Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction ....Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction of ozone. In both cases, the key interactions between ions and neutral molecules will be elucidated through high-resolution laser studies. Ensuing experimental data will play a crucial role in controlling and predicting ion-neutral interactions in technological and environmental contexts.Read moreRead less
Towards a Microscopic Understanding of Anion Solvation. Atomic and molecular anions are ubiquitous components of oceans, rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and serve as key participants in natural and industrial chemical processes. In most situations ions are surrounded by a structured sheath of neutral solvent molecules which profoundly affects their physical and chemical properties. Currently, interactions between anions and solvent molecules are poorly understood. In this project we will use ....Towards a Microscopic Understanding of Anion Solvation. Atomic and molecular anions are ubiquitous components of oceans, rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and serve as key participants in natural and industrial chemical processes. In most situations ions are surrounded by a structured sheath of neutral solvent molecules which profoundly affects their physical and chemical properties. Currently, interactions between anions and solvent molecules are poorly understood. In this project we will use lasers to probe clusters consisting of just a few molecules attached to an anion, generating information that will enhance our ability to predict and control chemical processes involved in drug design, salination, atmospheric chemistry, and chemical waste remediation.Read moreRead less
Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the prese ....Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the presence of nearby charge, or to acquiring charge themselves. Understanding the nature of these attractions, and the structural changes that they induce eventually results in more accurate computer models. This has relevance to fields that include the architecture of proteins, recognition of signaling molecules in the brain, and drug development.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
Approaching anion solvation from the bottom up: infrared studies of negatively charged complexes and clusters. We will employ novel spectroscopic strategies to probe the structures of mass-selected anion complexes and clusters in the gas-phase with the purpose of exploring non-covalent forces responsible for anion solvation. The work is motivated by a recognition that anions serve as key participants in a host of natural and industrial chemical processes, and that their physical and chemical pro ....Approaching anion solvation from the bottom up: infrared studies of negatively charged complexes and clusters. We will employ novel spectroscopic strategies to probe the structures of mass-selected anion complexes and clusters in the gas-phase with the purpose of exploring non-covalent forces responsible for anion solvation. The work is motivated by a recognition that anions serve as key participants in a host of natural and industrial chemical processes, and that their physical and chemical properties depend critically upon interactions with solvent molecules. The experimental results should serve as a critical test for computational approaches to describing anion-neutral interactions, and provide new insights into the behaviour of electrolytes, acid-base chemistry, and fundamental bimolecular reactions.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: LE100100131
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Laser facility for ultra-sensitive molecular characterisation. Lasers are indispensable tools for the characterization and photochemical modification of molecular systems. Powerful lasers produce intense bursts of light across the electromagnetic spectrum, from the infrared to the ultraviolet. This versatility allows chemists to observe the dynamical behaviour of single molecules on ultra-fast timescales, to probe the shape of molecules relevant to the action of therapeutic drugs, to explore the ....Laser facility for ultra-sensitive molecular characterisation. Lasers are indispensable tools for the characterization and photochemical modification of molecular systems. Powerful lasers produce intense bursts of light across the electromagnetic spectrum, from the infrared to the ultraviolet. This versatility allows chemists to observe the dynamical behaviour of single molecules on ultra-fast timescales, to probe the shape of molecules relevant to the action of therapeutic drugs, to explore the characteristics of molecules found in space, and to initiate laser-activated chemical processes in microscopic dimensions to modify sensor surfaces. The proposed laser facility will enable progress in these areas and will help maintain Australia's research edge in nanotechnology and biotechnology.
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Spectroscopy of Single Quantum Dots. Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are materials with promising applications in flat panel displays, biosensors, quantum dot lasers, and optical communication elements. Many of the applications are novel and require firm understanding of the physical and chemical properties of quantum dots to optimise reliability and performance. To fulfil the technological promise of fluorescent quantum dots, problems relating to quantum yield and photostability urgently n ....Spectroscopy of Single Quantum Dots. Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are materials with promising applications in flat panel displays, biosensors, quantum dot lasers, and optical communication elements. Many of the applications are novel and require firm understanding of the physical and chemical properties of quantum dots to optimise reliability and performance. To fulfil the technological promise of fluorescent quantum dots, problems relating to quantum yield and photostability urgently need to be resolved. These issues will be addressed through spectroscopic studies of single quantum dots both in vacuum and in condensed phases. Ultimately, the findings will guide rational design of nanoscale devices based on quantum dot luminescence.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354775
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian Synchrotron Sciences Network. A synchrotron light source is a critical piece of infrastructure for a modern technological nation. In 2001, the Victorian government announced that it would contribute $157M towards the establishment of a national synchrotron facility, becoming operational in 2007. The research performed at such a facility is exceedingly diverse, and often the underpinning technology is the only point of contact for users. A vibrant and productive facility requires a tra ....Australian Synchrotron Sciences Network. A synchrotron light source is a critical piece of infrastructure for a modern technological nation. In 2001, the Victorian government announced that it would contribute $157M towards the establishment of a national synchrotron facility, becoming operational in 2007. The research performed at such a facility is exceedingly diverse, and often the underpinning technology is the only point of contact for users. A vibrant and productive facility requires a transparent interface between the scientist and the technology. This Network will set up the communication channels within the user base, and between the users and the facility development program.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560658
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,533.00
Summary
Shared Laser Facility. The Australian Shared Laser Facility (ASLF) has been providing lasers for physical chemistry research for a decade. ASLF lasers are portable and are transported between participating laboratories according to need and research priorities. Funds are sought to expand the ASLF by 3 laser systems and 2 research groups. The requested lasers provide mid-IR and deep UV wavelengths, spectral regions inaccessible with existing ASLF lasers. Access to these wavelengths is essenti ....Shared Laser Facility. The Australian Shared Laser Facility (ASLF) has been providing lasers for physical chemistry research for a decade. ASLF lasers are portable and are transported between participating laboratories according to need and research priorities. Funds are sought to expand the ASLF by 3 laser systems and 2 research groups. The requested lasers provide mid-IR and deep UV wavelengths, spectral regions inaccessible with existing ASLF lasers. Access to these wavelengths is essential for Australian research to remain at the forefront of international physical chemistry research. ASLF laboratories support a wide range of chemical research including spectroscopy, environmental chemistry, astrochemistry, and exploration of nanostructured materials.Read moreRead less