The role of chlorophyll f in photosynthesis. The knowledge of energetic limits of oxygenic photosynthesis will provide opportunities for improving the efficiency of photosynthesis by using a wider range of the solar spectrum. This project aims to understand the roles of newly discovered chlorophyll f in central photoreactions and its biosynthesis.
Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials ....Rational Design of Novel Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting and Energy Efficiency. Multiferroics are a class of fundamentally complex materials in which several ferroic orders (for example, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic) coexist. The coupling between their electric and magnetic degrees of freedom is controllable via stress and external fields, thus opening the possibility for breakthrough technological developments. By working at the frontier of complex nanostructured oxide materials, this project aims to establish the rational basis for systematic design of novel artificially layered multiferroics, develop accurate and computationally affordable methods to simulate these materials under finite-temperature conditions, and exploit this knowledge to devise likely revolutionary photovoltaic, nanoelectronic and energy conversion applications.Read moreRead less
Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction ....Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction architectures, paving the way for cost-effective, high-efficiency, flexible solar cells. The expected outcomes include a disruptive technology for integrated photovoltaics, novel contact and passivation materials, as well as new knowledge generated in materials science and optoelectronics disciplines.Read moreRead less
Indoor Photovoltaics Enabled by Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Quantum Dots. This project aims to develop a high-efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology to provide reliable low-cost power in the multi-billion dollar “Internet of Things” (IoT) market. There are currently no devices that meet the requirements for maximum operating efficiency under indoor illumination. We propose to solve this problem by fabricating PV cells using colloidal perovskite quantum dots that offer class-leading stability ....Indoor Photovoltaics Enabled by Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Quantum Dots. This project aims to develop a high-efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology to provide reliable low-cost power in the multi-billion dollar “Internet of Things” (IoT) market. There are currently no devices that meet the requirements for maximum operating efficiency under indoor illumination. We propose to solve this problem by fabricating PV cells using colloidal perovskite quantum dots that offer class-leading stability and band gap tunability across the required range, enabled by quantum confinement. The outcome is the development of integrated self-powered IoT devices potentially impacting Advanced Manufacturing growth in Energy, Cyber Security, Food and Agribusiness, as all of these will ultimately rely on networked smart devices.Read moreRead less
Interactions, phase behavior and self-assembly of colloidal nanorods: Establishing design rules for creating new nano-structured materials. This project aims to apply new computational methods developed by the applicant to characterise the interactions between colloidal nanorods and their self-assembly in the presence of interfaces and directional interactions. While nanoparticles can currently be made in a staggering array of shapes, patterns and materials, organising such objects into extended ....Interactions, phase behavior and self-assembly of colloidal nanorods: Establishing design rules for creating new nano-structured materials. This project aims to apply new computational methods developed by the applicant to characterise the interactions between colloidal nanorods and their self-assembly in the presence of interfaces and directional interactions. While nanoparticles can currently be made in a staggering array of shapes, patterns and materials, organising such objects into extended structures that could revolutionise technology remains a challenge. The expected outcome is a robust strategy for making monolayer films of rods aligned perpendicular to a variety of interfaces for the fabrication of solar cells, microfiltration membranes and biosensors.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100473
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,573.00
Summary
Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a nov ....Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a novel power-conversion architecture, a unified design framework, and a new control theory. The intended research outcome will be a new range of ultra-high-performance micro-inverters. This will promote greater solar uptake and maintain Australia’s leadership in the development of disruptive solar power generation technology.Read moreRead less
Solar E-Waste in Africa: facilitating the right to repair. This project aims to investigate the issue of solar e-waste in Sub Saharan Africa – an outcome of the global transition to renewable energy – and emergent local repair geographies equipped to address this challenge. This project is designed to generate new knowledge regarding solar e-waste using interdisciplinary approaches to critically map the issue and assess the viability and justice implications of possible product repair solutions. ....Solar E-Waste in Africa: facilitating the right to repair. This project aims to investigate the issue of solar e-waste in Sub Saharan Africa – an outcome of the global transition to renewable energy – and emergent local repair geographies equipped to address this challenge. This project is designed to generate new knowledge regarding solar e-waste using interdisciplinary approaches to critically map the issue and assess the viability and justice implications of possible product repair solutions. Expected outcomes of this project include a detailed understanding of the solar e-waste problem in Global South settings, and an assessment of local repair approaches. This will provide significant benefits for actors in Sub Saharan and similar Global South contexts grappling with solar e-waste.Read moreRead less
Dyes and Pigments as Building Blocks for Novel High Performance Organic Semiconductors. Natural dyes and pigments are well known for their bright colours, photochemical and thermal stability, and cheap cost. Recently, the necessity of high performing materials in the organic electronics has stimulated a renaissance of these historical molecules and their subsequent derivatives into new families of ?-conjugated building blocks used to construct new donor-acceptor semiconductors. The aim of this p ....Dyes and Pigments as Building Blocks for Novel High Performance Organic Semiconductors. Natural dyes and pigments are well known for their bright colours, photochemical and thermal stability, and cheap cost. Recently, the necessity of high performing materials in the organic electronics has stimulated a renaissance of these historical molecules and their subsequent derivatives into new families of ?-conjugated building blocks used to construct new donor-acceptor semiconductors. The aim of this project is to explore various novel dyes, pigments and their derivatives for constructing outstanding materials for future organic electronics.Read moreRead less
Colloidal quantum dot solar cells on silicon solar cells: Ultra-high efficiency silicon tandems. This project aims to produce ultra-high efficiency solar cells using nanoparticle colloids. Wide bandgap cells will be fabricated and applied on top of the high efficiency silicon solar cells pioneered at The University of New South Wales. Colloidal nanoparticles offer tunable electronic bandgaps, low process temperatures and uniform size dispersions from industrially feasible processes. A simple mod ....Colloidal quantum dot solar cells on silicon solar cells: Ultra-high efficiency silicon tandems. This project aims to produce ultra-high efficiency solar cells using nanoparticle colloids. Wide bandgap cells will be fabricated and applied on top of the high efficiency silicon solar cells pioneered at The University of New South Wales. Colloidal nanoparticles offer tunable electronic bandgaps, low process temperatures and uniform size dispersions from industrially feasible processes. A simple modification eliminates direct series connections between stacked nanoparticle solar cells, greatly improving device performance. The immense potential of these advantages set target efficiencies for combined colloidal nanoparticle and high efficiency silicon tandem cells above 30 per cent.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100912
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,136.00
Summary
The Photovoltaic Turn in Africa. This project aims to develop a detailed understanding of the drivers behind the recent rapid rise of photovoltaic (solar) energy products in East Africa through extensive fieldwork research in Kenya and Uganda. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the complex dynamics of renewable energy transitions in Africa. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of theoretical, empirical and policy insights that will inform how sustainable and j ....The Photovoltaic Turn in Africa. This project aims to develop a detailed understanding of the drivers behind the recent rapid rise of photovoltaic (solar) energy products in East Africa through extensive fieldwork research in Kenya and Uganda. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the complex dynamics of renewable energy transitions in Africa. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of theoretical, empirical and policy insights that will inform how sustainable and just energy transitions are able to be realised in energy poverty contexts in the Global South. This should provide benefits, such as helping to inform the actions of governments, aid donors, businesses and organisation working to eliminate energy poverty in Africa.Read moreRead less