Hydrogen Absorption by Nanostructured Carbons. Carbon-based materials show great promise for clean energy storage through the absorption and desorption of hydrogen. The project aims to use powerful theoretical and experimental methods to resolve the controversy that surrounds reports of massive hydrogen absorption by nanostructured carbons, by understanding why particular structures should or should not absorb hydrogen atoms or molecules. We will particularly study and model intercalated graphit ....Hydrogen Absorption by Nanostructured Carbons. Carbon-based materials show great promise for clean energy storage through the absorption and desorption of hydrogen. The project aims to use powerful theoretical and experimental methods to resolve the controversy that surrounds reports of massive hydrogen absorption by nanostructured carbons, by understanding why particular structures should or should not absorb hydrogen atoms or molecules. We will particularly study and model intercalated graphite and nanotubes made in Australia. Their hydrogen capacity will be compared to the US DOE target of 6.5 weight percent for viable automotive hydrogen fuel storage. Reproducibly exceeding this target would constitute a great advance in the field.Read moreRead less
New concepts with multidisciplinary approach: novel functionalised nanostructures for hydrogen storage. This project addresses National Research Priorities in the areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies and advanced materials. Developing new methodologies to fabricate novel functionalised nanostructured materials with tailored properties has great potential in areas including energy storage, novel catalysts, novel sensors, micro/nano-electronics, etc. This project will enhance the i ....New concepts with multidisciplinary approach: novel functionalised nanostructures for hydrogen storage. This project addresses National Research Priorities in the areas of breakthrough science, frontier technologies and advanced materials. Developing new methodologies to fabricate novel functionalised nanostructured materials with tailored properties has great potential in areas including energy storage, novel catalysts, novel sensors, micro/nano-electronics, etc. This project will enhance the international reputation and impact of Australian research in the internationally focused fields of nanotechnology and hydrogen energy technology. Applying innovative nanotechnology to the area of hydrogen energy will add to Australia's export potential and reduce Australia's reliance on foreign fuel sources.
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Design of high performance heat sink composites. Heat sink composites are advanced materials that have the very substantial but widely untapped potential to reduce Society's energy consumption by means of utilizing waste energy or through energy-efficient temperature control. This Project uses computational analysis and parallel experimentation to design optimum heat-sink composites for highly energy-efficient temperature control of chemical batteries or electronic components as well as the mean ....Design of high performance heat sink composites. Heat sink composites are advanced materials that have the very substantial but widely untapped potential to reduce Society's energy consumption by means of utilizing waste energy or through energy-efficient temperature control. This Project uses computational analysis and parallel experimentation to design optimum heat-sink composites for highly energy-efficient temperature control of chemical batteries or electronic components as well as the means for the efficient heating/cooling of buildings. The outcomes of the project will lay the scientific foundation for the industrial scale development of advanced heat sinks that will lower energy costs and decrease climate changing emissions. This represents a new market for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Ionic Liquids and Solids - New Designs, Insights and Applications. Ionic Materials in the form of liquid salts and plastic crystals are of interest in a wide range of applications including environmentally benign synthesis of chemicals and high stability electrolytes for batteries, capacitors and other devices. These materials represent some of the most stable chemicals known, making them attractive for any application where complete stability and recycling are issues. Building on our recent wor ....Ionic Liquids and Solids - New Designs, Insights and Applications. Ionic Materials in the form of liquid salts and plastic crystals are of interest in a wide range of applications including environmentally benign synthesis of chemicals and high stability electrolytes for batteries, capacitors and other devices. These materials represent some of the most stable chemicals known, making them attractive for any application where complete stability and recycling are issues. Building on our recent work, this project will design, prepare and characterize novel materials of this type for a number of target applications. Collaborators in Europe and USA will be involved in the analysis and testing of the materials.Read moreRead less
Characterization and design of new soft electrolyte materials. The use of fossil fuels for energy generation contributes heavily to global warming. The development of new types of energy sources (e.g. fuel cells) and energy storage devices (e.g. batteries) is of crucial importance to ease this pressure on the environment. The search for new, high energy-density electrolyte materials for these applications is intense. Recently, plastic crystal materials have been identified as potential electroly ....Characterization and design of new soft electrolyte materials. The use of fossil fuels for energy generation contributes heavily to global warming. The development of new types of energy sources (e.g. fuel cells) and energy storage devices (e.g. batteries) is of crucial importance to ease this pressure on the environment. The search for new, high energy-density electrolyte materials for these applications is intense. Recently, plastic crystal materials have been identified as potential electrolytes in a variety of electrochemical devices. These materials show high conductivity at ambient temperatures in their plastic (or soft) phase. This project aims to further investigate and develop these novel materials.Read moreRead less
Porphyrin Based Supramolecular Assemblies and Arrays III - Model Systems for the Construction of Photosynthetic Mimics and Devices. Solar cells that convert light to electricity are an excellent solution to bringing energy to remote locations with abundant sunlight. This research proposal aims to provide an intellectual grounding in the development of molecular systems and supramolecular arrays that are capable of such solar energy conversion (photovoltaics & artificial photosynthesis) or that ....Porphyrin Based Supramolecular Assemblies and Arrays III - Model Systems for the Construction of Photosynthetic Mimics and Devices. Solar cells that convert light to electricity are an excellent solution to bringing energy to remote locations with abundant sunlight. This research proposal aims to provide an intellectual grounding in the development of molecular systems and supramolecular arrays that are capable of such solar energy conversion (photovoltaics & artificial photosynthesis) or that have potential applications in photonics. Developments in this project may also lead to breakthroughs in areas such as nano-scale computing and cleaner and more sustainable energy productionRead moreRead less
Electrochemical Applications of Plastic Crystalline Electrolytes. A number of new and emerging electrochemical device applications such as lithium batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, electrochemical capacitors, actuators and bio-sensors are limited by their need for a liquid electrolyte. Many of these devices are considered vital to energy efficiency and the lowering of greenhouse gas emissions. The recent discovery of ambient temperature plastic crystalline electrolyte materials by the Monas ....Electrochemical Applications of Plastic Crystalline Electrolytes. A number of new and emerging electrochemical device applications such as lithium batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, electrochemical capacitors, actuators and bio-sensors are limited by their need for a liquid electrolyte. Many of these devices are considered vital to energy efficiency and the lowering of greenhouse gas emissions. The recent discovery of ambient temperature plastic crystalline electrolyte materials by the Monash Electrolytes group has raised the possibility of solving this problem. In this project new plastic crystalline electrolyte materials will be developed to suit these applications and their electrochemical properties investigated. Laboratory prototype devices will be prepared and tested and via collaborations with appropriate device developers, their performance evaluted.Read moreRead less
Porphyrin-Based Supramolecular Assemblies and Arrays II: Model Systems for the Construction of Photosynthetic Mimics and Devices. Solar cells that convert light to electricity are an excellent solution to bringing energy to remote locations with abundant sunlight. This research proposal aims to provide an intellectual grounding in the development of molecular systems and supramolecular arrays that are capable of such solar energy conversion (photovoltaics & artificial photosynthesis) or that ha ....Porphyrin-Based Supramolecular Assemblies and Arrays II: Model Systems for the Construction of Photosynthetic Mimics and Devices. Solar cells that convert light to electricity are an excellent solution to bringing energy to remote locations with abundant sunlight. This research proposal aims to provide an intellectual grounding in the development of molecular systems and supramolecular arrays that are capable of such solar energy conversion (photovoltaics & artificial photosynthesis) or that have potential applications in photonics. Developments in this project may also lead to breakthroughs in areas such as nano-scale computing and cleaner and more sustainable energy production.Read moreRead less
Polyoxometalate Clusters: Catalytic Chemistry in Solution and Condensed States. Polyoxometalate cluster anions are soluble metal-oxygen clusters that are cheap, robust and non-toxic.
Conditions for systematic tuning of redox potentials over the range +2 to -3 V have become accessible via certain photo-active polyoxometalates. The same system can provide powerful oxidants (that rival chlorine) and powerful reductants (that rival potassium).
The program will take advantage of this unique ....Polyoxometalate Clusters: Catalytic Chemistry in Solution and Condensed States. Polyoxometalate cluster anions are soluble metal-oxygen clusters that are cheap, robust and non-toxic.
Conditions for systematic tuning of redox potentials over the range +2 to -3 V have become accessible via certain photo-active polyoxometalates. The same system can provide powerful oxidants (that rival chlorine) and powerful reductants (that rival potassium).
The program will take advantage of this unique range of properties to explore:-
(i) coupling of photo- and electro-chemical processes into effective catalytic cycles;
(ii) photo- and electro-chemical processes in ionic liquid solvents;
(iii) synthesis and redox reactivity of nanoparticles stabilised by polyoxometalates.
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Development of high-temperature superconducting coated conductors by pulsed-laser deposition technique for future long-length applications. The aim of the project is to develop a novel technology for manufacturing flexible coated conductors with the help of a pulsed laser deposition technique, in order to enhance the current-carrying ability of high-temperature superconducting coatings (including multi-layered coatings) for future long-length high power applications. To achieve desirable electr ....Development of high-temperature superconducting coated conductors by pulsed-laser deposition technique for future long-length applications. The aim of the project is to develop a novel technology for manufacturing flexible coated conductors with the help of a pulsed laser deposition technique, in order to enhance the current-carrying ability of high-temperature superconducting coatings (including multi-layered coatings) for future long-length high power applications. To achieve desirable electromagnetic properties governed by the nano-structures of the coatings, a well-balanced combination of world-class "global" and "local" electromagnetic property measurements with advanced structural characterisations is suggested. It is expected that a controlled network of nano-scale pinning centres will allow the development of high performance coated conductors.Read moreRead less