Manufacturing Nanostructured Polymer Thin Films using Visible Light. This research aims the development of selective photochemical tools driven by different colours of light for the fabrication of nanostructured polymer brush thin films. By using different wavelengths to selectively activate specific chemical reactions, this will enable multiple reactions to be performed simultaneously, significantly streamlining fabrication. Additionally, the increased selectivity offers pathways to more sophis ....Manufacturing Nanostructured Polymer Thin Films using Visible Light. This research aims the development of selective photochemical tools driven by different colours of light for the fabrication of nanostructured polymer brush thin films. By using different wavelengths to selectively activate specific chemical reactions, this will enable multiple reactions to be performed simultaneously, significantly streamlining fabrication. Additionally, the increased selectivity offers pathways to more sophisticated nanoarchitectures in comparison to existing methods. This research will lead to the fabrication of 3D polymer brush architectures with unparalleled precision, which will be of high scientific and industrial value for a diverse range of applications, such as optoelectronics, nanoactuation, and sensing.Read moreRead less
Programming the Microstructure of 3D Printed Objects . This project aims to apply state-of-the-art living polymerisation techniques to 3D printing to efficiently produce customised polymer materials that are tailored at the molecular level. By combining computational modeling and experimental approach, fast and oxygen tolerant photoliving radical polymerisation will be developed and applied to 3D printing. These new systems will produce highly structured polymer materials with remarkable mechani ....Programming the Microstructure of 3D Printed Objects . This project aims to apply state-of-the-art living polymerisation techniques to 3D printing to efficiently produce customised polymer materials that are tailored at the molecular level. By combining computational modeling and experimental approach, fast and oxygen tolerant photoliving radical polymerisation will be developed and applied to 3D printing. These new systems will produce highly structured polymer materials with remarkable mechanical properties. The effect of nanostructure on the macroscopic material properties will be investigated. The intended outcome of this project will produce advanced materials with tailored mechanical properties via streamlined and accessible approaches.Read moreRead less
Fighting slime with free radicals - new surface coatings for biofilm remediation. Bacterial biofilms are a major problem in a number of environmental, industrial and medical applications. They cause significant risks to human health and present an enormous economic burden to society. This project aims to develop smart polymeric coatings that will discourage bacterial attachment and ensure greater long term control over biofilm growth. These coatings represent a breakthrough in the field and will ....Fighting slime with free radicals - new surface coatings for biofilm remediation. Bacterial biofilms are a major problem in a number of environmental, industrial and medical applications. They cause significant risks to human health and present an enormous economic burden to society. This project aims to develop smart polymeric coatings that will discourage bacterial attachment and ensure greater long term control over biofilm growth. These coatings represent a breakthrough in the field and will have a profound impact in many areas, including reducing infections related to medical implants and improving the efficiency of marine engineering systems.Read moreRead less
Flow process and visible-light driven reactions for polymer manufacturing. This project aims to develop rapid, scalable light-driven continuous flow processing techniques that allow the production of value-added synthetic polymers that cannot be achieved by existing technologies. The project will take advantage of the spatio-temporal control of the light mediated polymerisation with flow process to achieve control over the primary structure, the sequential arrangement of monomer units in a polym ....Flow process and visible-light driven reactions for polymer manufacturing. This project aims to develop rapid, scalable light-driven continuous flow processing techniques that allow the production of value-added synthetic polymers that cannot be achieved by existing technologies. The project will take advantage of the spatio-temporal control of the light mediated polymerisation with flow process to achieve control over the primary structure, the sequential arrangement of monomer units in a polymer chain and the molecular weight distribution. The project will result in the preparation of functional polymers containing a specific arrangement of monomers in the polymer chain and a precise distribution of polymer chains. The development of such process will result in the development of advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100306
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
Functional Superstructures of Microporous Metal-Organic Frameworks. This project aims to develop metal-organic framework (MOF) superstructures as a new materials platform. MOFs are an emerging class of porous adsorbents that are expected to fulfil a crucial role as functional materials in industrially important applications, including molecular separations and heterogeneous catalysis. However, there is an urgent need for convenient methods to integrate the attractive properties of MOFs with the ....Functional Superstructures of Microporous Metal-Organic Frameworks. This project aims to develop metal-organic framework (MOF) superstructures as a new materials platform. MOFs are an emerging class of porous adsorbents that are expected to fulfil a crucial role as functional materials in industrially important applications, including molecular separations and heterogeneous catalysis. However, there is an urgent need for convenient methods to integrate the attractive properties of MOFs with the unique features of meso- and macrostructured materials, and for a fundamental understanding of the influence of structuring on their material properties. The project intends to synthesise structuralised MOFs as a platform for studies related to their adsorptive and dynamic properties, and to study these systems as next-generation materials for hydrocarbon separations.Read moreRead less
Polymer technologies for oil spill remediation and slow-release fertilisers. This project aims to evaluate a patented sulfur polymer in commercial oil spill remediation and slow-release fertilisers. Key objectives are to determine how the polymer degrades, assess the effectiveness of the polymer in oil spill sorption in different contexts, and investigate the polymer as a matrix for slow-release fertilisers. The project expects to generate new approaches to sustainable remediation and crop produ ....Polymer technologies for oil spill remediation and slow-release fertilisers. This project aims to evaluate a patented sulfur polymer in commercial oil spill remediation and slow-release fertilisers. Key objectives are to determine how the polymer degrades, assess the effectiveness of the polymer in oil spill sorption in different contexts, and investigate the polymer as a matrix for slow-release fertilisers. The project expects to generate new approaches to sustainable remediation and crop production. Expected outcomes include new knowledge about the biodegradation of the polymer, new methods for deploying the polymer in oil spill cleanup, and new fertilisers that prevent nutrient waste and runoff. Significant benefits are expected for the environment, as well as economic benefits to the manufacturer and end-users.Read moreRead less
Functional polymeric nanopores from cyclic peptide templates. This research programme will develop nanotubes prepared through the self-assembly of cyclic peptide/polymer conjugates into functional devices for applications as nanopores. The project will establish the fundamental knowledge required to develop these materials into nanoporous polymeric films and transmembrane channels. The research programme will establish new synthetic routes to the conjugates, ascertain the technique of assembly i ....Functional polymeric nanopores from cyclic peptide templates. This research programme will develop nanotubes prepared through the self-assembly of cyclic peptide/polymer conjugates into functional devices for applications as nanopores. The project will establish the fundamental knowledge required to develop these materials into nanoporous polymeric films and transmembrane channels. The research programme will establish new synthetic routes to the conjugates, ascertain the technique of assembly into nanotubes, with a particular focus on improving the precision with which we achieve structural control, and explore the use of the nanotubes to design nanopores, for applications in the manufacture of nanoporous materials, as antibiotic agents and as biosensors.Read moreRead less
New generation functional materials for 21st century applications: exploiting the properties of naphthalene diimides. This project melds the expertise of several research groups in the area of fluorescent material development. Based on a family of highly fluorescent molecules, the project will focus on designing new sensors, polymeric materials and molecular switching devices.
Permanent Concentration Gradients Captured in Molecular and Framework Co-Crystals. This project aims to design, synthesise and characterise molecular and framework co-crystals in which the molecular components are arranged in permanent concentration gradients. Synthetic crystals of this type are unprecedented. The concentration gradient has significant implications for the physical properties of the crystals (for example, optical, magnetic and electronic) as these must also vary in concert with ....Permanent Concentration Gradients Captured in Molecular and Framework Co-Crystals. This project aims to design, synthesise and characterise molecular and framework co-crystals in which the molecular components are arranged in permanent concentration gradients. Synthetic crystals of this type are unprecedented. The concentration gradient has significant implications for the physical properties of the crystals (for example, optical, magnetic and electronic) as these must also vary in concert with the changing local molecular composition. These co-crystals promise unique magnetic and optical properties that will influence design of new smart solid-state materials with potential for use in future high-technology applications.Read moreRead less
Hybrid photocatalytic nanomaterials for water purification. This project aims to synthesise and characterise a range of porous photocatalytic materials (materials that absorb light to catalyse a reaction), and to establish high-throughput processes to simultaneously test the effectiveness of multiple photocatalytic materials. This interdisciplinary project expects to develop two new techniques that will lead to faster materials optimisation of materials that breakdown organic pollutants in water ....Hybrid photocatalytic nanomaterials for water purification. This project aims to synthesise and characterise a range of porous photocatalytic materials (materials that absorb light to catalyse a reaction), and to establish high-throughput processes to simultaneously test the effectiveness of multiple photocatalytic materials. This interdisciplinary project expects to develop two new techniques that will lead to faster materials optimisation of materials that breakdown organic pollutants in water under light irradiation. The intended outcomes include the production of industrially relevant photocatalysts and building capability in Australia to decrease photocatalytic testing time and cost. This should provide significant benefits to industry and the environment, and have an impact on human health.Read moreRead less