The development of flexible, graded plasma surface engineered coatings for superior interfacial performance. The next generation of intraocular lenses, medical devices to treat patients with cataracts, will be developed through application of advanced surface engineering technologies. These superior coated lenses will improve biocompatibility and function, leading to additional benefit for the forecasted 2.7 million Australians with cataracts by 2021.
Combining the soft with the hard: The assembly of artificial cell membranes on porous semiconductors. The platform technologies developed in this project will have a wide range of applications. They will reveal new insights into drug-membrane and drug-protein interactions underpinning development of a new generation of drugs acting on transmembrane proteins that are linked to a wide range of diseases. The development of membrane-based biosensing devices targeting ion channels, membrane active pe ....Combining the soft with the hard: The assembly of artificial cell membranes on porous semiconductors. The platform technologies developed in this project will have a wide range of applications. They will reveal new insights into drug-membrane and drug-protein interactions underpinning development of a new generation of drugs acting on transmembrane proteins that are linked to a wide range of diseases. The development of membrane-based biosensing devices targeting ion channels, membrane active peptides or toxins which can be applied to biomedical diagnostics, biotoxin detection, environmental and food control will be readily achievable. This international interdisciplinary nanobiotechnology programme and its outcomes will enhance Australia's abilities in frontier technologies and build research strength in nanobiotechnology.Read moreRead less
Conducting polymer materials. This project aims to understand the optical, electrical and optoelectronic properties of conductive polymers by studying how ions influence the charge transport through the polymeric structure. The discovery of conductive polymers in the 1970s led to smartphone and laptop touch displays and solar cells. These materials promise even more still – but how they operate at the atomic level is not understood. This project could lead to an ability to harness and control th ....Conducting polymer materials. This project aims to understand the optical, electrical and optoelectronic properties of conductive polymers by studying how ions influence the charge transport through the polymeric structure. The discovery of conductive polymers in the 1970s led to smartphone and laptop touch displays and solar cells. These materials promise even more still – but how they operate at the atomic level is not understood. This project could lead to an ability to harness and control these properties for energy storage and wearable displays. These materials’ biological neutrality could lead to drug delivery and sensing applications in the agriculture and healthcare spaces.Read moreRead less
An account of wetting phenomena on nano-engineered surfaces. This project aims to provide researchers and industry with a toolbox to predict wetting behaviour on surfaces with nanoscale topography. A combined experimental and numerical study will lead to the discovery of the mechanisms by which topographical and chemical properties of the surface trigger the formation of nanostructure-induced air pockets and how these phenomena determine surface wettability. This will provide significant benefi ....An account of wetting phenomena on nano-engineered surfaces. This project aims to provide researchers and industry with a toolbox to predict wetting behaviour on surfaces with nanoscale topography. A combined experimental and numerical study will lead to the discovery of the mechanisms by which topographical and chemical properties of the surface trigger the formation of nanostructure-induced air pockets and how these phenomena determine surface wettability. This will provide significant benefits, as the predictive surface-wettability model will enhance controllability and productivity of diverse manufacturing processes and lead to new applications, high-value products and economic benefits in mining, energy, electronics, biomedicine and other fields.Read moreRead less
New bar-encoded polymer microbeads for multiplexed bioanalysis-a quick and high-throughput approach for complex disease diagnosis. Distinguishable new bar-encoded (element-encoded) polymer microbeads associated with a mass spectroscopy-flow cytometer detector provide a novel platform for highly multiplexed biological analysis. Such an approach can simultaneously identify many non-self-agents at low concentrations, which facilitates early-stage complex disease diagnosis.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101244
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,276.00
Summary
Advanced zinc-ion batteries with high voltage and high energy density. Zinc-ion battery is not only cheaper than current lithium-ion battery (LIB), but it is safer due to a neutral aqueous electrolyte. However, its grid-scale development is plagued by limited output voltage and inadequate energy density compared with more mainstream LIB. This project aims to solve the discharge-voltage problem by fabricating atomic-level structure engineered manganese (Mn)-based cathode and a new stable solid-st ....Advanced zinc-ion batteries with high voltage and high energy density. Zinc-ion battery is not only cheaper than current lithium-ion battery (LIB), but it is safer due to a neutral aqueous electrolyte. However, its grid-scale development is plagued by limited output voltage and inadequate energy density compared with more mainstream LIB. This project aims to solve the discharge-voltage problem by fabricating atomic-level structure engineered manganese (Mn)-based cathode and a new stable solid-state electrolyte, and improve the device energy density by zinc (Zn) anode interface nanotechnology. The success of this project will benefit Australia’s access to new markets and introduce a new low-cost and safe energy storage technology for the long-term viability of Australia’s abundant Zn and Mn resources.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for Clean Fuels Production. This project aims to develop single-component and hybrid transition-metal and metal-free electrocatalysts with controllable nanostructures to efficiently and selectively catalyse carbon dioxide reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions for clean fuels production including hydrogen and low-carbon organic molecules. By combining experimental and theoretical modelling, this project plans to reveal the origins, mechanism and pathway of the ....Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for Clean Fuels Production. This project aims to develop single-component and hybrid transition-metal and metal-free electrocatalysts with controllable nanostructures to efficiently and selectively catalyse carbon dioxide reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions for clean fuels production including hydrogen and low-carbon organic molecules. By combining experimental and theoretical modelling, this project plans to reveal the origins, mechanism and pathway of these reactions, and the effect of catalyst composition and morphology on their performance. The resulting nanostructured catalysts are of great importance for feasible clean fuel generation and carbon dioxide reduction.Read moreRead less
Taming light and electrons in optical fibres. This project aims to add electrical conduction functionality to optical fibres to manipulate light with electrons and vice versa in a photonics platform, which could bridge the gap between photonics and electronics. It will achieve electrical conduction in optical fibres by creating conductive phases within and onto glass using fibre drawing and polymerisation. The project is expected to lead to breakthroughs in fundamental science at the interfaces ....Taming light and electrons in optical fibres. This project aims to add electrical conduction functionality to optical fibres to manipulate light with electrons and vice versa in a photonics platform, which could bridge the gap between photonics and electronics. It will achieve electrical conduction in optical fibres by creating conductive phases within and onto glass using fibre drawing and polymerisation. The project is expected to lead to breakthroughs in fundamental science at the interfaces between photonics, electronics and materials engineering, and develop optical fibres that change functionalities and applications of optical fibre devices.Read moreRead less
Nanocrystals in glass: a new nanophotonic material. The new nanophotonic materials will enable breakthroughs in exploitation of the outstanding properties of nanocrystals in photonic devices. This will open up progress in telecommunication, medicine and solar cell technology.
Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This sho ....Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This should provide the pathway to a world first real-time in-ground fertiliser sensor, providing benefit for the sensor manufacturers, farmers, consumers and the environment.Read moreRead less