Corrosion of heat resisting alloys in steam/hydrogen-rich environment . Hydrogen is a clean fuel for energy future. Its production and utilisation unavoidably involve water vapour and hydrogen at high temperature which is however corrosive to materials used in the system. This project aims to investigate corrosion behaviour of heat resistant alloys in the presence of both hydrogen and water vapour, mechanisms of water transport in oxide scale, and the effect of hydrogen on water vapour corrosion ....Corrosion of heat resisting alloys in steam/hydrogen-rich environment . Hydrogen is a clean fuel for energy future. Its production and utilisation unavoidably involve water vapour and hydrogen at high temperature which is however corrosive to materials used in the system. This project aims to investigate corrosion behaviour of heat resistant alloys in the presence of both hydrogen and water vapour, mechanisms of water transport in oxide scale, and the effect of hydrogen on water vapour corrosion. Alloying effects on corrosion rates will be defined and methods of slowing or preventing water vapour corrosion in the presence of hydrogen will be devised. The results will provide a basis for improved design/selection of heat resisting alloys for hydrogen production and hydrogen utilisation industries.Read moreRead less
Cold catalysis for water splitting. This project aims to develop photocatalysts via AC magnetic field through nanoscale heating for efficient H2 generation. This project is to introduce cold catalysis concept, which heats catalysts only but not solution, thus called cold catalysis, in the area of production of renewable energy. Expected outcome is the creation of clean and low cost catalysts to effectively harvest the chemical energy from the sun via splitting of water into H2 and O2 without cau ....Cold catalysis for water splitting. This project aims to develop photocatalysts via AC magnetic field through nanoscale heating for efficient H2 generation. This project is to introduce cold catalysis concept, which heats catalysts only but not solution, thus called cold catalysis, in the area of production of renewable energy. Expected outcome is the creation of clean and low cost catalysts to effectively harvest the chemical energy from the sun via splitting of water into H2 and O2 without causing any environmental damage. This unique technology will also help to address clean energy generation, which is in line with H2 economy plan by Australia government, and provide opportunities for new industries that will benefit Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Accelerated discovery of solar hydrogen photocatalysts. Solar photocatalysis is recognised as an environmentally sustainable process for production of Hydrogen. The adaptation of sophisticated machine learning to innovate solar photocatalysis hydrogen evolution is under question. We aim to harvest scientific principles and integrate with robust protocols to obtain a machine-augmented rational workflow guiding and accelerating discovery of optimal catalysts for solar hydrogen production – solving ....Accelerated discovery of solar hydrogen photocatalysts. Solar photocatalysis is recognised as an environmentally sustainable process for production of Hydrogen. The adaptation of sophisticated machine learning to innovate solar photocatalysis hydrogen evolution is under question. We aim to harvest scientific principles and integrate with robust protocols to obtain a machine-augmented rational workflow guiding and accelerating discovery of optimal catalysts for solar hydrogen production – solving a major bottleneck. The project will contribute largely to Australia’s renewable energy sector; fundamental knowledge-based cognitive photocatalysis platform would be conveniently scalable and transferable to mechanistically relevant processes, such as ammonia synthesis and greenhouse gas reduction.Read moreRead less
Designing a photo-electro-catalysis system for selective organic oxidation. The research aims to establish new composite materials to enable realisation of next generation organic electrolysers for renewable hydrogen production. Water electrolysis is seen as the front-running technology in Australia's drive to be a renewable hydrogen exporter. Significant opportunity exists in adopting organic electrolysis as an alternative with additional benefits, including lower energy input and value-added c ....Designing a photo-electro-catalysis system for selective organic oxidation. The research aims to establish new composite materials to enable realisation of next generation organic electrolysers for renewable hydrogen production. Water electrolysis is seen as the front-running technology in Australia's drive to be a renewable hydrogen exporter. Significant opportunity exists in adopting organic electrolysis as an alternative with additional benefits, including lower energy input and value-added chemical production (alongside H2), off-setting costs. Challenges exist with controlling organic product selectivity and restricting carbon dioxide generation. The project intends to deliver a system which uses complementary phenomena (light activation, controllable polarity, magnetic response) to resolve said challenges. Read moreRead less
Solar powered water splitting/flow cell system for hydrogen and electricity. This project aims to develop an advanced solar energy conversion system for converting solar energy to hydrogen fuel and electric power. It aims to achieve unprecedented conversion efficiency by Integrating solar water splitting with the rechargeable battery. The solar-powered system without external bias assisted can split water and charge the battery. The significance of this project is to propose an innovative concep ....Solar powered water splitting/flow cell system for hydrogen and electricity. This project aims to develop an advanced solar energy conversion system for converting solar energy to hydrogen fuel and electric power. It aims to achieve unprecedented conversion efficiency by Integrating solar water splitting with the rechargeable battery. The solar-powered system without external bias assisted can split water and charge the battery. The significance of this project is to propose an innovative concept of efficient energy conversion and establish a promising research area of solar energy utilization. The project's success will bring game-changing breakthroughs, push the frontier of solar energy and accelerate its practical application in the hydrogen industry, which is crucial to Australia National Hydrogen Strategy.Read moreRead less
Efficient photovoltaic-electrochemical water splitting for clean hydrogen. This project aims to develop a novel, low cost and high performance monolithic photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) device for clean hydrogen production. This device tailors and integrates low cost and high performance thin film and tandem photovoltaics for water splitting with the aim of achieving high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency towards 20%. Earth abundant and stable catalysts will be developed in this proje ....Efficient photovoltaic-electrochemical water splitting for clean hydrogen. This project aims to develop a novel, low cost and high performance monolithic photovoltaic-electrochemical (PV-EC) device for clean hydrogen production. This device tailors and integrates low cost and high performance thin film and tandem photovoltaics for water splitting with the aim of achieving high solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency towards 20%. Earth abundant and stable catalysts will be developed in this project to replace noble based catalysts, as well as novel architectures for electrical contacting, feed-through and catalyst integration in PV-EC devices. These innovations offer high performance and the potential for device costs 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than recent world record photoelectrochemical devices. Read moreRead less
Defect control for high-performance green kesterites energy materials. This project will tackle the fundamental challenge of defect control of the quaternary compound kesterite, revolutionizing the way we can understand the hidden defect-evolution process and design accordingly effective defect-control approaches. This will be realized by a systematic approach integrating multiscale materials characterization, process and materials modeling, and linking microscopic local chemical potential and m ....Defect control for high-performance green kesterites energy materials. This project will tackle the fundamental challenge of defect control of the quaternary compound kesterite, revolutionizing the way we can understand the hidden defect-evolution process and design accordingly effective defect-control approaches. This will be realized by a systematic approach integrating multiscale materials characterization, process and materials modeling, and linking microscopic local chemical potential and macroscopic processing conditions, and associated compound properties and device performance to control defects evolution. Successfully achieved, this project will realize full potential of kesterite in photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical applications, and leading to new discoveries in other compound energy materials.Read moreRead less
High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multipl ....High temperature corrosion induced by multiple secondary oxidants . Heat resisting chromia-forming alloys passivate successfully in clean, dry air at temperatures up to about 950°C. However, this performance is degraded by secondary oxidants (carbon, sulphur, chlorine, water vapour), leading to corrosion failure in important industries. The project aims to investigate the effect of these secondary oxidants on corrosion behaviour of chromia-forming alloys, to identify interactions between multiple oxidants within the scale, to establish the mechanisms of oxide scale penetration by foreign species, and to evaluate scales on different alloy types. The results will provide a basis for improved design/selection of heat resisting chromia-forming alloys, key to power generation industries.Read moreRead less
Porous Electromaterials for Hydrogen Production and Energy Storage. This project aims to develop nanocomposite electrodes and membranes for efficient production of renewable hydrogen and the next generation of high-energy-density battery technologies. This will be accomplished by the engineering of multi-scale porous materials with tuneable electrical, chemical and morphological properties using earth abundant elements. The intended outcome is the establishment of a scalable methodology for the ....Porous Electromaterials for Hydrogen Production and Energy Storage. This project aims to develop nanocomposite electrodes and membranes for efficient production of renewable hydrogen and the next generation of high-energy-density battery technologies. This will be accomplished by the engineering of multi-scale porous materials with tuneable electrical, chemical and morphological properties using earth abundant elements. The intended outcome is the establishment of a scalable methodology for the structuring and effective integration of microporous materials in highly conductive scaffolds, achieving superior charge and molecular transport, as well as high surface activity. Broad social and economic benefits are anticipated providing new technological solutions for renewable energy storage and fuel production.Read moreRead less
Controllable synthesis of multifunctional boron-based 2D materials. This project aims to make it possible to control the synthesis of boron-based two-dimensional (2D) materials with the desired following features in single or multiple aspects: thickness, composition, lateral sizes, porosity, surface area, and functionality. It intends to do so by designing and synthesising novel precursors, and by optimising the fabrication process of boron-based 2D nanosheets for different applications. The pro ....Controllable synthesis of multifunctional boron-based 2D materials. This project aims to make it possible to control the synthesis of boron-based two-dimensional (2D) materials with the desired following features in single or multiple aspects: thickness, composition, lateral sizes, porosity, surface area, and functionality. It intends to do so by designing and synthesising novel precursors, and by optimising the fabrication process of boron-based 2D nanosheets for different applications. The project will advance our fundamental knowledge in synthetic chemistry, materials chemistry, materials engineering and physics. It is expected to take us closer to unlocking the potential of boron-based 2D materials for real-world applications in, for example, energy storage and high-performance flexible electronics.Read moreRead less