Soft modes in glasses: chemical control of relaxation and mechanical response. The unusual dynamical and mechanical properties of viscous liquids and glasses underpins many existing and emerging technologies, from lubrication to the strength and fragility of bulk metallic glasses. An improved understanding of how macroscopic properties such as viscous flow, ductility and fracture emerge from the microscopic interactions between atoms and molecules will provide the enabling scientific knowledge f ....Soft modes in glasses: chemical control of relaxation and mechanical response. The unusual dynamical and mechanical properties of viscous liquids and glasses underpins many existing and emerging technologies, from lubrication to the strength and fragility of bulk metallic glasses. An improved understanding of how macroscopic properties such as viscous flow, ductility and fracture emerge from the microscopic interactions between atoms and molecules will provide the enabling scientific knowledge for exploiting the properties of such materials on the nanoscale. National expertise in this area will help establish and strengthen international collaboration with leading research institutes in the field.Read moreRead less
Nanotribology and Nanorheometry: A Fundamental Study of the Dynamic Interactions of Particles and Surfaces at the Molecular Level. Friction and deformation occur from the mutual motion and interaction of microscopic particles and surfaces. This research aims to develop new theories and measurement techniques for these non-equilibrium phenomena by combining mathematical analysis and numerical computations with dynamic force measurement, surface modification, and surface characterisation on nanom ....Nanotribology and Nanorheometry: A Fundamental Study of the Dynamic Interactions of Particles and Surfaces at the Molecular Level. Friction and deformation occur from the mutual motion and interaction of microscopic particles and surfaces. This research aims to develop new theories and measurement techniques for these non-equilibrium phenomena by combining mathematical analysis and numerical computations with dynamic force measurement, surface modification, and surface characterisation on nanometre and molecular length scales. These insights and data will be critically important in designing low-friction surfaces that save energy and wear, in developing nanoscopic probes for the mechanical and structural properties of soft polymeric and bio-materials, and in making high performance coatings that control adhesion and particle aggregation in technologically advanced applications.Read moreRead less
Atomistic Mechanisms of Stress Relaxation in Amorphous Materials. Amorphous materials represent a major thrust in the search for new materials. Metallic glasses have very high strength and can be cast to much finer tolerances than regular (polycrystalline) metals. Ceramic glasses are finding increasing applications in data storage, photoelectronics and fibre optics. The greatest obstacle to the application of amorphous solids is their brittleness. The goal of this project is to use accurate comp ....Atomistic Mechanisms of Stress Relaxation in Amorphous Materials. Amorphous materials represent a major thrust in the search for new materials. Metallic glasses have very high strength and can be cast to much finer tolerances than regular (polycrystalline) metals. Ceramic glasses are finding increasing applications in data storage, photoelectronics and fibre optics. The greatest obstacle to the application of amorphous solids is their brittleness. The goal of this project is to use accurate computer simulations to provide detailed pictures of how atomic motions relax stress in very different types of glasses and, through this insight, explore ways of modifying the mechanical properties of these materials.Read moreRead less
Fluctuation Effects in Non-Crystallising Liquids. Understanding the behaviour of liquids colder than their freezing temperature is important in areas as diverse as metal alloy preparation, prevention of cell damage in plants and animals at low temperatures, extending the working temperature range of new high voltage automotive batteries and controlling drug delivery in pharmaceuticals. Advances in these areas would represent important new manufacturing opportunities in industries already establi ....Fluctuation Effects in Non-Crystallising Liquids. Understanding the behaviour of liquids colder than their freezing temperature is important in areas as diverse as metal alloy preparation, prevention of cell damage in plants and animals at low temperatures, extending the working temperature range of new high voltage automotive batteries and controlling drug delivery in pharmaceuticals. Advances in these areas would represent important new manufacturing opportunities in industries already established in Australia. In this project the fundamental physical chemistry of supercooled liquids is developed and applied to a number of these technological challenges.Read moreRead less
Disorder and Dynamics in Superionic Conductors. This project will pursue a powerful new approach to superionic conductors, an important class of advanced materials that are critical to the development of clean-energy technologies, such as solid-oxide fuel cells. This will be a new direction for Australian science in the theoretical treatment of material properties. The project will also make significant progress in the computer-aided design of advanced materials, and in the simulation methods th ....Disorder and Dynamics in Superionic Conductors. This project will pursue a powerful new approach to superionic conductors, an important class of advanced materials that are critical to the development of clean-energy technologies, such as solid-oxide fuel cells. This will be a new direction for Australian science in the theoretical treatment of material properties. The project will also make significant progress in the computer-aided design of advanced materials, and in the simulation methods themselves, contributing to pure science in the form of our understanding of the physics and chemistry of materials at the most fundamental level. Read moreRead less
THE STABILITY OF GLASS-FORMING ALLOYS: SIMULATION STUDIES. Many of the properties that make common glass so valuable as a material can also be achieved in amorphous metals. The 'trick' is to avoid crystallization as the molten state is cooled. Recently, novel combinations of metals have been found to slow down crystallization enough to produce stable amorphous alloys. Developing these new materials depends on an accurate atomic level understanding of how crystallization is frustrated in glass-fo ....THE STABILITY OF GLASS-FORMING ALLOYS: SIMULATION STUDIES. Many of the properties that make common glass so valuable as a material can also be achieved in amorphous metals. The 'trick' is to avoid crystallization as the molten state is cooled. Recently, novel combinations of metals have been found to slow down crystallization enough to produce stable amorphous alloys. Developing these new materials depends on an accurate atomic level understanding of how crystallization is frustrated in glass-forming alloys. This project's aim is to use computer simulations to provide the first microscopic picture of the atomic order that stabilzes the amorphous alloys with regards to both crystallization and mechanical stress.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100118
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy facilities for the Sydney region. The determination of molecular structure is crucial in the chemical and biomolecular sciences, leading to the development of new drugs and other types of molecules and providing an understanding of how molecules interact with each other. The requested equipment will provide the ability for researchers in the Sydney region to advance our knowledge at this fundamental level by expanding the number and types of experiments th ....Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy facilities for the Sydney region. The determination of molecular structure is crucial in the chemical and biomolecular sciences, leading to the development of new drugs and other types of molecules and providing an understanding of how molecules interact with each other. The requested equipment will provide the ability for researchers in the Sydney region to advance our knowledge at this fundamental level by expanding the number and types of experiments that can be performed.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100135
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,000.00
Summary
Federated single crystal X-ray structural analysis facility. X-ray crystallography is the most widely applied method for the determination of three-dimensional molecular structures. These structures range in size from small systems such as materials and pharmaceuticals through to large biological structures such as proteins. This application will provide a multidisciplinary facility covering the structural characterisation needs of chemistry, pharmacy, biology, and medicine. This will position l ....Federated single crystal X-ray structural analysis facility. X-ray crystallography is the most widely applied method for the determination of three-dimensional molecular structures. These structures range in size from small systems such as materials and pharmaceuticals through to large biological structures such as proteins. This application will provide a multidisciplinary facility covering the structural characterisation needs of chemistry, pharmacy, biology, and medicine. This will position local universities for key scientific breakthroughs that benefit the Australian community by providing improved healthcare technologies, and processes. Furthermore, access to this world-class facility will provide state-of-the-art training for undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A unique soft matter high-performance scanning probe microscopy (HP-SPM) facility. Soft matter research touches every aspect of our lives as it covers materials from the range of plastics found in cars, television sets and other mass-manufactured products, to new medical materials for tissue engineering and sensors. The proposed facility will enable Australia's leading scientists in this area to understand better how soft matter, including both biological and new advanced soft materials, behave ....A unique soft matter high-performance scanning probe microscopy (HP-SPM) facility. Soft matter research touches every aspect of our lives as it covers materials from the range of plastics found in cars, television sets and other mass-manufactured products, to new medical materials for tissue engineering and sensors. The proposed facility will enable Australia's leading scientists in this area to understand better how soft matter, including both biological and new advanced soft materials, behaves on the nano-scale level. This will put Australian researchers and engineers in a leading position for developing new treatments against cancer and other diseases, as well as harnessing the power of biology for application in areas such as waste treatment and energy production.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100142
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart mate ....An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart materials, organic electronic materials and biomedical research require routine access to cutting edge technology. The LCMS-NMR augments the capabilities of our research teams at the forefront of these efforts. These include understanding the impact of the environment on plant and animal development, pest animal control, development of new biotechnology tools, new drugs and new methods for the detection of narcotics and explosives.Read moreRead less