A universally efficient antibacterial coating with remarkable durability. To prevent the spread of diseases and infections through contaminated surfaces, the project intends to create new ceramic-based coatings that combine mechanical durability with broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. Around 200 000 infections, many fatal, occur in Australian hospitals each year, with contaminated surfaces being a primary source. To combat this challenge, the project aims to develop a new class of ceramic- ....A universally efficient antibacterial coating with remarkable durability. To prevent the spread of diseases and infections through contaminated surfaces, the project intends to create new ceramic-based coatings that combine mechanical durability with broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. Around 200 000 infections, many fatal, occur in Australian hospitals each year, with contaminated surfaces being a primary source. To combat this challenge, the project aims to develop a new class of ceramic-based coatings, which are extremely robust yet highly effective in eliminating common and emerging bacteria, by uniting new antibacterial agents into a self-toughening micro-architecture. By disrupting bacterial transmission through surfaces, this project promises to protect the wellbeing of patients and healthcare professionals, and to help maintain food and water safety standards in Australia.Read moreRead less
Design of Tough, Durable and Corrosion-resistant Coatings. Coatings are frequently applied to components operating in harsh environments to enhance durability. Often such coatings exhibit low toughness and poor corrosion resistance that leads to premature failure. The aim of this project is to design, characterise and test innovative coatings that exhibit unique architectures based on natural materials such as teeth and nacre. It is envisaged that these coatings will be hard, tough and durable i ....Design of Tough, Durable and Corrosion-resistant Coatings. Coatings are frequently applied to components operating in harsh environments to enhance durability. Often such coatings exhibit low toughness and poor corrosion resistance that leads to premature failure. The aim of this project is to design, characterise and test innovative coatings that exhibit unique architectures based on natural materials such as teeth and nacre. It is envisaged that these coatings will be hard, tough and durable in hostile, corrosive environments, and will thus, transform industries such as manufacturing, mining and offshore oil exploration as well as enhance the lifetime of prosthetic devices.Read moreRead less
Deep and smelly: exploring the roles of pressure and sulphur in hydrothermal metal transport. Hot, salty fluids carry metals in the Earth's crust and are responsible for the formation of Australia's mineral wealth. This project combines exciting new experiments with molecular-level simulations to predict metal transport, providing a sound basis for improving mineral exploration models and sustaining discovery of new deposits.
Gas Phase Studies to Catalyze a Better Understanding of Metal Reactivity. The proposed research will increase knowledge of fundamental questions related to the mechanisms of catalysis and metal ion reactivity. The insights gained will be an important addition to the knowledge base of our culture, both nationally and in the wider international context. We note that research into the behaviour and design of catalysts is a burgeoning field which reflects the great importance of this area in the int ....Gas Phase Studies to Catalyze a Better Understanding of Metal Reactivity. The proposed research will increase knowledge of fundamental questions related to the mechanisms of catalysis and metal ion reactivity. The insights gained will be an important addition to the knowledge base of our culture, both nationally and in the wider international context. We note that research into the behaviour and design of catalysts is a burgeoning field which reflects the great importance of this area in the international scientific community. Our proposal will add to fundamental knowledge and may also result in practical applications. More importantly, we will train and equip talented young people with a spectrum of skills which will make them well placed to meet the demand for highly skilled professional scientists.Read moreRead less
Studies of metal compounds containing carbon chains - approaches to novel materials. There is an increasing need to design functional devices on the molecular scale ("nanotechnology"). We are developing the chemistry of compounds which contain chains of up to 12 carbon atoms to allow electronic communication between metal centres attached to each end. This projects seeks to extend this work, to discover new and more effective compounds, and to develop the associated chemistry to provide synthese ....Studies of metal compounds containing carbon chains - approaches to novel materials. There is an increasing need to design functional devices on the molecular scale ("nanotechnology"). We are developing the chemistry of compounds which contain chains of up to 12 carbon atoms to allow electronic communication between metal centres attached to each end. This projects seeks to extend this work, to discover new and more effective compounds, and to develop the associated chemistry to provide syntheses of novel compounds of potential use in the fine chemicals industry. Extensive collaboration with French colleagues exists and will continue.Read moreRead less
All-carbon molecules in metal complexes - novel materials and intermediates. An important requirement for the future is new materials with unusual properties that can be controlled. The need for ever smaller electronic devices requires knowledge about appropriate properties (particularly electronic) of molecules designed to model devices such as wires, switches, etc. This work seeks to design, measure and evaluate such molecules, which are based on chains of carbon atoms linking metal centres ....All-carbon molecules in metal complexes - novel materials and intermediates. An important requirement for the future is new materials with unusual properties that can be controlled. The need for ever smaller electronic devices requires knowledge about appropriate properties (particularly electronic) of molecules designed to model devices such as wires, switches, etc. This work seeks to design, measure and evaluate such molecules, which are based on chains of carbon atoms linking metal centres which can gain or lose electrons readily. As the electronic structure changes, so do the physical (photo, solid-state) and chemical properties (reactivity). Improved understanding of these features will benefit development of advanced technology and new materials.Read moreRead less
Molecular and genetic analysis of epigenetic components in a model plant. Australia is a major exporter of agricultural food crops thus producers must maintain their competitive advantage in order to compete on the world stage. Food crops unfortunately have large, complex genomes that are not sequenced and a generation time of months that makes research outcomes slow to achieve. This project proposes to utilise a model plant that has a small completely sequenced genome and a short generation tim ....Molecular and genetic analysis of epigenetic components in a model plant. Australia is a major exporter of agricultural food crops thus producers must maintain their competitive advantage in order to compete on the world stage. Food crops unfortunately have large, complex genomes that are not sequenced and a generation time of months that makes research outcomes slow to achieve. This project proposes to utilise a model plant that has a small completely sequenced genome and a short generation time making it ideal to study the fundamental biological process of RNA silencing. Discoveries and outcomes from this project may have the potential to benefit Australian crops, ecosystems and human health.Read moreRead less
Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and frac ....Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and fractures. This project integrates innovation in geology, chemistry, and mineral engineering, and will deliver mineral-scale reaction models that will increase efficiency of in-situ mining and leaching technologies. Knowledge generated can be applied to improve mineral exploration, mining, and processing, contributing to unlocking billions of dollars’ worth of resources tied up in low grade, mineralogically complex ores.Read moreRead less
The geomicrobiology and (bio)geochemistry of platinum, palladium and rhodium. Few economic (Platinum) Pt, (Palladium) Pd or (Rhodium) Rh deposits are known in Australia despite an abundance of potential host rock. By improving onshore exploration techniques this project will ensure the supply of these strategic metals to the Australian economy. By integrating geochemical, molecular microbial and microanalyses (e.g., synchrotron) techniques this project will also: (i) enhance Australia's status i ....The geomicrobiology and (bio)geochemistry of platinum, palladium and rhodium. Few economic (Platinum) Pt, (Palladium) Pd or (Rhodium) Rh deposits are known in Australia despite an abundance of potential host rock. By improving onshore exploration techniques this project will ensure the supply of these strategic metals to the Australian economy. By integrating geochemical, molecular microbial and microanalyses (e.g., synchrotron) techniques this project will also: (i) enhance Australia's status in the breakthrough science of Geomicrobiology; (ii) secure a leading role for Australian science in the assessment of anthropogenic Pt, Pd and Rh pollution; (iii) access expertise developed overseas by fostering international collaborations; and (iv) explore the transformational capabilities of microbiota for ore-processing of and nano-particle production.Read moreRead less
Energy Dissipation and Nanoscale Processes at Moving Contact Lines. The dynamic process of liquids wetting and dewetting, as moving contact lines pass over solid surfaces is central to many industrial operations and natural phenomena. Contact line motion plays a key role in micro and nanofluidics, the foundation of an emergent technology called process intensification, where large industrial processes can be reduced to Lilliputian in size. Substantial energy reduction and other benefits are exp ....Energy Dissipation and Nanoscale Processes at Moving Contact Lines. The dynamic process of liquids wetting and dewetting, as moving contact lines pass over solid surfaces is central to many industrial operations and natural phenomena. Contact line motion plays a key role in micro and nanofluidics, the foundation of an emergent technology called process intensification, where large industrial processes can be reduced to Lilliputian in size. Substantial energy reduction and other benefits are expected from this project, including the transformation of coarse particle flotation. Young PhD scientists and engineers will be educated in a rich research environment, with strong international research collaboration in areas of national priority.Read moreRead less