Integrated nonmetal-metal single-atom catalysis for selective synthesis. Single atom catalysts can achieve the maximum efficiency of active sites for a reaction. This project will develop integrated nonmetal and metal single atom-based catalysts for selective oxidation towards clean production and organic waste conversion to value-added polymers for carbon recycle. The project will result in new functional materials and green catalytic processes for chemical synthesis and waste reduction, and ad ....Integrated nonmetal-metal single-atom catalysis for selective synthesis. Single atom catalysts can achieve the maximum efficiency of active sites for a reaction. This project will develop integrated nonmetal and metal single atom-based catalysts for selective oxidation towards clean production and organic waste conversion to value-added polymers for carbon recycle. The project will result in new functional materials and green catalytic processes for chemical synthesis and waste reduction, and advance fundamental understanding of molecular structure of materials for catalyst design and process engineering for industrial applications. The outcomes will promote the development of chemical industry, waste recycle and green environment in Australia, making significant benefits to economics and society.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
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
Flame-Retarding and Mechanically Resilient Elastomer Composites. This project will develop a new generation of flame-retarding and mechanically resilient elastomer composites by taking advantage of nanoscale effect and synergy. The outcomes will be two types of flame-retarding additive pellets and their elastomer composites; these pellets also suit other polymers such as thermoplastics. The elastomer composites are expected to have excellent flame retardancy, mechanical properties, and fatigue p ....Flame-Retarding and Mechanically Resilient Elastomer Composites. This project will develop a new generation of flame-retarding and mechanically resilient elastomer composites by taking advantage of nanoscale effect and synergy. The outcomes will be two types of flame-retarding additive pellets and their elastomer composites; these pellets also suit other polymers such as thermoplastics. The elastomer composites are expected to have excellent flame retardancy, mechanical properties, and fatigue performance, to meet the demands from industrial partners. The project will provide a platform for elastomer manufacturing industry to develop flame-retarding, high-performance products for domestic applications and for export. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,300,000.00
Summary
Thermophysical Property Analysers for Materials under Extreme Environments. The development of new materials with properties specifically tailored to withstand the extreme environments begins with understanding the physical nature of the processes involved, including the properties of atoms and molecules extending from the nanoscale to the collective behaviour at the macroscale. This relies on the knowledge achieved with new capabilities of analytical tools to open new avenues for developing the ....Thermophysical Property Analysers for Materials under Extreme Environments. The development of new materials with properties specifically tailored to withstand the extreme environments begins with understanding the physical nature of the processes involved, including the properties of atoms and molecules extending from the nanoscale to the collective behaviour at the macroscale. This relies on the knowledge achieved with new capabilities of analytical tools to open new avenues for developing the materials. This project aims to strengthen Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials for energy, defence and space, and advanced manufacturing technologies through establishing a high temperature, high pressure and high force materials characterisation suite for extreme environments at UNSW.Read moreRead less
Industry Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: IL230100116
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,359,464.00
Summary
Breaking through the manufacturing ‘glass ceiling’ for ZBLAN glass fibres. This project aims to develop innovative methods to improve the purity and manufacture scale of fluoride glass (ZBLAN) optical fibres to deliver faster and more efficient internet. This project expects to produce ZBLAN fibres with lower light loss than the best fibres to date by integrating innovations in glass science, materials purification, process automation and space manufacturing. Expected outcomes include industrial ....Breaking through the manufacturing ‘glass ceiling’ for ZBLAN glass fibres. This project aims to develop innovative methods to improve the purity and manufacture scale of fluoride glass (ZBLAN) optical fibres to deliver faster and more efficient internet. This project expects to produce ZBLAN fibres with lower light loss than the best fibres to date by integrating innovations in glass science, materials purification, process automation and space manufacturing. Expected outcomes include industrial scale production of ZBLAN fibres with 10 times better performance than existing production. The project should provide innovative new manufacturing methods and improved economic and social prosperity by increasing the availability of ZBLAN for a wealth of applications touching many aspects of Australian lives.Read moreRead less
CO2-coupled photothermal catalysis on superlattice structures. This project aims to develop a structure-tailored platform of superlattice materials for photothermal catalytic conversion of natural gases to valuable fuels and chemicals. Innovations lie in engineered atomic and bulk scale nanocrystals for high-efficiency sunlight harvesting to drive CO2-coupled catalysis of C-H bond activation. Advanced characterisations and multiscale computations will enable mechanistic insights into the synergy ....CO2-coupled photothermal catalysis on superlattice structures. This project aims to develop a structure-tailored platform of superlattice materials for photothermal catalytic conversion of natural gases to valuable fuels and chemicals. Innovations lie in engineered atomic and bulk scale nanocrystals for high-efficiency sunlight harvesting to drive CO2-coupled catalysis of C-H bond activation. Advanced characterisations and multiscale computations will enable mechanistic insights into the synergy of photo and thermal catalysis in hydrocarbon conversions. The projects will result in next-generation intelligent materials and clean technologies for solar fuels production and CO2 recycling. Outcomes will benefit Australia’s long-term energy security and sustainability toward a carbon-neutral society. Read moreRead less
Engineered redox polymers for catalytic water purification. This project aims to develop a novel family of chemically and structurally controlled redox polymer as metal-free catalysts for wastewater micropollutant treatment. Innovations lie in the synthesis of high-performance and nanostructured carbon-based materials, multiscale modeling, and in situ characterizations for understanding structure-property relationship in carbon catalysis. Expected outcomes will deliver innovations in functional ....Engineered redox polymers for catalytic water purification. This project aims to develop a novel family of chemically and structurally controlled redox polymer as metal-free catalysts for wastewater micropollutant treatment. Innovations lie in the synthesis of high-performance and nanostructured carbon-based materials, multiscale modeling, and in situ characterizations for understanding structure-property relationship in carbon catalysis. Expected outcomes will deliver innovations in functional materials, mechanism, catalytic engineering, and sustainable separation processes. This project will provide significant benefits in renovating smart nanomaterials in advanced manufacturing and clean environmental technologies, promoting Australia’s economic development and environment protection.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
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