Contributions to the foundations upon which true crystal engineering of functional solids will be based. The emerging area of crystal engineering promises to provide access to sophisticated materials tailored for specific applications. A major thrust of the proposed work is concerned with controlling the interactions and thus the arrangement of small molecular building blocks used to construct such materials. Through a variety of novel approaches that are proposed, we expect that our research wo ....Contributions to the foundations upon which true crystal engineering of functional solids will be based. The emerging area of crystal engineering promises to provide access to sophisticated materials tailored for specific applications. A major thrust of the proposed work is concerned with controlling the interactions and thus the arrangement of small molecular building blocks used to construct such materials. Through a variety of novel approaches that are proposed, we expect that our research work will provide a valuable scientific contribution to the development of crystal engineering, whilst affording an excellent training ground for the sorts of scientists upon whom Australia's future prosperity will depend.Read moreRead less
Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the prese ....Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the presence of nearby charge, or to acquiring charge themselves. Understanding the nature of these attractions, and the structural changes that they induce eventually results in more accurate computer models. This has relevance to fields that include the architecture of proteins, recognition of signaling molecules in the brain, and drug development.Read moreRead less
Structures and Properties of beta-R3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)- and beta-Chalcogenyl-substituted Carbenium Ions. The benefits of this work are many-fold. The scientific knowledge gained will be invaluable to all scientists working in organic chemistry; mechanistic chemists who will learn from the science, and synthetic organic chemists who can utilise the results when planning strategies for the synthesis of complex drugs. Another major benefit of this research is in the training of young scientists. Th ....Structures and Properties of beta-R3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)- and beta-Chalcogenyl-substituted Carbenium Ions. The benefits of this work are many-fold. The scientific knowledge gained will be invaluable to all scientists working in organic chemistry; mechanistic chemists who will learn from the science, and synthetic organic chemists who can utilise the results when planning strategies for the synthesis of complex drugs. Another major benefit of this research is in the training of young scientists. The students who work on this proposal gain invaluable experience in many areas of chemistry, ranging from synthetic chemistry to structural chemistry and theoretical chemistry. They will also gain experience in important physical techniques from NMR spectroscopy to X-ray crystallography.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561249
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,096.00
Summary
Enhanced X-Ray Analysis and Characterisation Facility. The increasing demand from both academic and industrial sectors has created an urgent need for enhancement and extension of the "Integrated Victorian X-Ray Structural Determination and Materials Characterisation Facility". This proposal achieves this aim by extending the collaborating institutes to include Monash University and adding modern single-crystal, two-dimensional microdiffraction, and wavelength dispersive xrf systems. The result w ....Enhanced X-Ray Analysis and Characterisation Facility. The increasing demand from both academic and industrial sectors has created an urgent need for enhancement and extension of the "Integrated Victorian X-Ray Structural Determination and Materials Characterisation Facility". This proposal achieves this aim by extending the collaborating institutes to include Monash University and adding modern single-crystal, two-dimensional microdiffraction, and wavelength dispersive xrf systems. The result will provide significantly enhanced characterisation and analysis facilities and enable new areas of research to be developed in organic and inorganic synthesis, material chemistry, polymer chemistry, and food, environmental and forensic sciences.Read moreRead less
Biocompatible Ionic Liquids - Preserving Bioactive Structure and Function. A family of liquids recently discovered at Monash University has an ability to preserve bioactive molecules that represents a breakthrough in biotechnology. These new biocompatible ionic liquids will be investigated for applications in the treatment of diseases such as haemophilia. The ability of these liquids to stabilise a wide range of enzymes also opens up the potential of their use in a range of biosensors such as b ....Biocompatible Ionic Liquids - Preserving Bioactive Structure and Function. A family of liquids recently discovered at Monash University has an ability to preserve bioactive molecules that represents a breakthrough in biotechnology. These new biocompatible ionic liquids will be investigated for applications in the treatment of diseases such as haemophilia. The ability of these liquids to stabilise a wide range of enzymes also opens up the potential of their use in a range of biosensors such as blood glucose monitors for diabetes management. In collaborations with research groups worldwide, these materials will also be applied to the preservation of bioactivity in applications including cryopreservation of endangered species such as coral and in medical therapeutics. 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
Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commerci ....Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commercial benefits for Australia. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775481
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$304,000.00
Summary
X-ray Molecular Structure Elucidation Facility (MSEF). X-ray diffraction plays a key role in identification and molecular characterization. X-ray techniques are the single most widely used analytical resource in structure determination and provide invaluable information for scientists working in the fields of synthesis, nanotechnology, polymer chemistry, and protein chemistry amongst many others. The facility brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists and provides state-of-the-art re ....X-ray Molecular Structure Elucidation Facility (MSEF). X-ray diffraction plays a key role in identification and molecular characterization. X-ray techniques are the single most widely used analytical resource in structure determination and provide invaluable information for scientists working in the fields of synthesis, nanotechnology, polymer chemistry, and protein chemistry amongst many others. The facility brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists and provides state-of-the-art research and training facilities.Read moreRead less
Low viscosity, high ionic conductivity ionic liquids for lithium metal batteries. Current consumer electronic devices rely on lithium-ion batteries to provide a high energy density power source. There are growing safety concerns about the electrolytes in these devices after recent incidents involving fires in mobile phones. Recent advances in ionic liquids (ILs) have seen the development of new electrolytes for such devices, with enhanced physical properties that offer major safety advantages. H ....Low viscosity, high ionic conductivity ionic liquids for lithium metal batteries. Current consumer electronic devices rely on lithium-ion batteries to provide a high energy density power source. There are growing safety concerns about the electrolytes in these devices after recent incidents involving fires in mobile phones. Recent advances in ionic liquids (ILs) have seen the development of new electrolytes for such devices, with enhanced physical properties that offer major safety advantages. However, the viscosity of these materials currently limit their capabilities. New IL materials to be developed in this project will pave the way for the development of safer devices and new sustainable energy industries in Australia.Read moreRead less
Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction ....Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction of ozone. In both cases, the key interactions between ions and neutral molecules will be elucidated through high-resolution laser studies. Ensuing experimental data will play a crucial role in controlling and predicting ion-neutral interactions in technological and environmental contexts.Read moreRead less