Nucleophilic carbenes as organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis. Chemical compounds which come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) can have very different biological function. Often one form can have beneficial effects while the other can cause great harm (such as birth defects in the case of thalidomide). It is therefore very important for the drug industry to have asymmetric chemical reactions that lead specifically to only one enantiomer. The asymmetric reactions in this project ha ....Nucleophilic carbenes as organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis. Chemical compounds which come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) can have very different biological function. Often one form can have beneficial effects while the other can cause great harm (such as birth defects in the case of thalidomide). It is therefore very important for the drug industry to have asymmetric chemical reactions that lead specifically to only one enantiomer. The asymmetric reactions in this project have been used previously to synthesise the anti-cancer metabolite roseophilin. The results of this project will ensure that there are many more similar success stories in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Using data mining methods to remove uncertainties in sensor data streams. This project will develop key techniques for removing uncertainties in sensor data streams and thus improve the monitoring quality of sensor networks. The expected outcomes will benefit Australia by enabling improved, lower-cost monitoring of natural resources and management of stock raising.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100265
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,000.00
Summary
A closed-loop human–agent learning framework to enhance decision making. This project aims to design a foundational human–agent learning framework to augment the decision making process, using reinforcement and closed-loop mechanisms to enable symbiosis between a human and an artificial-intelligence agent. It envisages significant new technologies to promote controllability and efficient and safe exploration of an environment for decision actions – drastically boosting learning effectiveness and ....A closed-loop human–agent learning framework to enhance decision making. This project aims to design a foundational human–agent learning framework to augment the decision making process, using reinforcement and closed-loop mechanisms to enable symbiosis between a human and an artificial-intelligence agent. It envisages significant new technologies to promote controllability and efficient and safe exploration of an environment for decision actions – drastically boosting learning effectiveness and interpretability in decision making. Expected outcomes will benefit national cybersecurity by improving our understanding of vulnerabilities and threats involving decision actions, and by ensuring that human feedback and evaluations can help prevent catastrophic events in explorations of dynamic and complex environments.Read moreRead less
Coinage metal nanoclusters: synthesis, structure and reactivity. Metal catalysts play important roles in the multi-billion dollar production of many industrial and fine chemicals used in wide-ranging applications including pharmaceuticals, insecticides and polymers. Despite the importance of metal catalysed reactions, the molecular details of such processes remain poorly understood. Breakthrough studies highlight that reactions previously thought to be catalysed by discrete metal catalysts are i ....Coinage metal nanoclusters: synthesis, structure and reactivity. Metal catalysts play important roles in the multi-billion dollar production of many industrial and fine chemicals used in wide-ranging applications including pharmaceuticals, insecticides and polymers. Despite the importance of metal catalysed reactions, the molecular details of such processes remain poorly understood. Breakthrough studies highlight that reactions previously thought to be catalysed by discrete metal catalysts are in fact catalysed by metal nanoclusters. This project involves the application of advanced mass spectrometric and computational methods to explore the formation and reactivity of copper, silver and gold nanoclusters. Identification of key reactive intermediates will inform the design of next generation catalysts.Read moreRead less
A Midas touch for electrophiles in new reaction development. This project aims to address the lack of knowledge about how high-value organic molecules are formed in gold-catalysed reactions by advancing a novel mode of catalysis. This project expects to generate new knowledge about these gold-catalysed reactions using an innovative, interdisciplinary approach incorporating computational and synthetic techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the optimisation and development of import ....A Midas touch for electrophiles in new reaction development. This project aims to address the lack of knowledge about how high-value organic molecules are formed in gold-catalysed reactions by advancing a novel mode of catalysis. This project expects to generate new knowledge about these gold-catalysed reactions using an innovative, interdisciplinary approach incorporating computational and synthetic techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the optimisation and development of important organic reactions and enhancing collaboration nationally and internationally between computational and synthetic chemists. This should provide significant benefits in the form of improved chemical reactions for chemists to prepare new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials.Read moreRead less
Switchable and stereocontrolled photoredox catalysis. This project aims to develop new catalytic synthetic reactions for the rapid and more direct functionalisation of organic compounds under mild conditions with the use of visible light. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to design potent visible-light photocatalysts that retain the advantages of standard photoredox catalysis but with the added ability to intercept and, thus control, reactive intermediates in sit ....Switchable and stereocontrolled photoredox catalysis. This project aims to develop new catalytic synthetic reactions for the rapid and more direct functionalisation of organic compounds under mild conditions with the use of visible light. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to design potent visible-light photocatalysts that retain the advantages of standard photoredox catalysis but with the added ability to intercept and, thus control, reactive intermediates in situ. This will enable the control of stereochemistry in photoredox reactions – not possible with standard catalysts - and establish other useful synthetic transformations. These strategies will make it easier to prepare valuable classes of organic molecules – efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively.
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A new route to linear alpha olefins - catalytic isomerisation of internal olefins. Linear alpha olefins are an extremely important class of chemical building blocks used for everyday consumer products, such as plastics, detergents and lubricants. This research aims to develop a new platform technology for the production of these materials from low cost precursors.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775760
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$101,967.00
Summary
Satellite remote sensing and GIS data processing facilities at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. Northern Australia is vast, remote and spreads across diverse and extensive landscapes. There is no centralised remote sensing and GIS facility within 2000 kilometres of the CDU, Darwin. The upgraded infrastructure at CDU will assist in strengthening the research base in this remote part of Australia. This will allow the NT researchers to focus on the environmental applications of remote sensing and ....Satellite remote sensing and GIS data processing facilities at Charles Darwin University, Darwin. Northern Australia is vast, remote and spreads across diverse and extensive landscapes. There is no centralised remote sensing and GIS facility within 2000 kilometres of the CDU, Darwin. The upgraded infrastructure at CDU will assist in strengthening the research base in this remote part of Australia. This will allow the NT researchers to focus on the environmental applications of remote sensing and GIS technologies which will have many community benefits through better management of water resources, land degradation, wetlands, cultural knowledge and sustainable use of Australian biodiversity. The infrastructure will also assist in the training of new researchers within this developing field.
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Biomimetic templating radical polymerisation in nanoreactors. The aim is to develop methodology for synthesis of polymer with hitherto inaccessible control of the microstructure by free radical means, that is the molecular weight distribution and monomer sequences. This will be achieved by combining the two concepts of biomimetic templated radical polymerisation and polymerisation in nanoreactors in the form of submicron-sized micelles or droplets. Scale-up of the methodology will be developed b ....Biomimetic templating radical polymerisation in nanoreactors. The aim is to develop methodology for synthesis of polymer with hitherto inaccessible control of the microstructure by free radical means, that is the molecular weight distribution and monomer sequences. This will be achieved by combining the two concepts of biomimetic templated radical polymerisation and polymerisation in nanoreactors in the form of submicron-sized micelles or droplets. Scale-up of the methodology will be developed based on an environmentally friendly approach whereby miniemulsions are generated using carbon dioxide. Increased ability to control the polymer microstructure will enable advanced design of functional polymers with far-reaching applications in materials science, nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775621
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,000.00
Summary
Mileura Widefield Array: A New Low Frequency Telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Mileura in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In addi ....Mileura Widefield Array: A New Low Frequency Telescope. A new radio-quiet site for international radio astronomy is being developed at Mileura in Western Australia. We have constructed a low frequency test array on the site, and established that the site is excellent for radio astronomy. We plan to build a telescope which will observe the early universe, when stars and galaxies where first born. This will be the first telescope capable of this type of measurement of the early universe. In addition, the telescope will measure the solar wind, and its potential interactions with the earth.
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