Advanced electrochemical capacitors. This project aims to design electrochemical capacitors that can provide self-sustaining power for equipment using renewable energy sources, such as sunlight. Electrical power systems are needed to supply both the peak power and the energy demand that users, particularly those without grid electricity, and their equipment need. This project will match the capacitator electrochemistry to the power attributes of the load and charging source, making them more eff ....Advanced electrochemical capacitors. This project aims to design electrochemical capacitors that can provide self-sustaining power for equipment using renewable energy sources, such as sunlight. Electrical power systems are needed to supply both the peak power and the energy demand that users, particularly those without grid electricity, and their equipment need. This project will match the capacitator electrochemistry to the power attributes of the load and charging source, making them more efficiently charged and able to supply both peak power and energy demand for improved off-grid power supplies and integration of renewable energy into electricity grids.Read moreRead less
Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in sit ....Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in situ material repair to extend device lifetime, and modulate plasma properties to increase thruster efficiency for a given task. These benefits enable reliable propulsion platforms for massive communication and observation satellite networks and deep space exploration.Read moreRead less
Using 3D printing technology to develop architecturally-controlled synthetic bone substitutes. With the ageing population, there is increasing demand for synthetic materials that can regenerate bone. However, purely synthetic bone-substitute biomaterials cannot regenerate large bone defects in weight-bearing conditions due to their fragility. This project aims to develop a customisable, biodegradable, biocompatible and mechanically strong and tough scaffold that overcomes this long-standing prob ....Using 3D printing technology to develop architecturally-controlled synthetic bone substitutes. With the ageing population, there is increasing demand for synthetic materials that can regenerate bone. However, purely synthetic bone-substitute biomaterials cannot regenerate large bone defects in weight-bearing conditions due to their fragility. This project aims to develop a customisable, biodegradable, biocompatible and mechanically strong and tough scaffold that overcomes this long-standing problem. The project aims to achieve this by applying an innovative combination of cutting-edge 3D printing technology, advanced computational modelling and design techniques to produce a next-generation bioceramic scaffold with optimised architecture. This approach aims also to enable the possibility of producing custom-made implants for individual requirements.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100195
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,000,000.00
Summary
Field-emission gun transmission electron microscope for the research in nanomaterials, metal alloys and biological sciences. The proposed facility is required by a large range of world-leading research programs in light metals, nanomaterials, fibres and biomaterials. These research programs are strongly supported by automobile, textile, mineral and advanced materials industries that have important roles in the current national economy and local communities. The facility will improve significan ....Field-emission gun transmission electron microscope for the research in nanomaterials, metal alloys and biological sciences. The proposed facility is required by a large range of world-leading research programs in light metals, nanomaterials, fibres and biomaterials. These research programs are strongly supported by automobile, textile, mineral and advanced materials industries that have important roles in the current national economy and local communities. The facility will improve significantly our current research ability and help the creation of new research areas in nanotechnology and energy materials beneficial to clean energy, environmental protections and health care. It is also important equipment for new research student training.Read moreRead less
Interface structures mediating load transfer between soft and hard tissues. This project aims to develop a novel technology platform to mediate load transfer between synthetic and biological materials with dissimilar mechanical properties, creating an effective interface mechanism. It will generate new knowledge in materials engineering by combining interdisciplinary expertise and state-of-the-art technologies in computational modelling, biomaterials, and additive manufacturing. Expected outcome ....Interface structures mediating load transfer between soft and hard tissues. This project aims to develop a novel technology platform to mediate load transfer between synthetic and biological materials with dissimilar mechanical properties, creating an effective interface mechanism. It will generate new knowledge in materials engineering by combining interdisciplinary expertise and state-of-the-art technologies in computational modelling, biomaterials, and additive manufacturing. Expected outcomes are high-tech ceramic structures optimized to interface effectively between synthetic soft tissues and natural hard tissues. This could ultimately benefit Australian industry engaged in developing next-generation synthetic orthopaedic solutions, providing a significant competitive advantage in an expanding global market.Read moreRead less
Exploiting shear to form new structures of carbon. This project aims to create new, technologically-interesting, materials by combining shear (sliding forces) with high pressure. The work will use both modelling and experiments to understand the pathways to form new materials such as a different form of diamond that is predicted to be harder than regular diamond. Such a material could be used in coatings for cutting tools or ultra-low-scratch surfaces. Expected outcomes include both an understan ....Exploiting shear to form new structures of carbon. This project aims to create new, technologically-interesting, materials by combining shear (sliding forces) with high pressure. The work will use both modelling and experiments to understand the pathways to form new materials such as a different form of diamond that is predicted to be harder than regular diamond. Such a material could be used in coatings for cutting tools or ultra-low-scratch surfaces. Expected outcomes include both an understanding of the importance of shear in the study of high-pressure science, and as a tool to manufacture new functional materials.Read moreRead less
Cost-efficient 2D heterostructures for solar overall water splitting. This project aims to develop novel processes to enable water splitting to generate hydrogen and oxygen under sunlight using cost-efficient 2D van der Waals heterostructures. Enhanced optical absorption and reduced charge transfer distance across the interface are expected to improve the photocatalytic activity. Experimental design and theoretical simulations will be combined to modulate the materials and achieve optimum photoc ....Cost-efficient 2D heterostructures for solar overall water splitting. This project aims to develop novel processes to enable water splitting to generate hydrogen and oxygen under sunlight using cost-efficient 2D van der Waals heterostructures. Enhanced optical absorption and reduced charge transfer distance across the interface are expected to improve the photocatalytic activity. Experimental design and theoretical simulations will be combined to modulate the materials and achieve optimum photocatalytic performances. Expected outcomes of this project include expanded chemistry knowledge and techniques in materials design and synthesis, photophysics and photocatalysis mechanism and solar energy conversion. This will provide significant benefits to clean energy and environmental protections.Read moreRead less
Engineered control of polarisation rotation in ferroelectric bilayers. This project aims to develop interface engineered nanoscale ferroelectric thin films with functional properties suitable for integration. Bulk ferroelectrics form the core of traditional stand-alone electromechanical devices such as sensors, actuators and ultrasonic devices. Future applications need to be integrated into thin film form on semiconductor wafers, but the attachment to the wafer induces a mechanical constraint, w ....Engineered control of polarisation rotation in ferroelectric bilayers. This project aims to develop interface engineered nanoscale ferroelectric thin films with functional properties suitable for integration. Bulk ferroelectrics form the core of traditional stand-alone electromechanical devices such as sensors, actuators and ultrasonic devices. Future applications need to be integrated into thin film form on semiconductor wafers, but the attachment to the wafer induces a mechanical constraint, which dramatically suppresses the electromechanical response. This project aims to solve this problem by "polarisation rotation", achieved by layered stacking of thin film ferroelectrics. Engineered control of ferroelectric polarization rotation could be the pathway to modern electromechanical devices.Read moreRead less
Design and exploration of novel p-block materials for visible light photocatalysis. This project aims to design and explore novel visible light p-block photocatalysts through in depth surface studies of materials at an atomic level. A new strategy of band structure engineering and in-situ investigation of atomic-level photocatalytic dynamics will be the key elements in this research which is expected to yield several novel visible light photocatalysts. The outcome of the project will be the unde ....Design and exploration of novel p-block materials for visible light photocatalysis. This project aims to design and explore novel visible light p-block photocatalysts through in depth surface studies of materials at an atomic level. A new strategy of band structure engineering and in-situ investigation of atomic-level photocatalytic dynamics will be the key elements in this research which is expected to yield several novel visible light photocatalysts. The outcome of the project will be the understanding of processes and mechanisms underlying the photocatalysis and building the foundation of usable, stable, and durable visible-light photocatalytic applications.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101854
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,000.00
Summary
Exploring A New Family of 2D Heterogeneous Topological Insulator. The project aims to reveal a new family of two-dimensional heterostructure topological insulators by extensive theoretical simulations, and develop feasible approaches to control the topological phase, thus enabling their use in practical nanodevice applications. The project aims not only to advance knowledge in material chemistry and condensed matter physics, but also to lead to technology revolutions in information technology, c ....Exploring A New Family of 2D Heterogeneous Topological Insulator. The project aims to reveal a new family of two-dimensional heterostructure topological insulators by extensive theoretical simulations, and develop feasible approaches to control the topological phase, thus enabling their use in practical nanodevice applications. The project aims not only to advance knowledge in material chemistry and condensed matter physics, but also to lead to technology revolutions in information technology, clean energy generation and cooling devices based on topological insulators. The outcomes are expected to produce new technology applications in electronics, communications, information technology, data storage and transportation.Read moreRead less