Reactivity Enhanced Low-Valent Alkaline Earth Metal Compounds. The project aims to develop highly activated low oxidation state alkaline earth metal complexes as cheap and sustainable alternatives to toxic/expensive late transition metal complexes, that currently dominate the transformation of inert small molecule substrates into value-added organic chemicals. The project expects to generate major fundamental and applied advances in chemistry, using innovative synthetic and computational approac ....Reactivity Enhanced Low-Valent Alkaline Earth Metal Compounds. The project aims to develop highly activated low oxidation state alkaline earth metal complexes as cheap and sustainable alternatives to toxic/expensive late transition metal complexes, that currently dominate the transformation of inert small molecule substrates into value-added organic chemicals. The project expects to generate major fundamental and applied advances in chemistry, using innovative synthetic and computational approaches, and a multidisciplinary collaborative team. Expected outcomes include building of academic and, later, industrial research capacity, knowledge, an international network, and a highly trained workforce. Success should see substantial economic, environmental and societal benefits flowing to Australia.Read moreRead less
Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electr ....Advancing the chemistry of rare earths - an Australian resource. This project aims to advance knowledge of the synthesis, structures and reactivity of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds. The project expects to build the knowledge and skills to underpin many developments of Australia's still under utilized rare earth resources to diversify from Chinese domination. The anticipated outcomes will be new synthetic and reaction chemistry including a demonstration of how size and electronic factors can be used to modify and advance rare earth chemistry. This project should provide significant benefit such as are a better knowledge base in rare earth chemistry to underpin future applications in chemical manufacturing, new materials, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Innovations in Green Chemical Manufacture from Synchrotron based Techniques. This project aims to find sustainable ways to produce commodity chemicals by developing new catalysts. New synchrotron techniques will be developed and applied to provide new knowledge about the spatial and temporal factors affecting the selectivity and efficiency of electron transfer, redox reactions and diffusion, key for catalyst design. Expected outcomes include the development of new catalysts, new catalyst design ....Innovations in Green Chemical Manufacture from Synchrotron based Techniques. This project aims to find sustainable ways to produce commodity chemicals by developing new catalysts. New synchrotron techniques will be developed and applied to provide new knowledge about the spatial and temporal factors affecting the selectivity and efficiency of electron transfer, redox reactions and diffusion, key for catalyst design. Expected outcomes include the development of new catalysts, new catalyst design concepts and a knowledge repository/database of analytical observations key for unlocking new materials knowledge. This should provide significant economic and environmental benefits by placing Australia at the forefront of the sustainable production of commodity chemicals.Read moreRead less
Rare earth-free high-performance magnets. This project aims to discover new magnetic materials that are competitive for advanced technology applications, free of the rare earth metals that currently dominate the high-performance end of the market. Global demand for non-renewable rare earth metals is rapidly approaching a critical point and alternatives are needed. The project will use data-mining algorithms augmented by quantum calculations to find the most promising candidates among tens of tho ....Rare earth-free high-performance magnets. This project aims to discover new magnetic materials that are competitive for advanced technology applications, free of the rare earth metals that currently dominate the high-performance end of the market. Global demand for non-renewable rare earth metals is rapidly approaching a critical point and alternatives are needed. The project will use data-mining algorithms augmented by quantum calculations to find the most promising candidates among tens of thousands of reported but untested materials, so that synthesis and characterisation resources can be directed to the right places. After iterative cycling to optimise the chemical composition and structure, the best materials will be prepared for fabrication into technologically useful forms.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,341,398.00
Summary
Dedicated High-throughput 3D-Electron Diffractometer. This proposal aims to install the first dedicated high-throughput 3D-electron diffractometer in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the first in the world. It will be able to rapidly solve the atomic-scale structures of molecules and materials for which this is now extremely difficult and time-consuming – or impossible – due to the inability to grow large enough crystals for traditional X-ray diffraction. It will thus provide a significant ad ....Dedicated High-throughput 3D-Electron Diffractometer. This proposal aims to install the first dedicated high-throughput 3D-electron diffractometer in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the first in the world. It will be able to rapidly solve the atomic-scale structures of molecules and materials for which this is now extremely difficult and time-consuming – or impossible – due to the inability to grow large enough crystals for traditional X-ray diffraction. It will thus provide a significant advantage for chemists, physicists, biologists, geologists, and engineers who rely on detailed structural knowledge to rationally optimise the properties of their compounds, from pharmaceutical activity to carbon capture to superconductivity, to the substantial benefit of multiple national priority areas.Read moreRead less
Alkane transformations through binding to metals. Alkanes are fully saturated hydrocarbons and they are the major components of petroleum, including natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon fuels. They are abundant but finite, and their primary usage has been as fuels since they burn readily and release energy. Alkanes are relatively low-value, high-volume chemical feedstocks which are not easy to convert into more useful value-added materials. This project focuses on developing positively charged met ....Alkane transformations through binding to metals. Alkanes are fully saturated hydrocarbons and they are the major components of petroleum, including natural gas and liquid hydrocarbon fuels. They are abundant but finite, and their primary usage has been as fuels since they burn readily and release energy. Alkanes are relatively low-value, high-volume chemical feedstocks which are not easy to convert into more useful value-added materials. This project focuses on developing positively charged metal-based compounds that can bind directly to alkanes to increase their reactivity and enable their transformation into higher value products such as alcohols and olefins which are important chemical feedstocks.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,237.00
Summary
Original metal-based catalysts for enzyme-inspired CO2 activation. The chemical utilisation of CO2 is one of two major strategies in achieving net negative CO2 emissions mitigating the environmental and socioeconomic damage of global warming. Inspired by the ability of natural enzymes to efficiently utilise molecules like CO2, this project aims to develop original metal-based catalysts as enzyme mimics for the efficient transformation of CO2. It will deliver practical strategies to transform CO2 ....Original metal-based catalysts for enzyme-inspired CO2 activation. The chemical utilisation of CO2 is one of two major strategies in achieving net negative CO2 emissions mitigating the environmental and socioeconomic damage of global warming. Inspired by the ability of natural enzymes to efficiently utilise molecules like CO2, this project aims to develop original metal-based catalysts as enzyme mimics for the efficient transformation of CO2. It will deliver practical strategies to transform CO2 into value-added materials permanently removing it from the atmosphere. Project outcomes are expected to enhance industry’s capacity to use CO2 as a feedstock chemical for the production of fuels and materials, providing significant economic and environmental benefits through CO2 upcycling and recycling.Read moreRead less
Switching, sensing and multifunctionality in spin crossover materials. This project aims to increase the temperature range where molecular spin states can be switched optically or electronically, and to develop new multifunctional materials combining switchable hosts with functional guests. By combining novel theories, synthesis and experiments, this project expects to generate step-change advances in the understanding of spin-switching materials and discover materials with novel properties wort ....Switching, sensing and multifunctionality in spin crossover materials. This project aims to increase the temperature range where molecular spin states can be switched optically or electronically, and to develop new multifunctional materials combining switchable hosts with functional guests. By combining novel theories, synthesis and experiments, this project expects to generate step-change advances in the understanding of spin-switching materials and discover materials with novel properties worthy of commercial development. Significant anticipated outcomes and benefits include the identification and development of several new classes of materials function, each of major fundamental interest, and the generation of new advanced materials with applications in electronics, sensing and gas separations.Read moreRead less
Counting the Electrons: Nickel Catalysed Electrochemical C-H Activation. Modern chemical synthetic methods using organometallic catalysts are highly prized in chemical industry and provide a multibillion dollar driver for world economies. However, traditional catalysis is expensive because of the reliance on rare earth metals often conjunction with toxic additives or reagents. The aim of this work is to develop new inexpensive transition metal catalysts based on earth abundant nickel and harness ....Counting the Electrons: Nickel Catalysed Electrochemical C-H Activation. Modern chemical synthetic methods using organometallic catalysts are highly prized in chemical industry and provide a multibillion dollar driver for world economies. However, traditional catalysis is expensive because of the reliance on rare earth metals often conjunction with toxic additives or reagents. The aim of this work is to develop new inexpensive transition metal catalysts based on earth abundant nickel and harness the power of electrons through electrochemistry to dramatically improve the reactivity of these catalysts. This project will seek to improve the way both complex and commonly used chemicals constructed through an atom economical process with potentially renewably produced electrons.Read moreRead less
Data Driven Discovery of New Catalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis. This project aims to discover new catalytic strategies for the synthesis of valuable nitrogen-containing molecules. An innovative approach combining statistical modelling techniques and chemical synthesis tactics will be used to establish a unique platform for predictable catalyst design that significantly accelerates the discovery process. As a result, new organometallic catalysts that efficiently convert simple and readily access ....Data Driven Discovery of New Catalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis. This project aims to discover new catalytic strategies for the synthesis of valuable nitrogen-containing molecules. An innovative approach combining statistical modelling techniques and chemical synthesis tactics will be used to establish a unique platform for predictable catalyst design that significantly accelerates the discovery process. As a result, new organometallic catalysts that efficiently convert simple and readily accessible chemical building blocks into complex chiral amine derivatives in a safer and more cost effective manner will be identified. These new catalytic strategies will be of significant utility, enabling the invention and more sustainable manufacture of agrochemicals, life-saving medicines, and functional materials.Read moreRead less