Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101293
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Nanoporous Iron-Based Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting. This project aims to develop high-performance water splitting devices based on nanoporous iron-based oxygen evolution electrocatalysts. The devices, which will produce hydrogen to relieve the energy shortage in Australia, can be powered by photovoltaic and wind-generated electricity or directly use solar energy. The development of new energy materials that can be used to make renewable and clean fuels from abundant and ....Nanoporous Iron-Based Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting. This project aims to develop high-performance water splitting devices based on nanoporous iron-based oxygen evolution electrocatalysts. The devices, which will produce hydrogen to relieve the energy shortage in Australia, can be powered by photovoltaic and wind-generated electricity or directly use solar energy. The development of new energy materials that can be used to make renewable and clean fuels from abundant and easily accessible resources is among the most challenging and demanding tasks today. The combination of iron doping and nanoporous structure are intended to improve both the intrinsic and extrinsic catalytic activities of the electrocatalysts to be developed in the project.Read moreRead less
The development of resin and polymer based technologies for the recovery of copper and cyanide from gold processing tailings streams. This is a fundamental study on the use of resin and polymer-based ligands to recover copper and cyanide from gold cyanidation tailings. This process is environmentally more acceptable than other recovery methods, as it does not involve the use or generation of harmful species, such as HCN. It also has the advantage that copper metal and cyanide are recovered as pr ....The development of resin and polymer based technologies for the recovery of copper and cyanide from gold processing tailings streams. This is a fundamental study on the use of resin and polymer-based ligands to recover copper and cyanide from gold cyanidation tailings. This process is environmentally more acceptable than other recovery methods, as it does not involve the use or generation of harmful species, such as HCN. It also has the advantage that copper metal and cyanide are recovered as products from the copper cyanide containing streams. Thus the proposed project has the potential to substantially alter the gold recovery process, particularly in an era where environmental and public concerns exist over the discharge of cyanide species into tailings dams.Read moreRead less
Faster interfacial electron transfer: the effect of molecule shape and size. This project aims to explore the effect of shape and size of pi-conjugated molecules on interfacial electron transfer reactions, which are fundamentally important in all applications of photo-electrochemical conversion and storage of energy. By making two series of pi-conjugated molecules and determining electron transfer rates using a combination of transient spectroscopies and computational chemistry, the project expe ....Faster interfacial electron transfer: the effect of molecule shape and size. This project aims to explore the effect of shape and size of pi-conjugated molecules on interfacial electron transfer reactions, which are fundamentally important in all applications of photo-electrochemical conversion and storage of energy. By making two series of pi-conjugated molecules and determining electron transfer rates using a combination of transient spectroscopies and computational chemistry, the project expects to generate new design principles for molecules with the potential to significantly improve the efficiencies of solar energy conversion and photo-catalytic processes. The new materials and findings will be exploited in a novel redox-mediated water splitting device as a practical outcome with potential end user benefits.Read moreRead less
Redox processes in Bayer liquors. Alumina, and the aluminium produced from it, are amongst Australia's most important mineral commodities, earning about $8 billion p.a. in exports. However, ongoing technological improvements are needed for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. This project addresses a key problem in alumina production - the behaviour of organic impurities - which will help to increase industrial productivity and reduce energy consumption. Insights gained from this ....Redox processes in Bayer liquors. Alumina, and the aluminium produced from it, are amongst Australia's most important mineral commodities, earning about $8 billion p.a. in exports. However, ongoing technological improvements are needed for Australian producers to remain globally competitive. This project addresses a key problem in alumina production - the behaviour of organic impurities - which will help to increase industrial productivity and reduce energy consumption. Insights gained from this research will also minimize the environmental and occupational health impacts of various process emissions, making the industry more sustainable.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100746
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$433,000.00
Summary
Engineering ion specificity for water electrolysis. This project aims to understand how foreign ions in water can be manipulated to selectively control the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic water splitting and explore the potential if seawater or low-grade-water can be used as water feed to mitigate the economical barrier for large-scale hydrogen production through electrolysis. The new knowledge gained will be helpful for future design of more cost-effective electrolyser systems to u ....Engineering ion specificity for water electrolysis. This project aims to understand how foreign ions in water can be manipulated to selectively control the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic water splitting and explore the potential if seawater or low-grade-water can be used as water feed to mitigate the economical barrier for large-scale hydrogen production through electrolysis. The new knowledge gained will be helpful for future design of more cost-effective electrolyser systems to underpin Australia’s emerging hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less
New carbon nanotube electrocatalysts for water splitting and fuel cells. The demand for clean, secure and sustainable energy sources has stimulated great interest in electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies such as water splitting and fuel cells. The efficiency of water splitting and fuel cells is however strongly dependent on the activity of the electrocatalysts. The objective of the project is to develop new electrocatalysts based on the recently discovered phenomena that car ....New carbon nanotube electrocatalysts for water splitting and fuel cells. The demand for clean, secure and sustainable energy sources has stimulated great interest in electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies such as water splitting and fuel cells. The efficiency of water splitting and fuel cells is however strongly dependent on the activity of the electrocatalysts. The objective of the project is to develop new electrocatalysts based on the recently discovered phenomena that carbon nanotubes with specific size and number of walls are very active and significantly promote the reaction of water splitting and fuel cells. The proposed project is expected to open a new research field in the development of new electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts for advanced energy conversion and storage technologies.Read moreRead less
Chlorine Evolution Catalysts for Efferent Seawater Electrolysis. Seawater is the most abundant aqueous resource on earth that is readily accessible at very low costs, but yet to be directly utilised for production of hydrogen fuel and commodity chemicals. This project aims to develop cheap and plentiful carbon-based high performance chlorine evolution electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis powered by renewable electricity to realise the production of hydrogen, chlorine and sodium hydroxide d ....Chlorine Evolution Catalysts for Efferent Seawater Electrolysis. Seawater is the most abundant aqueous resource on earth that is readily accessible at very low costs, but yet to be directly utilised for production of hydrogen fuel and commodity chemicals. This project aims to develop cheap and plentiful carbon-based high performance chlorine evolution electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis powered by renewable electricity to realise the production of hydrogen, chlorine and sodium hydroxide directly from seawater. The electrolyser can also be used to treat desalination brine while produce hydrogen and chemicals. The success of the project will set a firm technological foundation for seawater utilisation, which will add to Australian capability to meet future energy and environment challenges.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100468
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Scalable high-performance electrolytic hydrogen generator. The project aims to demonstrate energy-efficient generation of compressed hydrogen by water electrolysis in a high pressure electrolyser test-rig produced by Melbourne company Energys Australia P/L, using high-performance membrane-electrode assemblies. Innovative electrode architectures, membranes, and method for their high through-put lamination will be developed. New knowledge in catalysis, device fabrication and materials science is e ....Scalable high-performance electrolytic hydrogen generator. The project aims to demonstrate energy-efficient generation of compressed hydrogen by water electrolysis in a high pressure electrolyser test-rig produced by Melbourne company Energys Australia P/L, using high-performance membrane-electrode assemblies. Innovative electrode architectures, membranes, and method for their high through-put lamination will be developed. New knowledge in catalysis, device fabrication and materials science is expected to be generated. The major project outcome is sustainable method for generation of compressed hydrogen at significantly reduced cost as compared to the existing technologies. Benefits include industry-ready processes for electrolyser and hydrogen production that support Australian energy industries.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101253
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,646.00
Summary
Perovskite photovoltaic-assisted energy conversion system using wastewater. This project aims to explore the potential of a solar-driven electrochemical system to simultaneously generate hydrogen and electricity by utilising wastewater as a fuel. The key concept of this system is integrating high efficiency perovskite solar cells as a high voltage supplier, with the electrochemical system to accelerate solar-to-hydrogen conversion and oxygen reduction for solar-to-electricity conversion during o ....Perovskite photovoltaic-assisted energy conversion system using wastewater. This project aims to explore the potential of a solar-driven electrochemical system to simultaneously generate hydrogen and electricity by utilising wastewater as a fuel. The key concept of this system is integrating high efficiency perovskite solar cells as a high voltage supplier, with the electrochemical system to accelerate solar-to-hydrogen conversion and oxygen reduction for solar-to-electricity conversion during oxidisation of organic fuels in wastewater. This project expects to open up an independent and transportable power grid-free electrochemical system to address energy and water utilisation issues, especially for remote and Indigenous areas in Australia.Read moreRead less
Two-dimensional nanoporous structured high performance gas evolution electrocatalysts. This project aims to develop nano-catalysts with high catalytic activity and rapid gas detachment properties for efficient fuel gas production. Heterogeneous electrocatalytic gas evolution reactions are important for clean energy generation and storage technologies, but high overpotentials caused by slow gaseous products’ detachment from catalyst surface severely hinder their efficiencies. Expected outcomes in ....Two-dimensional nanoporous structured high performance gas evolution electrocatalysts. This project aims to develop nano-catalysts with high catalytic activity and rapid gas detachment properties for efficient fuel gas production. Heterogeneous electrocatalytic gas evolution reactions are important for clean energy generation and storage technologies, but high overpotentials caused by slow gaseous products’ detachment from catalyst surface severely hinder their efficiencies. Expected outcomes include insights into gas bubble formation and evolution during electrocatalysis, effective catalyst structures to mitigate negative effects of gas bubble formation, and improved catalytic efficiency of gas evolution reactions and develop high performance electrocatalysts for fuel gas production.Read moreRead less