Advanced Materials from Automated Synthesis of Sequence-Defined Polymers. The project aims to develop industrially scalable and environmentally friendly methods for synthesis of sequence-defined multiblock copolymers (polymer chains containing segments of different polymer types) using automated synthesis methods. The materials to be explored will be largely based on renewable biomass-derived monomeric building blocks. Such polymers are able to undergo microphase separation into spatially period ....Advanced Materials from Automated Synthesis of Sequence-Defined Polymers. The project aims to develop industrially scalable and environmentally friendly methods for synthesis of sequence-defined multiblock copolymers (polymer chains containing segments of different polymer types) using automated synthesis methods. The materials to be explored will be largely based on renewable biomass-derived monomeric building blocks. Such polymers are able to undergo microphase separation into spatially periodic compositional patterns, thereby providing access to a vast range of nano-engineered materials. This would enable design and synthesis of new advanced materials, making use of renewable resources and supporting the circular economy, with diverse potential applications ranging from nanomedicine to materials science.Read moreRead less
Hybrid Toughening of Carbon Fibre Composites for Liquid Hydrogen Storage. This project aims to develop hybrid toughening technologies to overcome the major problem of transverse matrix cracking and splitting in existing carbon fibre composites when subjected to thermal-mechanical loading at the ultracold liquid hydrogen temperature. Nano-toughened thin-ply carbon fibre layers will be hybridised with standard-ply laminates to sustain internal pressure and external impact loading at cryogenic temp ....Hybrid Toughening of Carbon Fibre Composites for Liquid Hydrogen Storage. This project aims to develop hybrid toughening technologies to overcome the major problem of transverse matrix cracking and splitting in existing carbon fibre composites when subjected to thermal-mechanical loading at the ultracold liquid hydrogen temperature. Nano-toughened thin-ply carbon fibre layers will be hybridised with standard-ply laminates to sustain internal pressure and external impact loading at cryogenic temperatures without leaks. The hybrid composites are expected to enable Australian companies to engineer, manufacture and export lightweight carbon fibre tanks for storing and exporting liquid hydrogen, which is emerging as a transformational opportunity for Australia to become a global supplier of green energy.Read moreRead less
Smart materials for atmospheric water management and water harvesting. Fresh water is a scarce resource in many parts of the globe but uncomfortably over-supplied in other regions. Dehumidifying machines, such as air conditioners, are extensively used in humid climates to enhance human comfort, but with great energy costs. Likewise, the production of potable water in remote dry regions is energy intensive. We propose novel hyper-absorbent desiccating polymers combined into sorption-powered engin ....Smart materials for atmospheric water management and water harvesting. Fresh water is a scarce resource in many parts of the globe but uncomfortably over-supplied in other regions. Dehumidifying machines, such as air conditioners, are extensively used in humid climates to enhance human comfort, but with great energy costs. Likewise, the production of potable water in remote dry regions is energy intensive. We propose novel hyper-absorbent desiccating polymers combined into sorption-powered engines inspired by nastic movements in plants to develop extremely efficient dehumidifiers and water harvesting machines. These polymer actuators can help address the auto-acceleration of climate change caused by the increasing use of air conditioners and provide cheap, clean water for remote communities.Read moreRead less
Tuning catalyst reaction environments towards photoreforming of wastewater. This project aims to combine high-throughput computation and machine learning to screen photocatalysts more thoroughly for photoreforming of wastewater. The reaction environments effects on surface active units will be tailored for COx-emission-free selective organic synthesis with hydrogen production from organic-contained wastewater at ambient conditions. The project expects to expand our knowledge on the fast, reliabl ....Tuning catalyst reaction environments towards photoreforming of wastewater. This project aims to combine high-throughput computation and machine learning to screen photocatalysts more thoroughly for photoreforming of wastewater. The reaction environments effects on surface active units will be tailored for COx-emission-free selective organic synthesis with hydrogen production from organic-contained wastewater at ambient conditions. The project expects to expand our knowledge on the fast, reliable screening strategies, and the relationship between electric field (or lattice strain) and reaction pathways. This project will develop a photoreforming system for selective co-production of organics and hydrogen from wastewater, benefiting sustainable technologies development for chemical synthesis and hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less