A new angle on the coalescence of drops. Many processes depend on what happens when drops and/or bubbles collide with each other, or with the surfaces of other materials. Examples include inkjet printing, agricultural spraying, spray coating of paints, pharmaceutical formulation, stability of cosmetics and foodstuffs, formation of froths and foams, and flow of bubbly liquids. To control these processes, we need to understand how and why drops sometimes do and sometimes do not coalesce with each ....A new angle on the coalescence of drops. Many processes depend on what happens when drops and/or bubbles collide with each other, or with the surfaces of other materials. Examples include inkjet printing, agricultural spraying, spray coating of paints, pharmaceutical formulation, stability of cosmetics and foodstuffs, formation of froths and foams, and flow of bubbly liquids. To control these processes, we need to understand how and why drops sometimes do and sometimes do not coalesce with each other or adhere to surfaces. The knowledge gained in this project will enable improvements to be made in the efficiency of processes such as those listed above.Read moreRead less
Towards Nano-Assembled Light Emitting Polymer Films. Advanced materials constructed with molecular level architecture through controlled nano-assembly will benefit medical science, biotechnology and nanotechnology, communications and the electronics fields. The national research priorities of nanotechnology and advanced materials through nano-assembly will be promoted by this work. This research will assist Australian industries to further advance these processes and devices leading to better qu ....Towards Nano-Assembled Light Emitting Polymer Films. Advanced materials constructed with molecular level architecture through controlled nano-assembly will benefit medical science, biotechnology and nanotechnology, communications and the electronics fields. The national research priorities of nanotechnology and advanced materials through nano-assembly will be promoted by this work. This research will assist Australian industries to further advance these processes and devices leading to better quality, cheaper, more efficient products. The Australian community will benefit through economic and technological advances. These advanced materials will promote health and environmental wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Adaptive optical devices by microstructuring of nanocomposite materials. This project will develop novel nanocomposite materials and use them to fabricate adaptive optical devices designed and fabricated using innovative methods. Specifically, we will develop and characterise transparent composite materials comprising a dispersion of nano-sized inclusions within a polymer host. The properties of these materials will be tailored to allow fabrication of adaptive optical devices (e.g. tunable filte ....Adaptive optical devices by microstructuring of nanocomposite materials. This project will develop novel nanocomposite materials and use them to fabricate adaptive optical devices designed and fabricated using innovative methods. Specifically, we will develop and characterise transparent composite materials comprising a dispersion of nano-sized inclusions within a polymer host. The properties of these materials will be tailored to allow fabrication of adaptive optical devices (e.g. tunable filters and optical switches), which will be key components in future high-performance optical systems. Inverse scattering design methods will be extended to design two-dimensional bandgap devices which will be fabricated by microstructuring of the composite polymer materials.Read moreRead less
Light-Matter Interactions In Nanoparticle-doped Microstructured Polymer Fibres. Microstructured optical fibres have been defined as the 'next generation' of optical fibres. This proposal offers the opportunity to make major advances in this dynamic new area, not only changing the fibre properties by means of its microstructured but also by its material properties. The proposed research will enable us to fabricate new types of optical fibre by exploiting three completely different technologies: p ....Light-Matter Interactions In Nanoparticle-doped Microstructured Polymer Fibres. Microstructured optical fibres have been defined as the 'next generation' of optical fibres. This proposal offers the opportunity to make major advances in this dynamic new area, not only changing the fibre properties by means of its microstructured but also by its material properties. The proposed research will enable us to fabricate new types of optical fibre by exploiting three completely different technologies: polymer materials, microstructured polymer fibres (mPOF) and nanoparticles. This project will build on our existing success in developing mPOF, and create major new opportunities, both in fundamental science and in applications that could and would be commercialised.Read moreRead less
Salt, Sugar and Sequence: The Effect of Molecular Forces on Polymer Conformation. We propose a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of single polymer chains, exploring how their shape or conformation, and stretching characteristics are affected by specific molecular interactions. Our tools in this study are both experimental and theoretical: optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy, as well as new theories in colloid science, and computer simulation. In particular, we will exa ....Salt, Sugar and Sequence: The Effect of Molecular Forces on Polymer Conformation. We propose a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of single polymer chains, exploring how their shape or conformation, and stretching characteristics are affected by specific molecular interactions. Our tools in this study are both experimental and theoretical: optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy, as well as new theories in colloid science, and computer simulation. In particular, we will examine the effect of different salts and sugars upon the properties of polymers such as DNA, and how monomer sequence can lead to dramatically different structures in solution which in turn will lead to novel materials.Read moreRead less