ARC Research Network for Advanced Materials. Materials science/engineering is decidedly interdisciplinary, covering all science and impacting on all manufacturing industry. This network will promote interactions that do not usually occur between materials researchers and students across Australia and internationally from diverse disciplines. The scope is broadly based on advanced materials production, processing and properties but focused in four areas, involving: i) innovative structural/functi ....ARC Research Network for Advanced Materials. Materials science/engineering is decidedly interdisciplinary, covering all science and impacting on all manufacturing industry. This network will promote interactions that do not usually occur between materials researchers and students across Australia and internationally from diverse disciplines. The scope is broadly based on advanced materials production, processing and properties but focused in four areas, involving: i) innovative structural/functional materials, ii) high-tech IT/communications/sensing materials, iii) materials solutions for manufacturing, iv) materials for a sustainable Australia, and v) emerging materials technologies. Key programs will promote interdisciplinary workshops and early career researcher interactions.Read moreRead less
Accelerating the formation of equilibrium intermetallic compounds. This project aims to develop new processing techniques to accelerate the formation of low temperature intermetallic compounds. Many exciting compounds cannot currently be used in technological applications, as they would require extremely protracted heat treatments to produce. The project will aim to determine if formation of these compounds will be accelerated if the precursor alloys are mechanically disordered so that they cont ....Accelerating the formation of equilibrium intermetallic compounds. This project aims to develop new processing techniques to accelerate the formation of low temperature intermetallic compounds. Many exciting compounds cannot currently be used in technological applications, as they would require extremely protracted heat treatments to produce. The project will aim to determine if formation of these compounds will be accelerated if the precursor alloys are mechanically disordered so that they contain a very high density of defects. This problem will be explored by investigating the formation of prototypical materials including ferromagnetic and precious metal intermetallic compounds from disordered precursors. The project will result in improved strategies for manufacturing intermetallic compounds.Read moreRead less
Self-assembled surface arrays of mesoscale plasmonic devices for switchable control of coloured surfaces. This project has a well-defined outcome with potentially significant commercial interest. The proposed device is novel and the development of it will enhance the science and technology infrastructure within Australia, taking it into original and exciting directions. A successful demonstration of it will enhance Australia's competitive position in the field of nanotechnology and could conceiv ....Self-assembled surface arrays of mesoscale plasmonic devices for switchable control of coloured surfaces. This project has a well-defined outcome with potentially significant commercial interest. The proposed device is novel and the development of it will enhance the science and technology infrastructure within Australia, taking it into original and exciting directions. A successful demonstration of it will enhance Australia's competitive position in the field of nanotechnology and could conceivably lead to a manufacturing activity either located in Australia or in which Australian entities have an interest. Envisaged applications include optical circuitry, 'smart' windows and display surfaces on consumer devices.Read moreRead less
Self-cleaning thin films for anti-reflective solar cell coatings. This project addresses an important industry need by designing a new class of functional composite coatings for efficiency and durability improvement of solar cells. A successful outcome will provide an important breakthrough in thin film technology applicable not only to solar panels but also other coating applications.
Understanding the role of catalysts in the growth of epitaxial semiconductor nanowires and their hierarchical heterostructures. This Fellowship aims to comprehensively determine the role of catalysts during nanowire growth, solving the bottle-neck problem for growing device-applicable nanowires. In order to address this complicated scientific challenge, the project plans to collaborate with several world-leading researchers in different areas, such as growth, property measurements and modelling. ....Understanding the role of catalysts in the growth of epitaxial semiconductor nanowires and their hierarchical heterostructures. This Fellowship aims to comprehensively determine the role of catalysts during nanowire growth, solving the bottle-neck problem for growing device-applicable nanowires. In order to address this complicated scientific challenge, the project plans to collaborate with several world-leading researchers in different areas, such as growth, property measurements and modelling. The outcomes of this Fellowship will not only provide new science in terms of nanowire growth, but also provide guidelines for designing, developing and manufacturing nanowire-based nanostructures for future nanodevices and nanosystems. This is strategically important to place Australia at the forefront of developments on nanoscience and nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics. This project aims to develop a new solar battery as a sustainable power source for future wearable electronics. The research will develop solar rechargeable Zinc-Manganese oxide batteries based on new stretchable microelectrodes and materials engineering for the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new classes of planar-type solar batteries, functional microelectrodes and energy materials, as well as new knowledge genera ....Solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics. This project aims to develop a new solar battery as a sustainable power source for future wearable electronics. The research will develop solar rechargeable Zinc-Manganese oxide batteries based on new stretchable microelectrodes and materials engineering for the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new classes of planar-type solar batteries, functional microelectrodes and energy materials, as well as new knowledge generated from collaborations across materials science, photoelectrochemistry and nanotechnology disciplines. These will not only expand the applications of solar batteries to a new domain of wearable electronics, but also may eventually lead to new industry advances in functional materials for clean energy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101102
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,074.00
Summary
Bioinspired hierarchically Intelligent Hydrogels for Soft Machines. This project aims to develop new bioinspired hydrogels capable of performing life-like functions. It expects to generate new knowledge in the area of advanced polymers for soft robotics using an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemical design, micro-nano fabrication and additive manufacturing. Expected outcomes of this project include new macromolecular design concepts to achieve intelligent hydrogels with sophisticated fu ....Bioinspired hierarchically Intelligent Hydrogels for Soft Machines. This project aims to develop new bioinspired hydrogels capable of performing life-like functions. It expects to generate new knowledge in the area of advanced polymers for soft robotics using an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemical design, micro-nano fabrication and additive manufacturing. Expected outcomes of this project include new macromolecular design concepts to achieve intelligent hydrogels with sophisticated functions enabling the integration of high-performance artificial muscles and soft robotics. This should provide significant benefits in strengthening Australia’s competitiveness in manufacturing soft machines with much safer human-machine interactions and being able to be operated in diverse dynamic environments.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of novel phases from Group IV elements under extreme pressure. Materials based on the group IV elements carbon, silicon and germanium are technologically important for a wide range of current applications. When exposed to extreme pressure, these materials can form entirely new phases with novel and potentially useful properties. Since there have been few previous attempts to establish which of the new phases are stable on pressure release and to measure their properties for subsequent ....Synthesis of novel phases from Group IV elements under extreme pressure. Materials based on the group IV elements carbon, silicon and germanium are technologically important for a wide range of current applications. When exposed to extreme pressure, these materials can form entirely new phases with novel and potentially useful properties. Since there have been few previous attempts to establish which of the new phases are stable on pressure release and to measure their properties for subsequent exploitation, this project aims to use novel approaches to address these topics. The expected outcome of this project will be new phases of group IV elements with novel properties that have potential for commercial exploitation.Read moreRead less
Ultrafine grained titanium for bio-implant applications. The project underpins the potential niche applications of ultrafine grained titanium for biomedical implants and establishes a knowledge base for expanding Australia's capacity for manufacturing titanium parts. The novel technology will lead to a broader usage of titanium by biomedical industry and promote the development of the titanium manufacturing industry in Australia. The development of ultrafine grained titanium specifically designe ....Ultrafine grained titanium for bio-implant applications. The project underpins the potential niche applications of ultrafine grained titanium for biomedical implants and establishes a knowledge base for expanding Australia's capacity for manufacturing titanium parts. The novel technology will lead to a broader usage of titanium by biomedical industry and promote the development of the titanium manufacturing industry in Australia. The development of ultrafine grained titanium specifically designed for bio-implants will increase Australia's competitiveness in the global market. The project targets at least three of the priority goals specified under National Research Priority breakthrough science, frontier technologies and advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Testing, modelling and engineering applications of topologically interlocking structures. The CI and his international collaborator have recently proposed a new principle of design of materials and structures based on topological interlocking of constituent elements. Elements of simple shape, such as tetrahedra, are assembled in structures that keep their integrity without any binder or connectors. Unusual properties, such as high fracture toughness and damage tolerance were found. The project a ....Testing, modelling and engineering applications of topologically interlocking structures. The CI and his international collaborator have recently proposed a new principle of design of materials and structures based on topological interlocking of constituent elements. Elements of simple shape, such as tetrahedra, are assembled in structures that keep their integrity without any binder or connectors. Unusual properties, such as high fracture toughness and damage tolerance were found. The project aims at investigating the mechanical and acoustic properties of the newly discovered interlockable geometries (cubes, octahedra, dodecahedra and icosahedra) and identifying the areas of application. The project will promote the international leading role of the collaborating institutions in this novel field.Read moreRead less