All-Metal Nanoporous Materials as Highly Active Electrocatalysts. This project aims to create new avenues for well-controlled large-scale synthesis of hierarchical nanoporous platinum-based architectures, and develop applications for the resultant new electrocatalysts. Developing novel high-performance, low-cost, and long-life electrode catalysts can improve the efficiency, cost, and durability of energy conversion technology. The project plans to use the unique properties of well-defined nanoar ....All-Metal Nanoporous Materials as Highly Active Electrocatalysts. This project aims to create new avenues for well-controlled large-scale synthesis of hierarchical nanoporous platinum-based architectures, and develop applications for the resultant new electrocatalysts. Developing novel high-performance, low-cost, and long-life electrode catalysts can improve the efficiency, cost, and durability of energy conversion technology. The project plans to use the unique properties of well-defined nanoarchitectures to reduce platinum content and to improve electrocatalytic performance. Nanoporous systems in electrocatalysts can provide more active sites and effective surface permeability, which should enhance catalytic activity. Project outcomes may also contribute to our understanding of the relationships among morphologies, pore structures, surface atomic structures and catalytic activities to guide the development of other kinds of high performance nanoporous catalysts.Read moreRead less
Nano-engineered catalysts for sustainable fuel production from waste . This project aims to address two major problems simultaneously-reducing the burden of non-recyclable waste currently going to landfill in Australia, and offsetting Australia’s reliance on imported diesel to support industry and transport needs. While approximately 95% of diesel consumed in Australia is imported, vast quantities of carbon-based waste ends up in landfill. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a mixture of plant-based ....Nano-engineered catalysts for sustainable fuel production from waste . This project aims to address two major problems simultaneously-reducing the burden of non-recyclable waste currently going to landfill in Australia, and offsetting Australia’s reliance on imported diesel to support industry and transport needs. While approximately 95% of diesel consumed in Australia is imported, vast quantities of carbon-based waste ends up in landfill. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a mixture of plant-based waste (including food, garden, paper, and wood) and fossil-fuel derived materials (plastics). Using an innovative and environmentally-sustainable catalytic process, the outcomes of this project are aimed alleviating Australia’s dependence on diesel fuel imports and better waste management solutions in Australia.Read moreRead less
Controllable Synthesis of Defects in Catalysts for Electrocatalysis . This project aims to address the most critical issue of electrocatalysis: identification of active sites for carbon-based metal free catalysts (CMFCs). Through the development of new methodologies, this proposal will, for the first time, controllably synthesise the vacancy defects that are the major active sites for CMFCs. The expected outcomes from this project include in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of electrocata ....Controllable Synthesis of Defects in Catalysts for Electrocatalysis . This project aims to address the most critical issue of electrocatalysis: identification of active sites for carbon-based metal free catalysts (CMFCs). Through the development of new methodologies, this proposal will, for the first time, controllably synthesise the vacancy defects that are the major active sites for CMFCs. The expected outcomes from this project include in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of electrocatalysis: the reactivity of active sites and the catalytic performance with the number of active sites; which will not only significantly advance knowledge but also achieve breakthrough technologies that greatly benefit to the society and economy both for Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
Designing metal-organic materials through a hierarchical self-assembly strategy. This project will design new discrete and infinite (framework) materials capable of selectively binding and sequestering smaller species. These materials will be useful in the separation of complicated mixtures of chemicals or absorb and store greenhouse gases for environmental benefits or hydrogen for use as fuel.
Metallo-Supramolecular Materials for Chiral Discrimination and Enantiomeric Separation. Separating mixtures of molecules is one of the most enduring challenges in the chemical sciences and accounts for a significant cost burden in many industrial applications. This project aims to design and prepare new chiral self-assembled materials that contain cavities of predictable sizes and shapes. These materials, including molecular capsules, cages and network solids, will act to selectivity bind differ ....Metallo-Supramolecular Materials for Chiral Discrimination and Enantiomeric Separation. Separating mixtures of molecules is one of the most enduring challenges in the chemical sciences and accounts for a significant cost burden in many industrial applications. This project aims to design and prepare new chiral self-assembled materials that contain cavities of predictable sizes and shapes. These materials, including molecular capsules, cages and network solids, will act to selectivity bind different chemical substrates within their chiral encapsulated spaces, thus enabling the straight-forward separation of racemic mixtures of molecules. Small molecules with enantiomeric purity are a fundamental requirement as starting materials for drug development and a wide range of pharmaceutical applications.Read moreRead less
Flexible crystals: inducing new physical properties in crystalline materials through the combination and control of intermolecular interactions. The proposal aims to design new crystalline materials with unique physical and mechanical properties such as elastic flexibility. An innovative approach will be employed, using the weak forces between molecules arranged in a crystal lattice to control the bulk properties of the materials. The strength, nature and vectors of the intermolecular interactio ....Flexible crystals: inducing new physical properties in crystalline materials through the combination and control of intermolecular interactions. The proposal aims to design new crystalline materials with unique physical and mechanical properties such as elastic flexibility. An innovative approach will be employed, using the weak forces between molecules arranged in a crystal lattice to control the bulk properties of the materials. The strength, nature and vectors of the intermolecular interactions will be varied and correlated with the resulting mechanical characteristics. By doing so, this project will learn how to engineer materials with predictable and useful properties. The development of this approach will generate fundamental understanding of complementary intermolecular forces and lay the foundations for the materials produced to be tailored for specific high-tech applications.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100014
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,275,680.00
Summary
Light-Induced chemical modularity: a new frontier in macromolecular design. This project aims to develop powerful light-driven chemistries for the modular construction of advanced macromolecular materials. The expected outcome is a versatile, light-based precision macromolecular synthetic technology platform, enabling critical advances in soft matter material design and synthesis, ranging from selectivity control of chemical reactions and information-coded and biomimetic light-responsive macromo ....Light-Induced chemical modularity: a new frontier in macromolecular design. This project aims to develop powerful light-driven chemistries for the modular construction of advanced macromolecular materials. The expected outcome is a versatile, light-based precision macromolecular synthetic technology platform, enabling critical advances in soft matter material design and synthesis, ranging from selectivity control of chemical reactions and information-coded and biomimetic light-responsive macromolecules to advanced functional photoresists for 3D laser lithography as well as materials that self-report structural transformations by light or are reprogrammable in their properties by photonic fields. Harnessing the power of light as a precision tool for the construction of advanced macromolecular materials will provide technology outcomes for Australian manufacturing industries from electronics to health. This includes laser-driven 3D printing technology at the nano-level, light-adaptive smart reprogrammable coatings and materials, synthetic proteins responsive to light as well as tailor-made single cell niches.Read moreRead less
Fighting slime with free radicals - new surface coatings for biofilm remediation. Bacterial biofilms are a major problem in a number of environmental, industrial and medical applications. They cause significant risks to human health and present an enormous economic burden to society. This project aims to develop smart polymeric coatings that will discourage bacterial attachment and ensure greater long term control over biofilm growth. These coatings represent a breakthrough in the field and will ....Fighting slime with free radicals - new surface coatings for biofilm remediation. Bacterial biofilms are a major problem in a number of environmental, industrial and medical applications. They cause significant risks to human health and present an enormous economic burden to society. This project aims to develop smart polymeric coatings that will discourage bacterial attachment and ensure greater long term control over biofilm growth. These coatings represent a breakthrough in the field and will have a profound impact in many areas, including reducing infections related to medical implants and improving the efficiency of marine engineering systems.Read moreRead less
The crucial role of organic-inorganic interfaces in the performance of organic optoelectronic devices. Organic electronic devices such as organic light emitting diodes and organic solar cells are expected to lead to substantial benefits over conventional electronic components. However, there is increasing evidence that the interface between the organic layers and the inorganic electrodes (or active components in hybrid devices) could be sub-optimal in terms of critical properties such as electro ....The crucial role of organic-inorganic interfaces in the performance of organic optoelectronic devices. Organic electronic devices such as organic light emitting diodes and organic solar cells are expected to lead to substantial benefits over conventional electronic components. However, there is increasing evidence that the interface between the organic layers and the inorganic electrodes (or active components in hybrid devices) could be sub-optimal in terms of critical properties such as electron transfer and stability. The aim of this project is to understand the structure and properties of such interfaces and to probe their behaviour at elevated temperatures. The results will pave the way for organic electronic devices to become a commercial reality.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100280
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
Bio-inspired multifunctional inorganic nanostructured interfaces. Learning from nature involves taking ideas from nature and developing novel functional materials. This project aims to design novel bio-inspired multifunctional interfaces to prevent the adherence of crystals and solid particles to surfaces, achieve excellent mechanical resilience, and provide multiple photoresponses, based on a deep understanding of the fundamental physiochemical, mechanical, structural, and optical characteristi ....Bio-inspired multifunctional inorganic nanostructured interfaces. Learning from nature involves taking ideas from nature and developing novel functional materials. This project aims to design novel bio-inspired multifunctional interfaces to prevent the adherence of crystals and solid particles to surfaces, achieve excellent mechanical resilience, and provide multiple photoresponses, based on a deep understanding of the fundamental physiochemical, mechanical, structural, and optical characteristics of natural multifunctional surfaces/interfaces in the target natural species. This project aims to aid in the design of new bio-inspired smart materials and deliver novel technologies for materials synthesis for potential uses in the chemical industry, sustainable energy applications, and agriculture.Read moreRead less