Light Powered Materials for Producing Chemical Fuels. This project aims to develop a hybrid, solar-powered catalytic material for the manufacture of liquid hydrocarbon chemicals, without consuming external heating. The key concept is to transform hydrogen and carbon monoxide into long-chain hydrocarbons over hybrid materials that can convert light energy into heat and simultaneously catalyze the chemical transformation. Investigations on the relations between material synthesis, nanostructures, ....Light Powered Materials for Producing Chemical Fuels. This project aims to develop a hybrid, solar-powered catalytic material for the manufacture of liquid hydrocarbon chemicals, without consuming external heating. The key concept is to transform hydrogen and carbon monoxide into long-chain hydrocarbons over hybrid materials that can convert light energy into heat and simultaneously catalyze the chemical transformation. Investigations on the relations between material synthesis, nanostructures, and performance of the new catalysis processes will be conducted using experiments and theoretical computation. Expected outcomes include low cost and efficient materials for solar-to-fuel conversion, will provide benefits to low-carbon living, new clean energy resource and environmental protections.Read moreRead less
Folding polymers for high-performance energy storage. This project aims to address the current bottleneck of energy storage capability in polymers by developing new compact structures through programmed polymer folding. This project expects to understand how structures determine electrochemistry properties by creating densely packed redox-active polymers to break the limits of charge transfer rates and storage ability. Expected outcomes include deep insights into fundamental electrochemical reac ....Folding polymers for high-performance energy storage. This project aims to address the current bottleneck of energy storage capability in polymers by developing new compact structures through programmed polymer folding. This project expects to understand how structures determine electrochemistry properties by creating densely packed redox-active polymers to break the limits of charge transfer rates and storage ability. Expected outcomes include deep insights into fundamental electrochemical reaction mechanisms, laying a strong foundation for the applications of polymers from flexible electronic devices to micro-grid energy storage. This project should provide significant benefit in new knowledge and support advanced manufacturing using our high value-added materials.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100846
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,237.00
Summary
Probing Electrochemical Interface in CO2 reduction by Operando Computation. This project aims to explore the structure and dynamics of electrochemical interfaces using operando computational techniques, reveal the influence of catalyst structure and electrolyte environment on catalytic performance, and propose effective design strategies to facilitate the conversion of CO2 to high value-added fuels and chemicals. Innovations are expected in the new mechanism and rational design of electrocatalys ....Probing Electrochemical Interface in CO2 reduction by Operando Computation. This project aims to explore the structure and dynamics of electrochemical interfaces using operando computational techniques, reveal the influence of catalyst structure and electrolyte environment on catalytic performance, and propose effective design strategies to facilitate the conversion of CO2 to high value-added fuels and chemicals. Innovations are expected in the new mechanism and rational design of electrocatalysts. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new mechanisms at the electrochemical interface, the effect of local environmental changes on catalytic performance, and effective strategies for C2+ product. Benefits include a sustainable future for Australia with decreased CO2 emissions and increased green-fuel production.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100048
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,097.00
Summary
Ammonium-selective membranes to shift water industry into circular economy. The project aims to develop ammonium-selective membranes which are urgently needed in Australian key industries for sustainable ammonia recovery. The project expects to construct the membranes to achieve desirable pore size and surface functionality for fast and selective ammonia transport. The developed membranes should make ammonia recovery from wastewater more effective and sustainable, leading to the healthy waterway ....Ammonium-selective membranes to shift water industry into circular economy. The project aims to develop ammonium-selective membranes which are urgently needed in Australian key industries for sustainable ammonia recovery. The project expects to construct the membranes to achieve desirable pore size and surface functionality for fast and selective ammonia transport. The developed membranes should make ammonia recovery from wastewater more effective and sustainable, leading to the healthy waterway and reduced energy for both ammonia production and removal. Recovered ammonia expects to produce valuable products, supporting agriculture industry and hydrogen economy. The developed membranes should enable water industry's shift into circular economy, providing significant economic and environmental benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Engineered topological nanostructures – a new frontier in materials design. The aim of engineering and utilising topological defects such as domain walls and and skyrmions in functional materials is currently receiving tremendous attention. Their significance lies in a plethora of fascinating phenomena for fundamental research and future technological applications in nanoelectronics. One frontier area of research is negative capacitance nanoelectronics using such materials, carrying the prospect ....Engineered topological nanostructures – a new frontier in materials design. The aim of engineering and utilising topological defects such as domain walls and and skyrmions in functional materials is currently receiving tremendous attention. Their significance lies in a plethora of fascinating phenomena for fundamental research and future technological applications in nanoelectronics. One frontier area of research is negative capacitance nanoelectronics using such materials, carrying the prospect of revolutionizing ultralow energy electronics, which will be developed here. The project's expected outcomes are new concepts for the synthesis and design of topological nanostructures for such applications. The utilization of these materials will benefit efficient controllable functionality for future nanoelectronics.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100476
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,237.00
Summary
Development of rapid-response thermal batteries for the global market. In collaboration with Isothermix, this project aims to develop and commercialize cost-effective, rapid-response thermal batteries to meet the air conditioning peak demand of buildings. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the phase change materials which can be used to store thermal energy across a range of temperatures and the highly thermal conductive materials which can be used as a heat exchanger. Expected ....Development of rapid-response thermal batteries for the global market. In collaboration with Isothermix, this project aims to develop and commercialize cost-effective, rapid-response thermal batteries to meet the air conditioning peak demand of buildings. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the phase change materials which can be used to store thermal energy across a range of temperatures and the highly thermal conductive materials which can be used as a heat exchanger. Expected outcomes include the development of rapid response thermal batteries which can cool buildings across a range of temperatures and site conditions. This should provide significant benefits by reducing primary heating and cooling plant capacity and thereby our reliance on fossil fuels.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100159
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,847.00
Summary
Developing Room-Temperature Liquid Metal Batteries for Safe Energy Storage. To overcome safety issues intrinsic to the prevalent solid metal anodes in battery technology, this project aims to develop room-temperature liquid metal batteries by employing liquid Sodium-Potassium alloy. Innovations will span the development of the electrode concept, interface-oriented electrolyte design guided by theory and experiment, and prototype battery cell examples to illustrate how high round-trip efficiencie ....Developing Room-Temperature Liquid Metal Batteries for Safe Energy Storage. To overcome safety issues intrinsic to the prevalent solid metal anodes in battery technology, this project aims to develop room-temperature liquid metal batteries by employing liquid Sodium-Potassium alloy. Innovations will span the development of the electrode concept, interface-oriented electrolyte design guided by theory and experiment, and prototype battery cell examples to illustrate how high round-trip efficiencies at fast charging can be achieved over a prolonged time. The anticipated outcomes would transform battery technology concepts while providing a critical scientific basis for commercialisation. Further, the success of this project would help Australia realise its shift from traditional to emerging sustainable energy systems.Read moreRead less
Ultra-low-loss fluoride glass optical fibres for the future global network. The transmission loss of silica optical fibres limits the capacity of the global internet. Fluoride glass fibres have the potential of reducing the loss by more than 10 times. This project aims to overcome two of the technological challenges of the ultra-low-loss fluoride fibre optics network: (1) commercial-scale manufacturing of improved fibres and (2) signal amplification at 2.3μm. By generating new fundamental knowle ....Ultra-low-loss fluoride glass optical fibres for the future global network. The transmission loss of silica optical fibres limits the capacity of the global internet. Fluoride glass fibres have the potential of reducing the loss by more than 10 times. This project aims to overcome two of the technological challenges of the ultra-low-loss fluoride fibre optics network: (1) commercial-scale manufacturing of improved fibres and (2) signal amplification at 2.3μm. By generating new fundamental knowledge on rare-earth transitions and glass crystal formation, expected outcomes include innovative fibre fabrication methods optimised for space manufacturing. Benefits will include enhanced internet capacity with lower energy requirements, and opportunities for sovereign capability in fluoride fibre fabrication in Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100660
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,117.00
Summary
A Solar Photoelectrochemical Cell for Unbiased Hydrogen Production. This project aims to develop a photoelectrochemical cell for photoelectric conversion and green hydrogen production by using solar power as the only energy input. This project expects to generate new knowledge in photoelectrode material design by combining low-cost semiconductors with natural or synthetic molecular catalysts. Expected outcomes are to generate a sustainable solar hydrogen technique with no electricity consumption ....A Solar Photoelectrochemical Cell for Unbiased Hydrogen Production. This project aims to develop a photoelectrochemical cell for photoelectric conversion and green hydrogen production by using solar power as the only energy input. This project expects to generate new knowledge in photoelectrode material design by combining low-cost semiconductors with natural or synthetic molecular catalysts. Expected outcomes are to generate a sustainable solar hydrogen technique with no electricity consumption, high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency and long-term stability, promoting the development of green hydrogen industries in Australia with zero carbon emissions. This should provide significant benefits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieve environmental sustainability and meet renewable energy demand.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH230100005
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality. This Hub aims to develop sustainable zero-emission power generation technologies to transform gaseous waste (mainly CO2) from our energy and manufacturing sectors into valuable products and create scalable pathways to market for driving industry transformation. This Hub expects to harvest renewable energy from the environment by using zero-emission power generators and then store it in green and safer batteries for convert ....ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality. This Hub aims to develop sustainable zero-emission power generation technologies to transform gaseous waste (mainly CO2) from our energy and manufacturing sectors into valuable products and create scalable pathways to market for driving industry transformation. This Hub expects to harvest renewable energy from the environment by using zero-emission power generators and then store it in green and safer batteries for converting gaseous waste from sectors that cannot easily avoid emission into useful chemicals, which in turn realize carbon neutrality and negativity. The outcomes of this Hub are likely to be transformative for industry, the economy, and society in new-type renewable energy resources through decreasing environmental pollutants. Read moreRead less