Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Signifi ....Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Significant advances are proposed for overcoming current manufacturing limitations of doped alumina. Building research capacity and knowledge in battery material manufacturing will benefit a range of industries across Australia, whilst providing new opportunities for growth in local communities.Read moreRead less
Industrially Viable Routes for fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells. Photovoltaic technology based on perovskite solar cell (PSC) is predicated to account for USD34.8 billion by 2027 in the global market. The current synthesis protocol using detrimental solvent for perovskite formation and the unsatisfactory stability of perovskite are two key barriers for commercial production of PSC. This project aims to develop new synthesis methods for stable perovskite materials in solar cells by utilizing ....Industrially Viable Routes for fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells. Photovoltaic technology based on perovskite solar cell (PSC) is predicated to account for USD34.8 billion by 2027 in the global market. The current synthesis protocol using detrimental solvent for perovskite formation and the unsatisfactory stability of perovskite are two key barriers for commercial production of PSC. This project aims to develop new synthesis methods for stable perovskite materials in solar cells by utilizing green solvents that are viable for large scale production. The anticipated outcomes including industrially compatible material synthesis methods for efficient, stable PSC will significantly advance the manufacture capability and competitiveness of the industrial partner in this important area.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101190
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,446.00
Summary
Interfacial nano-engineering of electrodes for perovskite solar cells. This project aims to explore new strategies of functional electrode design and interfacial engineering for efficient and stable perovskite solar cell application. The key concept is to modify the electron transport and perovskite layers through structural design, interfacial engineering and contact passivation, for use in high-performance solar-to-electricity conversion systems with improved light harvesting and charge collec ....Interfacial nano-engineering of electrodes for perovskite solar cells. This project aims to explore new strategies of functional electrode design and interfacial engineering for efficient and stable perovskite solar cell application. The key concept is to modify the electron transport and perovskite layers through structural design, interfacial engineering and contact passivation, for use in high-performance solar-to-electricity conversion systems with improved light harvesting and charge collection. Expected project outcomes will place Australia at the forefront of practical low-cost and large-scale solar energy conversion technologies.Read moreRead less
Nanoscale electrochemical imaging of catalyst inks for water oxidation. This project aims to reduce the cost of current water splitting technology by making new catalysts from earth abundant materials that will ensure a sustainable technological solution for the storage of renewable energy. This technology is an excellent solution to storing energy from intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar as it generates hydrogen which is a clean fuel. Using new techniques that can image the cata ....Nanoscale electrochemical imaging of catalyst inks for water oxidation. This project aims to reduce the cost of current water splitting technology by making new catalysts from earth abundant materials that will ensure a sustainable technological solution for the storage of renewable energy. This technology is an excellent solution to storing energy from intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar as it generates hydrogen which is a clean fuel. Using new techniques that can image the catalyst at the nanoscale while it is operating is expected to provide the knowledge for developing the next generation of water splitting electrolysers that can be utilised by households and businesses for storing solar or wind energy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100930
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,948.00
Summary
Defect Engineering Enabling Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production. The project aims to achieve efficient renewable hydrogen production through solar driven photoelectrochemical water splitting. As a carbon-emission free process, photoelectrochemical water splitting is significant in solar hydrogen supply. The key idea is to design innovative photoelectrode materials using defect engineering strategy which allows more efficient conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The expected outcomes include h ....Defect Engineering Enabling Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production. The project aims to achieve efficient renewable hydrogen production through solar driven photoelectrochemical water splitting. As a carbon-emission free process, photoelectrochemical water splitting is significant in solar hydrogen supply. The key idea is to design innovative photoelectrode materials using defect engineering strategy which allows more efficient conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The expected outcomes include high Solar-to-Hydrogen conversion efficiency on the new materials and cutting-edge knowledge in advanced material design. The success of this project will contribute to the implementation of the Australia's National Hydrogen Strategy and position the nation at the frontier of renewable hydrogen supply technologies.Read moreRead less
Solar-thermal desalination system for parallel water-electricity generation. This project aims to develop a multi-functional solar-thermal desalination device to simultaneously produce clean water and electricity. Interfacial solar evaporation-based desalination technology has the unique advantage of using solar light as the sole energy source for affordable clean water production. However, its absolute evaporation rate is still too low for practical application and all of the latent heat releas ....Solar-thermal desalination system for parallel water-electricity generation. This project aims to develop a multi-functional solar-thermal desalination device to simultaneously produce clean water and electricity. Interfacial solar evaporation-based desalination technology has the unique advantage of using solar light as the sole energy source for affordable clean water production. However, its absolute evaporation rate is still too low for practical application and all of the latent heat released from vapor condensation during desalination is wasted. Solving these two critical issues by the study of energy nexus, design and fabrication of advanced photothermal materials and desalination devices could accelerate practical adoption of this technology and benefit millions of people who desperately need clean water. Read moreRead less
Mechanical modulation of particle-cell interactions. Mechanical forces play critical roles in many biological processes, but how particle mechanical properties modulate particle-cell interactions remains elusive. This project aims to develop new design principles for engineering nano/micromaterials with tunable mechanical properties for improved cell activation and expansion, and to advance knowledge of the role of particle stiffness in modulating receptor-mediated particle-cell interactions. Ex ....Mechanical modulation of particle-cell interactions. Mechanical forces play critical roles in many biological processes, but how particle mechanical properties modulate particle-cell interactions remains elusive. This project aims to develop new design principles for engineering nano/micromaterials with tunable mechanical properties for improved cell activation and expansion, and to advance knowledge of the role of particle stiffness in modulating receptor-mediated particle-cell interactions. Expected outcomes and benefits include new fundamental understanding of the effect of particle mechanical properties on cell function, new insights into T cell activation and expansion, and new classes of stiffness-tunable fit-for-purpose materials for various applications in cell manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technolo ....Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technology. Expected outcomes of this project include improved pilot-scale electrochemical reactors for producing various functional 2D nanomaterials and enabling precise control of their molecular and bulk properties. These tailored 2D nanomaterials will significantly improve the performances of flexible and energy-related devices.Read moreRead less
Stretchable Organic Transistors for Wearable Electronics and Robotics. The project aims to address the challenges of fabricating stretchable organic transistors for applications in wearable electronics and robotics through the development of new semiconducting polymers with stretchability and integrating them into novel, stretchable organic transistor configurations. The project will take a molecular engineering approach to the complex needs of this challenge by combining appropriate chemical f ....Stretchable Organic Transistors for Wearable Electronics and Robotics. The project aims to address the challenges of fabricating stretchable organic transistors for applications in wearable electronics and robotics through the development of new semiconducting polymers with stretchability and integrating them into novel, stretchable organic transistor configurations. The project will take a molecular engineering approach to the complex needs of this challenge by combining appropriate chemical functionality which provides high charge carrier mobility with judiciously placed flexible spacers and side chains to provide mechanical dexterity. These novel polymers will be integrated into transistor structures and their fabricated arrays deposited on stretchable substrates will be used for a real world applications.Read moreRead less
Metal Halide Perovskite Metal-organic Framework Crystal-Glass Composites. This project aims to investigate the highly stable and efficient semiconductive composite materials, recently discovered by my group, consisting of metal halide perovskite embedded in metal-organic framework glass. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to study the structures and interfacial bonding mechanisms that govern the highly sought-after properties for the composites. Expected outcomes ....Metal Halide Perovskite Metal-organic Framework Crystal-Glass Composites. This project aims to investigate the highly stable and efficient semiconductive composite materials, recently discovered by my group, consisting of metal halide perovskite embedded in metal-organic framework glass. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to study the structures and interfacial bonding mechanisms that govern the highly sought-after properties for the composites. Expected outcomes are a new generation of environmentally safe perovskite devices for energy, environmental and health applications, e.g. lighting, displays, X-ray sensing, photocatalysis and photovoltaics. This project will position Australia at the forefront of semiconducting device research and create commercial opportunities. Read moreRead less