Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,237.00
Summary
Original metal-based catalysts for enzyme-inspired CO2 activation. The chemical utilisation of CO2 is one of two major strategies in achieving net negative CO2 emissions mitigating the environmental and socioeconomic damage of global warming. Inspired by the ability of natural enzymes to efficiently utilise molecules like CO2, this project aims to develop original metal-based catalysts as enzyme mimics for the efficient transformation of CO2. It will deliver practical strategies to transform CO2 ....Original metal-based catalysts for enzyme-inspired CO2 activation. The chemical utilisation of CO2 is one of two major strategies in achieving net negative CO2 emissions mitigating the environmental and socioeconomic damage of global warming. Inspired by the ability of natural enzymes to efficiently utilise molecules like CO2, this project aims to develop original metal-based catalysts as enzyme mimics for the efficient transformation of CO2. It will deliver practical strategies to transform CO2 into value-added materials permanently removing it from the atmosphere. Project outcomes are expected to enhance industry’s capacity to use CO2 as a feedstock chemical for the production of fuels and materials, providing significant economic and environmental benefits through CO2 upcycling and recycling.Read moreRead less
Metal complexes for sustainable light-driven synthesis. The aim of this project is to use cheap, abundant transition metal ions and visible light to enable challenging synthetic chemical reactions. The significant problems addressed are that most synthetic reactions using visible light currently require expensive precious metals, and fundamental reaction pathways used by Nature remain inaccessible. Both of these problems limit the scope of synthetic applications. The outcomes will be new knowled ....Metal complexes for sustainable light-driven synthesis. The aim of this project is to use cheap, abundant transition metal ions and visible light to enable challenging synthetic chemical reactions. The significant problems addressed are that most synthetic reactions using visible light currently require expensive precious metals, and fundamental reaction pathways used by Nature remain inaccessible. Both of these problems limit the scope of synthetic applications. The outcomes will be new knowledge and sustainable technologies that can better harness visible light for useful synthetic chemistry applications. The benefits will be more efficient and cost-effective routes to valuable molecules ubiquitous in everyday life.Read moreRead less
A Midas touch for electrophiles in new reaction development. This project aims to address the lack of knowledge about how high-value organic molecules are formed in gold-catalysed reactions by advancing a novel mode of catalysis. This project expects to generate new knowledge about these gold-catalysed reactions using an innovative, interdisciplinary approach incorporating computational and synthetic techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the optimisation and development of import ....A Midas touch for electrophiles in new reaction development. This project aims to address the lack of knowledge about how high-value organic molecules are formed in gold-catalysed reactions by advancing a novel mode of catalysis. This project expects to generate new knowledge about these gold-catalysed reactions using an innovative, interdisciplinary approach incorporating computational and synthetic techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the optimisation and development of important organic reactions and enhancing collaboration nationally and internationally between computational and synthetic chemists. This should provide significant benefits in the form of improved chemical reactions for chemists to prepare new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials.Read moreRead less
Switchable and stereocontrolled photoredox catalysis. This project aims to develop new catalytic synthetic reactions for the rapid and more direct functionalisation of organic compounds under mild conditions with the use of visible light. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to design potent visible-light photocatalysts that retain the advantages of standard photoredox catalysis but with the added ability to intercept and, thus control, reactive intermediates in sit ....Switchable and stereocontrolled photoredox catalysis. This project aims to develop new catalytic synthetic reactions for the rapid and more direct functionalisation of organic compounds under mild conditions with the use of visible light. An integrated experimental and computational approach will be used to design potent visible-light photocatalysts that retain the advantages of standard photoredox catalysis but with the added ability to intercept and, thus control, reactive intermediates in situ. This will enable the control of stereochemistry in photoredox reactions – not possible with standard catalysts - and establish other useful synthetic transformations. These strategies will make it easier to prepare valuable classes of organic molecules – efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively.
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3D printed microchemical devices and systems. This project aims to address the barriers faced by 3D printing in chemistry. 3D printing can create bespoke 3D structures within a fraction of time and cost compared to traditional fabrication. However, its scope in chemistry has been limited by the poor chemical robustness, biotoxicity and low resolution of the 3D printed components. Hence, this project will develop novel gold coating techniques and explore high-resolution 3D printing to overcome th ....3D printed microchemical devices and systems. This project aims to address the barriers faced by 3D printing in chemistry. 3D printing can create bespoke 3D structures within a fraction of time and cost compared to traditional fabrication. However, its scope in chemistry has been limited by the poor chemical robustness, biotoxicity and low resolution of the 3D printed components. Hence, this project will develop novel gold coating techniques and explore high-resolution 3D printing to overcome these challenges. The project should generate commercially significant products (analytical platforms), technology (gold coating) and patents. The developed systems and technologies will address Australian research challenges in advanced manufacturing and enable on-site environmental monitoring.Read moreRead less
Polymer Inclusion Membranes for Electrokinetic Sampling and Separation. This proposal aims to understand the chemical and physical properties governing the transport of ions into and within advanced extracting polymeric materials, known as polymer inclusion membranes, under the influence of an applied voltage. These membranes are dry-to-touch and represent a new and potentially powerful analytical platform for environmental, medical and industry sample preparation. By understanding the transport ....Polymer Inclusion Membranes for Electrokinetic Sampling and Separation. This proposal aims to understand the chemical and physical properties governing the transport of ions into and within advanced extracting polymeric materials, known as polymer inclusion membranes, under the influence of an applied voltage. These membranes are dry-to-touch and represent a new and potentially powerful analytical platform for environmental, medical and industry sample preparation. By understanding the transport mechanism, new membranes will be developed, capable of purifying and concentrating diverse targets chemicals from liquid and solid samples. These processes can take place during sample transportation to a centralised laboratory thus simplifying and streamlining analysis upon arrival to decrease drastically its costs.Read moreRead less
Harnessing light and electricity to drive chemical synthesis. This project will explore and establish original strategies that use inputs of energy (light and electricity) to break or form chemical bonds, which can provide new or improved access to valuable compounds. In this way, this research will augment or enhance existing methods for the selective and direct manipulation of molecules by creating tools that allow chemists to prepare molecules under particularly mild conditions. The outcomes ....Harnessing light and electricity to drive chemical synthesis. This project will explore and establish original strategies that use inputs of energy (light and electricity) to break or form chemical bonds, which can provide new or improved access to valuable compounds. In this way, this research will augment or enhance existing methods for the selective and direct manipulation of molecules by creating tools that allow chemists to prepare molecules under particularly mild conditions. The outcomes of the project will include the development of new technology for organic synthesis and forging novel approaches for chemical alkylation and cross-coupling reactions. This can contribute to making important compounds more efficiently, safely and cheaper to produce in the future.Read moreRead less
Improved electrophoretic analyser for water quality monitoring. This proposal will advance the Australian made Eco Detection portable electrophoretic analyser for autonomous monitoring of water chemistry - the Eco Sensor. We will re-design and miniaturise the fluidic manifold to reduce capital- and per-sample cost, increase the sensitivity of nutrients - nitrate and phospate - by 100-times in both fresh- and sea-waters, and develop new ultra-sensitive reagents for heavy metal detection at enviro ....Improved electrophoretic analyser for water quality monitoring. This proposal will advance the Australian made Eco Detection portable electrophoretic analyser for autonomous monitoring of water chemistry - the Eco Sensor. We will re-design and miniaturise the fluidic manifold to reduce capital- and per-sample cost, increase the sensitivity of nutrients - nitrate and phospate - by 100-times in both fresh- and sea-waters, and develop new ultra-sensitive reagents for heavy metal detection at environmentally regulated levels. This will provide a single platform for at-site near-real-time monitoring of water chemistry for agricultural, mining, water corporations and other industries that use and/or discharge water to the environment. Read moreRead less
Hierarchically porous polymer monoliths for separation science. Understanding the molecular composition of biomarkers involved in cell-cell communication and the fate of nanoparticles in the environment is critical to improve our understanding of diseases and environmental processes. This project will develop a new approach for the design of separation media that will greatly improve the efficiency of techniques used to analyse these complex samples. The separation media will consist of a polyme ....Hierarchically porous polymer monoliths for separation science. Understanding the molecular composition of biomarkers involved in cell-cell communication and the fate of nanoparticles in the environment is critical to improve our understanding of diseases and environmental processes. This project will develop a new approach for the design of separation media that will greatly improve the efficiency of techniques used to analyse these complex samples. The separation media will consist of a polymer containing large flow-through pores as well as well-defined mesopores. This dual porous skeleton will allow for the size-based separation of biomarkers and nanoparticles. The new separation media will enable the development of new technologies with applications in areas such medicine and environmental science.Read moreRead less