Thin combinatorial films for heat management in microelectronics. This project aims to provide a viable solution for heat management in microelectronics by using highly efficient Peltier devices made with thin combinatorial films. Heat generated by electric current, which is ubiquitous in microelectronic devices, has become increasingly problematic for high density charge-based logical circuitries. The project will significantly enhance the energy conversion efficiency of Peltier devices by opti ....Thin combinatorial films for heat management in microelectronics. This project aims to provide a viable solution for heat management in microelectronics by using highly efficient Peltier devices made with thin combinatorial films. Heat generated by electric current, which is ubiquitous in microelectronic devices, has become increasingly problematic for high density charge-based logical circuitries. The project will significantly enhance the energy conversion efficiency of Peltier devices by optimising the interdependent electron and phonon transports, simultaneously, with a new concept of thin combinatorial films for heat management in microelectronic devices. This is expected to facilitate the development of novel materials in Australia, with access to a large global market.Read moreRead less
Beyond Phononic Crystals-Building New Concepts to Enhance Thermoelectricity. Waste heat, which is discharged into the environment from industrial plants and vehicle exhausts, represents a huge amount of lost energy and is a major contributor to global warming. Thermoelectric materials, which can generate electricity from the waste heat, could play an important role in a global sustainable energy solution while reducing greenhouse emissions. This program is aimed at experimental and theoretical d ....Beyond Phononic Crystals-Building New Concepts to Enhance Thermoelectricity. Waste heat, which is discharged into the environment from industrial plants and vehicle exhausts, represents a huge amount of lost energy and is a major contributor to global warming. Thermoelectric materials, which can generate electricity from the waste heat, could play an important role in a global sustainable energy solution while reducing greenhouse emissions. This program is aimed at experimental and theoretical development of new concepts to engineer the interfaces with various atomic stacking sequence of two complex oxides and also the three-dimensional binary nanocube superlattices to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of oxide based thermoelectric materials by several times over today's state-of-the-art.Read moreRead less
Interactions between linear and interfacial crystalline defects and their impact on mechanical properties in nanostructured metals and alloys. The project aims to apply in-situ deformation transmission electron microscopy to investigate the interactions among crystalline defects in nanostructured metallic materials and to explore the effect of the interactions on mechanical properties. The results will guide the structural design of nanomaterials with superior mechanical properties.
Indistinguishable Quantum Emitters in van der Waals Materials. Solid state sources of single photons ("quantum emitters") are a key building block for implementation of scalable quantum technologies. Amongst many potential platforms studied, impurities in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are at the forefront due to their brightness and ease of manufacturing. However, their main disadvantage is spectral instability which prohibits engineering of practical devices. The current project will address th ....Indistinguishable Quantum Emitters in van der Waals Materials. Solid state sources of single photons ("quantum emitters") are a key building block for implementation of scalable quantum technologies. Amongst many potential platforms studied, impurities in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are at the forefront due to their brightness and ease of manufacturing. However, their main disadvantage is spectral instability which prohibits engineering of practical devices. The current project will address this bottleneck and deliver an optically stable solid state quantum light source in hBN. The project will produce a robust hardware toolkit for quantum technologies. It will provide excellent training for young Australians and generate key intellectual property for quantum startups and the quantum industry.Read moreRead less
Highly Efficient Nanomotors for Autonomous Cell Recognition and Isolation. This project aims to develop next-generation self-driven nanomotors capable of long-range motion with highly controlled directionality for cell recognition, transportation and separation in complex biological environments, to allow autonomous and seamless cell sorting with high accuracy. The anticipated goal of this project is to advance the field of nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing with potential to support new ....Highly Efficient Nanomotors for Autonomous Cell Recognition and Isolation. This project aims to develop next-generation self-driven nanomotors capable of long-range motion with highly controlled directionality for cell recognition, transportation and separation in complex biological environments, to allow autonomous and seamless cell sorting with high accuracy. The anticipated goal of this project is to advance the field of nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing with potential to support new applications and to value-add Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry, presenting new opportunities for Australian MedTech industries with innovative, disruptive technologies to address its unique needs and to claim Australia’s position within the competitive global market.Read moreRead less
Mixed-Dimensional 2D/0D Heterostructures for Infrared Detection. The aim of this proposal is to develop novel mixed-dimensional 2D/0D heterostructures based on halide and chalcogenide nanomaterials to construct a highly efficient solution-processing platform for short wave infrared detection. Moreover, innovative low-dose transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy will be applied to unveil the fundamental structure-property relationship and fill the gap of knowledge for these materials. S ....Mixed-Dimensional 2D/0D Heterostructures for Infrared Detection. The aim of this proposal is to develop novel mixed-dimensional 2D/0D heterostructures based on halide and chalcogenide nanomaterials to construct a highly efficient solution-processing platform for short wave infrared detection. Moreover, innovative low-dose transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy will be applied to unveil the fundamental structure-property relationship and fill the gap of knowledge for these materials. Such mixed-dimensional nano-heterostructures combining 2D halide perovskites with 0D quantum dots with complementary physical properties and atomically resolved interfaces will significantly enhance the performance, thereby enabling breakthroughs in a broad range of disruptive optoelectronic technologies. Read moreRead less
Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and ....Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and hard materials with tuneable optical and electronic properties. The expected outcome is new light materials that emit and detect light in the far ultraviolet for biological imaging and tough materials with low friction needed for motors and regenerative technologies.Read moreRead less
Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Mechano-Regulation of Stem Cell Fate. Mechanical stimulation plays a critical role in regulating stem cell fate. Nanostructure-mediated mechanical cues can precisely stimulate stem cells, but predicting their impact on stem cell differentiation is challenging. This project aims to engineer nanostructures to regulate stem cell fate and gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanical properties that affect cell function. The expected outcomes and benefits of this ....Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Mechano-Regulation of Stem Cell Fate. Mechanical stimulation plays a critical role in regulating stem cell fate. Nanostructure-mediated mechanical cues can precisely stimulate stem cells, but predicting their impact on stem cell differentiation is challenging. This project aims to engineer nanostructures to regulate stem cell fate and gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanical properties that affect cell function. The expected outcomes and benefits of this project include a new fundamental understanding of the effect of mechanical properties on cell function, novel insights into the regulation of stem cell fate, and the development of a new class of roughness-tunable materials suitable for use in tissue engineering and pharmaceutical applications. Read moreRead less
Gas-enriched slippery surfaces. This project will exploit novel experimental and simulations approaches to investigate gas enrichment at liquid-liquid interfaces, and its effect on interfacial slip. The outcomes of the project will be a deeper understanding of oil-water interfaces capturing the presence of interfacial gas layers, slippery surfaces with superior drag reducing and fouling reducing properties, and control over nanobubble formation under flow. The new surfaces will have potential ap ....Gas-enriched slippery surfaces. This project will exploit novel experimental and simulations approaches to investigate gas enrichment at liquid-liquid interfaces, and its effect on interfacial slip. The outcomes of the project will be a deeper understanding of oil-water interfaces capturing the presence of interfacial gas layers, slippery surfaces with superior drag reducing and fouling reducing properties, and control over nanobubble formation under flow. The new surfaces will have potential application in improving the energy efficiency of microfluidic and multiphase flow. Benefits are expected in terms of reduced emissions, fuel cost and pollution related to transport of goods by sea, and extraction of oil from rocks.Read moreRead less
Diamane: A New Frontier in Materials Science. Single-layer diamond (‘diamane’) is a new frontier of material research although its preparation is still in infancy with many structures predicted possible but have not been made experimentally. Built on a new chemical route for 'graphite to diamane' transformation, this project will address a research gap towards synthesising new diamane(-like) nanostructures and developing an in-depth understanding of the chemically induced phase transformation an ....Diamane: A New Frontier in Materials Science. Single-layer diamond (‘diamane’) is a new frontier of material research although its preparation is still in infancy with many structures predicted possible but have not been made experimentally. Built on a new chemical route for 'graphite to diamane' transformation, this project will address a research gap towards synthesising new diamane(-like) nanostructures and developing an in-depth understanding of the chemically induced phase transformation and structure-property correlations, which will have far-reaching impact on scientific fields beyond carbon research. Preliminary data points to both feasibility and impact for discovering new materials and technologies, which will bring foreseeable scholarly, economic, and social benefits.Read moreRead less