Nickel(III) Oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) as a Positive Electrode Material in Primary Cells. In recent years, the demands put on batteries has increased due to the development of sophisticated portable electronic devices. With the currently available primary battery systems finding it difficult to cope with these demands, there is considerable incentive to develop an improved system with an appropriate capability. This project focuses on nickel(III) oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) as a cathode material. NiOOH is us ....Nickel(III) Oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) as a Positive Electrode Material in Primary Cells. In recent years, the demands put on batteries has increased due to the development of sophisticated portable electronic devices. With the currently available primary battery systems finding it difficult to cope with these demands, there is considerable incentive to develop an improved system with an appropriate capability. This project focuses on nickel(III) oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) as a cathode material. NiOOH is used widely in rechargeable battery systems, where it performs adequately even under severe discharge conditions. However, in primary battery systems, NiOOH suffers from self discharge. This project aims to use the performance capabilities of NiOOH in a primary system, by investigating ways to improve its stability. The benefits for Delta EMD will be protection of their existing business, as well as opening the door to the commercial manufacture of an advanced export material.Read moreRead less
Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silic ....Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silicon electrodes where irradiating with light causes an increase in conductivity at the illumination spot. The project will explore the variables that influence the spatial resolution and apply the ideas to making soft connects for nanoelectronics and making high density electrode arrays for electroanalysis.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100732
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,544.00
Summary
Electrostatic Catalysis: guiding reactive interfaces using electric fields. This project seeks to gain quantitative understanding of the role of electrostatics over chemical processes. Chemical transformations of organic compounds at interfaces underpin some of the most important processes, from the production of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals to assisting bio-degradation of pollutants in clean technologies. Recent computational studies suggest that by applying oriented electric fields at in ....Electrostatic Catalysis: guiding reactive interfaces using electric fields. This project seeks to gain quantitative understanding of the role of electrostatics over chemical processes. Chemical transformations of organic compounds at interfaces underpin some of the most important processes, from the production of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals to assisting bio-degradation of pollutants in clean technologies. Recent computational studies suggest that by applying oriented electric fields at interfaces, the rate and the selectivity of chemical processes can be altered at will. The project intends to test these theoretical findings. The knowledge generated by this research may translate into new technologies for the fine-chemical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Designing Nano-Pore Architectures for High Power Battery Materials. In recent years there has been a steady increase in the popularity of portable electronic devices. Of the numerous battery systems available, alkaline MnO2/Zn cells are most commonly used to power these devices. However, as the device power requirements increase, so too does the demand on these cells to perform. Delta EMD, Australia, currently exports ~10% of the world's supply of MnO2 for these cells. Their collaboration with p ....Designing Nano-Pore Architectures for High Power Battery Materials. In recent years there has been a steady increase in the popularity of portable electronic devices. Of the numerous battery systems available, alkaline MnO2/Zn cells are most commonly used to power these devices. However, as the device power requirements increase, so too does the demand on these cells to perform. Delta EMD, Australia, currently exports ~10% of the world's supply of MnO2 for these cells. Their collaboration with personnel from the University of Newcastle, who have significant expertise in the field of MnO2 research, will focus on designing a superior MnO2 with optimized nano-pore architecture for high power battery applications.Read moreRead less
New Synthetic Routes to the Immobilisation of Mixed Valence Transition Metal Complexes on Conducting Metal Oxides. Highly coloured, electrochemically active transition metal dyes may find application electrochromic devices, where they may switch between contrasting coloured forms through a simple redox reaction. A prerequisite is that the dye be immobilised onto a solid conducting support whilst preserving the electrochemical and optical properties of the dye found in solution. This project tack ....New Synthetic Routes to the Immobilisation of Mixed Valence Transition Metal Complexes on Conducting Metal Oxides. Highly coloured, electrochemically active transition metal dyes may find application electrochromic devices, where they may switch between contrasting coloured forms through a simple redox reaction. A prerequisite is that the dye be immobilised onto a solid conducting support whilst preserving the electrochemical and optical properties of the dye found in solution. This project tackles this problem through a combination of organic and inorganic synthesis to develop new electrochromic dyes that may be attached to mesoporous titania.Read moreRead less
Supported Molecular Catalysts for Methanol Oxidation and Other Reactions. Knowledge arising from these fundamental studies has the potential to place Australia at the forefront of this important area of materials science and catalysis. We expect to make discoveries that will be useful not only in the area of catalysts for the direct methanol fuel cell, but also in systematising and developing the whole field of bio-mimetic supported electrocatalysts. Relevant findings in these exciting areas wil ....Supported Molecular Catalysts for Methanol Oxidation and Other Reactions. Knowledge arising from these fundamental studies has the potential to place Australia at the forefront of this important area of materials science and catalysis. We expect to make discoveries that will be useful not only in the area of catalysts for the direct methanol fuel cell, but also in systematising and developing the whole field of bio-mimetic supported electrocatalysts. Relevant findings in these exciting areas will be relayed to researchers and commercialised where appropriate. This multidisciplinary project will also provide an excellent environment for research training.Read moreRead less
Advanced Molecular Frameworks for Sodium Battery Electrode Applications. This project aims to develop new molecular materials capable of high capacity sodium-ion insertion. Through an innovative interdisciplinary approach that targets the synthesis and detailed characterisation of an extensive family of materials this project expects to generate major advances in the understanding of how the chemical, physical and structural attributes of the materials relate to their electrical charge/discharge ....Advanced Molecular Frameworks for Sodium Battery Electrode Applications. This project aims to develop new molecular materials capable of high capacity sodium-ion insertion. Through an innovative interdisciplinary approach that targets the synthesis and detailed characterisation of an extensive family of materials this project expects to generate major advances in the understanding of how the chemical, physical and structural attributes of the materials relate to their electrical charge/discharge behaviours. Significant anticipated outcomes and benefits include the development of new material design approaches that optimise battery electrode performance across a diverse parameter space, and the generation of advanced new materials worthy of commercial development in low-cost, large-scale battery applications.Read moreRead less
New Methods to Harvest Light: Towards Better Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) technology has emerged as a complementary energy source to silicon photovoltaic technology. The efficiency of the DSC relies heavily on sensitizing molecules to absorb solar photons and then transfer electrons to a semi-conducting particle. This project will investigate new sensitizing methods using a combination of different dyes which work cooperatively to absorb a large part of the solar ....New Methods to Harvest Light: Towards Better Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) technology has emerged as a complementary energy source to silicon photovoltaic technology. The efficiency of the DSC relies heavily on sensitizing molecules to absorb solar photons and then transfer electrons to a semi-conducting particle. This project will investigate new sensitizing methods using a combination of different dyes which work cooperatively to absorb a large part of the solar spectrum and efficiently inject electrons into a semi-conducting particles. The development and understanding of these new methods to sensitize the dye-sensitized solar cell should lead to new and better solar cells.Read moreRead less
Capacitance Fade Mechanisms in Carbon-Based Supercapacitors. Energy storage is of significant importance to the global community. This project addresses certain performance issues concerning prolonged energy storage in supercapacitors, which are an emerging technology in the electronics industry. CAP-XX is Australia's only manufacturer of supercapacitors, and the improvements to their products that will result from this work, will lead to significant returns to them and the Australian economy.
Understanding Electron Transfer through Surface Bound Rigid Molecular Constructs: From Fundamental Studies to New Sensing and Photovoltaic Applications. Electron transfer is not only a vital process in biological systems but is the cornerstone of the new generation of nanoscale devices such as molecular electronics, photovoltaic devices and biosensors. For most applications electron transfer occurs close to a surface but the influence of the surface is not well understood. This project aims ....Understanding Electron Transfer through Surface Bound Rigid Molecular Constructs: From Fundamental Studies to New Sensing and Photovoltaic Applications. Electron transfer is not only a vital process in biological systems but is the cornerstone of the new generation of nanoscale devices such as molecular electronics, photovoltaic devices and biosensors. For most applications electron transfer occurs close to a surface but the influence of the surface is not well understood. This project aims to increase our understanding of the role of surfaces on the electron transfer behaviour using a novel range of rigid 'molecular wires'. The knowledge gained will be exploited in the development of novel biosensors for environmental and health monitoring and new highly efficient solar cells for energy conversion.Read moreRead less