranging from drug delivery to opto-electronics. Current material design for these applications is yet to reach its full potential through innovative synthetic approac ....Novel Complex Architecture Polymers via a Combination of RAFT Chemistry and Pericyclic Reactions: Synthesis and Characterization. The project aims at advancing the synthetic limits and broadening the synthetic scope of living free radical polymerization and thus enhancing the library of polymer structures available for applications ranging from drug delivery to opto-electronics. Current material design for these applications is yet to reach its full potential through innovative synthetic approaches. The proposal critically underpins and further advances Australia's leading position in both breakthrough science as well as advanced materials. Due to its significant scientific breadth and large coverage of both synthetic and physical aspects of polymer science, the project also provides a significant platform for research training at both honours and PhD level.Read moreRead less
Synthesis and Characterisation of Encoded Hybrid Polymer/Gold Nanoparticles for Application in Bioassays. Bioassays are the cornerstone of in vitro diagnostic and biomedical research. This proposal will significantly contribute to these areas, by targeting an emerging technology that is crucial for their future development. The hybrid nanoparticles described in this project have the potential to replace conventional detection strategies that are currently used for bioassays. In doing so, they sh ....Synthesis and Characterisation of Encoded Hybrid Polymer/Gold Nanoparticles for Application in Bioassays. Bioassays are the cornerstone of in vitro diagnostic and biomedical research. This proposal will significantly contribute to these areas, by targeting an emerging technology that is crucial for their future development. The hybrid nanoparticles described in this project have the potential to replace conventional detection strategies that are currently used for bioassays. In doing so, they should provide significant advantages over conventional detection strategies. These advantages include increased sample throughput and conservation of biological samples, which makes possible the acceleration of patient diagnosis and drug discovery. Read moreRead less
New Transparent Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings Using Multireactive Inorganic Cages. New polymeric nanocomposite coatings are proposed with enhanced abrasion resistance, toughness and optical functionality, suitable for the coating of optical plastic substrates. These composites contain inorganic cages, dispersed and chemically-coupled within the crosslinked organic matrix. In addition to good mechanical behaviour, high value properties such as colorisation on exposure to light and resistance to ....New Transparent Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings Using Multireactive Inorganic Cages. New polymeric nanocomposite coatings are proposed with enhanced abrasion resistance, toughness and optical functionality, suitable for the coating of optical plastic substrates. These composites contain inorganic cages, dispersed and chemically-coupled within the crosslinked organic matrix. In addition to good mechanical behaviour, high value properties such as colorisation on exposure to light and resistance to damage from high energy lasers will be achieved by attachment to the cages of chemical units with optical activity. These cages are of nanometre size and an important aspect of the project involves probing the resultant structure at the molecular level, using advanced characterisation techniques.Read moreRead less
Calcification of acrylic hydrogels in abiotic media: mechanism and control. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA) and other acrylic hydrogels are extensively used as biomaterials, yet conclusive evidence exists that they have a propensity to calcify following implantation. This process has undesirable consequences on the functionality of various prostheses. Based on preliminary observations that PHEMA can promote the deposition of calcium minerals from media devoid of biological factors, whic ....Calcification of acrylic hydrogels in abiotic media: mechanism and control. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA) and other acrylic hydrogels are extensively used as biomaterials, yet conclusive evidence exists that they have a propensity to calcify following implantation. This process has undesirable consequences on the functionality of various prostheses. Based on preliminary observations that PHEMA can promote the deposition of calcium minerals from media devoid of biological factors, which appears thus to be an inherent property of the polymer, the project aims at formulating new hypotheses to explain this phenomenon, and to confirm them experimentally. The "chelation" hypothesis will be validated by modifying the structure of polymers, and the "spontaneous precipitation" hypothesis by assessing the effect of solutes on the equilibrium water content of polymers. NMR and FTIR spectrometric techniques will be used to gain further insight into the mechanism of calcification. Methods to prevent the calcification will potentially result from these experiments, however, anticalcification agents will also be incorporated into hydrogels and their effect evaluated in calcification assays.Read moreRead less
Pro-Fluorescent Aryl Nitroxides: New Probes for Polymer Lifetime and Kinetics Research. Internal aryl rings present in novel probes developed for this project impart fluorescence which is efficiently and internally quenched by the presence of a paramagnetic nitroxide group. Scavenging of radicals by the nitroxide however "switches on" the fluorescence and this enables powerful new fluorescence-based detection levels for the technique of nitroxide free radical scavenging. Such sensitivity is a ....Pro-Fluorescent Aryl Nitroxides: New Probes for Polymer Lifetime and Kinetics Research. Internal aryl rings present in novel probes developed for this project impart fluorescence which is efficiently and internally quenched by the presence of a paramagnetic nitroxide group. Scavenging of radicals by the nitroxide however "switches on" the fluorescence and this enables powerful new fluorescence-based detection levels for the technique of nitroxide free radical scavenging. Such sensitivity is applicable to polymerization kinetics studies, as well as providing new means for the determination of materials lifetimes. The development of pro-fluorescent markers as indicators for polymer degradation would be a significant outcome for materials where component failure has a major negative impact.Read moreRead less
Defining Polymer Structures in Radical Polymerization Systems: Chain Birth, Chain Growth and Complex Macromolecular Architectures. The project underpins and extends Australia's leading position in the development and application of novel methods to generate advanced polymeric materials. By carefully studying the reaction pathways underpinning the polymerization processes, an in-depth picture of the polymerization is obtained. The research outcomes will strongly benefit the preparation of the com ....Defining Polymer Structures in Radical Polymerization Systems: Chain Birth, Chain Growth and Complex Macromolecular Architectures. The project underpins and extends Australia's leading position in the development and application of novel methods to generate advanced polymeric materials. By carefully studying the reaction pathways underpinning the polymerization processes, an in-depth picture of the polymerization is obtained. The research outcomes will strongly benefit the preparation of the coming generations of intelligent polymer materials of a highly controlled structure, responsive to their environment, with an even broader range of applications than existing polymers. In addition, the project has a substantial educational component providing training embedded in cutting polymer science for several honours and 1 PhD student.Read moreRead less
Design of Novel Polymer Micro-Porous Coatings. This project utilises unique polymer structures that self-organise into highly-ordered polymer films. These polymer films have arrays of pores with pore diameters on the micron scale. These films are suitable for high-technology membranes applications, in for instance, biosensors.
Dynamics of Photon-Induced Processes in Engineered Polymer Systems. This project will investigate photo-induced energy and electron transport in innovative polymer systems of well defined structure. New functionalised, aromatic and conjugated polymers will be synthesised and studied by ultrafast laser spectroscopic techniques. Information on the dynamics of light energy dissipation processes in these polymers on time-scales down to the femtosecond regime and at a single molecule level will be ....Dynamics of Photon-Induced Processes in Engineered Polymer Systems. This project will investigate photo-induced energy and electron transport in innovative polymer systems of well defined structure. New functionalised, aromatic and conjugated polymers will be synthesised and studied by ultrafast laser spectroscopic techniques. Information on the dynamics of light energy dissipation processes in these polymers on time-scales down to the femtosecond regime and at a single molecule level will be obtained. The results will provide the basic information required to develop novel photon-active materials and devices.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of nanocomposite polymers with targeted properties. This project aims to synthesise novel nanocomposite polymers by living radical polymerisation in water and to understand the way polymer microstructure and nanomorphology control material properties. This will provide the enabling science so that nanomaterials with targeted properties can be tailor-made for biomedical and speciality-coatings applications, and thus dispense with the current trial-and-error methodology. The innovations ....Synthesis of nanocomposite polymers with targeted properties. This project aims to synthesise novel nanocomposite polymers by living radical polymerisation in water and to understand the way polymer microstructure and nanomorphology control material properties. This will provide the enabling science so that nanomaterials with targeted properties can be tailor-made for biomedical and speciality-coatings applications, and thus dispense with the current trial-and-error methodology. The innovations in this project are the novel synthesis of complex polymer architectures in water, and the first quantitative and qualitative structure-property correlations for such materials. This will also result in a deepened understanding of the mechanisms governing the formation of these nanocomposites.Read moreRead less