Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101407
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,446.00
Summary
Three-dimensional metal printing based on controlled removal of self-assembled monolayers. This project aims to develop a unique approach for three-dimensional metal micro-printing based on controlled removal of self-assembled monolayers. The application of electro-deposition for three-dimensional metal printing is currently hindered by the incapacity of site-selective control of the deposition area. The project expects to produce a new three dimensional metal microprinting technology, with bene ....Three-dimensional metal printing based on controlled removal of self-assembled monolayers. This project aims to develop a unique approach for three-dimensional metal micro-printing based on controlled removal of self-assembled monolayers. The application of electro-deposition for three-dimensional metal printing is currently hindered by the incapacity of site-selective control of the deposition area. The project expects to produce a new three dimensional metal microprinting technology, with benefits to manufacturing industries, particularly those requiring production of micro/nano metallic components.Read moreRead less
Hybrid cathode for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. This project aims to develop molten carbonate-perovskite hybrid cathode materials for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) possessing both high catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and high tolerance to carbon dioxide poisoning. Carbon dioxide in air can poison nearly all the perovskite cathode materials developed for LT-SOFCs (below 600 degrees C) so far. These materials will not be practically useful ....Hybrid cathode for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. This project aims to develop molten carbonate-perovskite hybrid cathode materials for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) possessing both high catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and high tolerance to carbon dioxide poisoning. Carbon dioxide in air can poison nearly all the perovskite cathode materials developed for LT-SOFCs (below 600 degrees C) so far. These materials will not be practically useful until carbon dioxide poisoning can be prevented. This project expects to make these LT-SOFC cathode materials commercially viable, solving a problem for the widespread use of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells.Read moreRead less
High Performance Anode for Direct Ammonia Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Solid oxygen fuel cells are a clean energy generation device with very high energy efficiency and if with hydrogen as fuel, the emission is zero. However, the utilisation of hydrogen is limited by on-board storage. Ammonia is a promising hydrogen carrier and can be directly fed to solid oxide fuel cells without fuel storage problem, and the products are just hydrogen and nitrogen. For direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells, the key ....High Performance Anode for Direct Ammonia Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Solid oxygen fuel cells are a clean energy generation device with very high energy efficiency and if with hydrogen as fuel, the emission is zero. However, the utilisation of hydrogen is limited by on-board storage. Ammonia is a promising hydrogen carrier and can be directly fed to solid oxide fuel cells without fuel storage problem, and the products are just hydrogen and nitrogen. For direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells, the key challenge is the anode. This project aims to develop a high performance anode for direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells with both high activity and high stability at low temperature (below 600 degree C), thus addressing a key issue to make the direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells commercially viable.Read moreRead less
Composites for thermal expansion matched oxygen electrodes. This project aims to develop high performance composite oxygen electrodes by using both negative thermal expansion materials and electrolyte materials to tailor the thermal expansion and activities of the perovskite-based electrodes for use in reduced temperature solid oxide cells. Such composite electrodes will show highly matched thermal expansion with electrolyte without sacrificing high activity at reduced temperatures. This project ....Composites for thermal expansion matched oxygen electrodes. This project aims to develop high performance composite oxygen electrodes by using both negative thermal expansion materials and electrolyte materials to tailor the thermal expansion and activities of the perovskite-based electrodes for use in reduced temperature solid oxide cells. Such composite electrodes will show highly matched thermal expansion with electrolyte without sacrificing high activity at reduced temperatures. This project seeks to address an important practical issue in the operation of solid oxide power cells - thermal expansion compatibility, which causes poor efficiency outside a narrow temperature band.Read moreRead less
A new design strategy for supercapacitors. This project aims to build a new equivalent electric circuit model using structurally tuneable graphene-based porous electrodes to establish a quantitative structure-property-performance relationship for super-capacitors. The new model will then be used to design novel electrode and device architectures to realise new energy storage devices with high usable storage capacity at high operation rates. This new computer-aided strategy will greatly accelerat ....A new design strategy for supercapacitors. This project aims to build a new equivalent electric circuit model using structurally tuneable graphene-based porous electrodes to establish a quantitative structure-property-performance relationship for super-capacitors. The new model will then be used to design novel electrode and device architectures to realise new energy storage devices with high usable storage capacity at high operation rates. This new computer-aided strategy will greatly accelerate the design of next-generation high-performance super-capacitors, and bring significant benefit to Australia's emerging knowledge-based manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured materials for development of advanced lithium energy storage systems. This project is expected to bring several national benefits. Novel nanostructured electro-active materials and high energy density rechargeable lithium batteries will be developed. The application of advanced lithium batteries as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will realise nearly zero emission transportation. The widespread usage of EVs and HEVs could significantly ....Nanostructured materials for development of advanced lithium energy storage systems. This project is expected to bring several national benefits. Novel nanostructured electro-active materials and high energy density rechargeable lithium batteries will be developed. The application of advanced lithium batteries as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will realise nearly zero emission transportation. The widespread usage of EVs and HEVs could significantly reduce air pollution, improve urban environment and increase national energy security and energy independence.Read moreRead less
Functionalising sustainable natural binders for energy storage devices. This project aims to produce low-cost energy storage devices to meet the energy demands and safety requirements of electric appliances, electric vehicles and smart electricity grids. High-cost and non-regenerable resources and existing energy storage devices’ safety issues have hindered the electrification of portable electronic devices and vehicles and use of intermittent solar and wind energy. This project will use sustain ....Functionalising sustainable natural binders for energy storage devices. This project aims to produce low-cost energy storage devices to meet the energy demands and safety requirements of electric appliances, electric vehicles and smart electricity grids. High-cost and non-regenerable resources and existing energy storage devices’ safety issues have hindered the electrification of portable electronic devices and vehicles and use of intermittent solar and wind energy. This project will use sustainable natural polymers to develop green electrode technologies for manufacturing batteries with greatly reduced production and environmental cost. The in-depth understandings from the combination of experiments and computation simulations will help create strategies to realise low cost, long-life and safe batteries.Read moreRead less
Novel lithium iron based olivine phosphates as cathode materials for the development of new generation power batteries. Global warming and climate change are a serious threat to our society today. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy for sustainable development. Battery technology is regarded as one of the green technologies that can be widely used to power vehicles and store energy. This project will develop new generation lithium-ion power batteries using novel lit ....Novel lithium iron based olivine phosphates as cathode materials for the development of new generation power batteries. Global warming and climate change are a serious threat to our society today. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy for sustainable development. Battery technology is regarded as one of the green technologies that can be widely used to power vehicles and store energy. This project will develop new generation lithium-ion power batteries using novel lithium iron based phosphate cathode materials. The success of the research will provide advanced rechargeable batteries for electric bicycles, electric motorcycles and hybrid electric vehicles, contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Read moreRead less
Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technolo ....Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technology. Expected outcomes of this project include improved pilot-scale electrochemical reactors for producing various functional 2D nanomaterials and enabling precise control of their molecular and bulk properties. These tailored 2D nanomaterials will significantly improve the performances of flexible and energy-related devices.Read moreRead less
Electrocatalytic Generation of Ammonia from Air and Water. The aim is to directly convert nitrogen under mild conditions, using renewable power, to form ammonia for fertilisers and fuels, enabled by new, nanostructured, electrocatalysts based on single-sheet and composite materials. Unlike nitrogen fixation using a three-electrode system, the project will use a novel mixed gas- and liquid-phase electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction two-electrode reactor. Based on fuel cells, it is designed to acce ....Electrocatalytic Generation of Ammonia from Air and Water. The aim is to directly convert nitrogen under mild conditions, using renewable power, to form ammonia for fertilisers and fuels, enabled by new, nanostructured, electrocatalysts based on single-sheet and composite materials. Unlike nitrogen fixation using a three-electrode system, the project will use a novel mixed gas- and liquid-phase electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction two-electrode reactor. Based on fuel cells, it is designed to accelerate the naturally sluggish nitrogen reduction reaction, NRR, significantly improving the reaction rate and selectivity. The project will also gain atomic-level understanding of the mechanism of NRR, based on in-situ spectroscopies used under operando conditions, e.g., Raman or X-ray absorption.Read moreRead less