Salt, Bubbles and Life; A study of ion specificity in colloid science. A colloidal solution is a liquid that contains a finely dispersed material. The properties of these solutions are critical in many industrially important practices and in the everyday processes of life. Though not understood, it is observed that the type of salt in solution controls how the colloid behaves. Through a series of very careful experiments we seek to learn precisely how different salts influence the properties of ....Salt, Bubbles and Life; A study of ion specificity in colloid science. A colloidal solution is a liquid that contains a finely dispersed material. The properties of these solutions are critical in many industrially important practices and in the everyday processes of life. Though not understood, it is observed that the type of salt in solution controls how the colloid behaves. Through a series of very careful experiments we seek to learn precisely how different salts influence the properties of a colloidal solution. This world-leading research will enable us to improve our fundamental understanding of colloids and thereby facilitate advances in topics as diverse as enzymatic action and minerals purification, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of science in this field.Read moreRead less
Engineered materials for future energy technologies. The development of new technologies to be applied in fuel generation, energy conversion and environmental remediation will have wide national and international impact. The cross-disciplinary and cross-institution research program proposed will draw on expertise within Australia and in Europe for the fabrication of materials for next generation energy devices. In the future, there is the potential that these materials could be fabricated within ....Engineered materials for future energy technologies. The development of new technologies to be applied in fuel generation, energy conversion and environmental remediation will have wide national and international impact. The cross-disciplinary and cross-institution research program proposed will draw on expertise within Australia and in Europe for the fabrication of materials for next generation energy devices. In the future, there is the potential that these materials could be fabricated within Australia and therefore lead to employment nationally, and income generated through the export of advanced catalysts, solar cells and sequestration materials.Read moreRead less
Chromosomes are structures that carry genes in all our cells. Every human cell has 46 chromosomes. In the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, DNA is highly folded and compacted with specific proteins into a dynamic polymer called chromatin. Gene expression, chromosome division, DNA replication, and repair all act, not on DNA alone, but on this chromatin template. The discovery that enzymes can (re)organise chromatin into accessible and inaccessible configurations revealed mechanisms that considerably e ....Chromosomes are structures that carry genes in all our cells. Every human cell has 46 chromosomes. In the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, DNA is highly folded and compacted with specific proteins into a dynamic polymer called chromatin. Gene expression, chromosome division, DNA replication, and repair all act, not on DNA alone, but on this chromatin template. The discovery that enzymes can (re)organise chromatin into accessible and inaccessible configurations revealed mechanisms that considerably extend the information potential of the genetic code. In addition, it is now established that chromatin structural features can influence gene expression. In vitro studies support a model in which chromatin functions as a barrier for the access to DNA. Therefore this organization has to be tighly regulated and dynamic to allow the protein-DNA interactions critical for nuclear functions. Importantly genome organisation provides in addition to genetic information another layer of information, so called epigenetic, which by definition means that it is stably inherited throughout cellular divisions, yet it is not encoded genetically. Thus each cell type will display a specific epigenome. We have recently constructed small human minichromosomes, which are much easier to study than the much larger normal chromosomes. The present project proposes to define the epigenetic feature across an entire human chromosome using our minichhromosomes as working models. The outcome will be a significant gain in our knowledge on the processes underlying epigenetic regulation, the organisation of specialised chromatin domain, and behaviour of the chromosomes.Read moreRead less
Surface adsorption, repulsion and attraction: A new experimental approach to surface forces. The ability to understand and manipulate the stability of finely dispersed particles (colloids) in water is essential to modern living. It is necessary in processes as diverse as water purification, minerals separation, food and paper production. The behaviour of the colloidal system can often be understood in terms of the interaction between the dispersed particles. This project aims to improve our abil ....Surface adsorption, repulsion and attraction: A new experimental approach to surface forces. The ability to understand and manipulate the stability of finely dispersed particles (colloids) in water is essential to modern living. It is necessary in processes as diverse as water purification, minerals separation, food and paper production. The behaviour of the colloidal system can often be understood in terms of the interaction between the dispersed particles. This project aims to improve our ability to predict the nature of the interaction between dispersed particles, through an understanding of the events at a particle surface during a collision with another particle. This will enable us to better understand and control real colloidal systems.Read moreRead less
Ionic Dispersion Forces in Physical Chemistry: Implications for pH, Electrochemistry, Nanoparticle Formation and Organic Synthesis. Our current understanding of charged systems in solution is deeply flawed . Existing theories are not predictive, mainly because they concentrate entirely on electrostatics. This proposal aims to partially rectify this by including the effects of previously neglected dispersion forces in a number of problems. These forces are responsible for much of the behaviou ....Ionic Dispersion Forces in Physical Chemistry: Implications for pH, Electrochemistry, Nanoparticle Formation and Organic Synthesis. Our current understanding of charged systems in solution is deeply flawed . Existing theories are not predictive, mainly because they concentrate entirely on electrostatics. This proposal aims to partially rectify this by including the effects of previously neglected dispersion forces in a number of problems. These forces are responsible for much of the behaviour seen in the following systems: the theory of electrolytes; electrochemistry pH and buffers; self energy effects in organic chemistry; and zeolite and nano-particle synthesis. The main outcome will be accurate and predictive theories for these systems.Read moreRead less
Nanorheology: Hydrodynamic Slip in Newtonian Fluids. Understanding fluid flow across a surface is essential to a great number of technologies. For over one hundred years it has been assumed that the layer of fluid adjacent to the solid moves with the solid, this is known as the no-slip boundary condition. Recently direct force balance measurements of aqueous Newtonian solutions have indicated the presence of boundary slip. Using a newly developed nanorheology technique we will systematically inv ....Nanorheology: Hydrodynamic Slip in Newtonian Fluids. Understanding fluid flow across a surface is essential to a great number of technologies. For over one hundred years it has been assumed that the layer of fluid adjacent to the solid moves with the solid, this is known as the no-slip boundary condition. Recently direct force balance measurements of aqueous Newtonian solutions have indicated the presence of boundary slip. Using a newly developed nanorheology technique we will systematically investigate the conditions that control boundary slip. This information will be used to quantify, model and control boundary slip, progressing the fields of microfluidics, particle deposition, and colloid stability.Read moreRead less
Specific-ion effects in non-aqueous solvents. A test for Hofmeister. A colloidal solution is a liquid that contains a finely dispersed material. The properties of these solutions are critical in many industrially important practices and in the everyday processes of life. Though not understood, it is observed that the type of salt in solution controls how the colloid behaves. Through a series of very careful experiments we seek to learn precisely how different salts influence the properties of a ....Specific-ion effects in non-aqueous solvents. A test for Hofmeister. A colloidal solution is a liquid that contains a finely dispersed material. The properties of these solutions are critical in many industrially important practices and in the everyday processes of life. Though not understood, it is observed that the type of salt in solution controls how the colloid behaves. Through a series of very careful experiments we seek to learn precisely how different salts influence the properties of a colloidal solution. This world-leading research will enable us to improve our fundamental understanding of colloids and thereby facilitate advances in topics as diverse as enzymatic action and minerals purification, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of science in this field.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560758
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,000.00
Summary
Dynamics at Interfaces: a facility for the characterisation of the dynamics of structural reorganisation and adsorption at interfaces. Controlling the flow, stability, and general performance of finely dispersed materials is important in a great number of industries from cosmetics to minerals purification. These properties are often controlled by the addition of material that forms a film at the interface between the dispersed material and the solvent. We seek to develop a facility that will ena ....Dynamics at Interfaces: a facility for the characterisation of the dynamics of structural reorganisation and adsorption at interfaces. Controlling the flow, stability, and general performance of finely dispersed materials is important in a great number of industries from cosmetics to minerals purification. These properties are often controlled by the addition of material that forms a film at the interface between the dispersed material and the solvent. We seek to develop a facility that will enable the properties of this film to be characterized, in particular the rate at which the film responds to mechanical and chemical changes. With this knowledge we hope to relate the nanoscopic properties of the adsorbed film to macroscopic properties of the dispersion and be able to tune the structure of the surface film, in order to control the bulk properties of complex fluids.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237527
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,000.00
Summary
Bioscope IV : Advanced Scanned Probe Microscopy. The Atomic Force Microscope presents a unique view of the microscopic and molecular world, for it is sensitive to force alone. This instrument can accurately map force over a surface at the molecular scale; picoNewtons at nanometre resolution. The host of intermolecular forces which cause phenomena such as self-assembly, colloid stability, cell interactions and friction are only directly measurable with this technique. In this field of force meas ....Bioscope IV : Advanced Scanned Probe Microscopy. The Atomic Force Microscope presents a unique view of the microscopic and molecular world, for it is sensitive to force alone. This instrument can accurately map force over a surface at the molecular scale; picoNewtons at nanometre resolution. The host of intermolecular forces which cause phenomena such as self-assembly, colloid stability, cell interactions and friction are only directly measurable with this technique. In this field of force measurement Australian researchers are leaders. The proposed instrument expands the capabilities of this effort, and develops exciting new directions including the direct manipulation of molecules through a novel feedback and control (haptic) interface.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of nanobubbles. Surprisingly, nano-sized bubbles have recently been found to exist in aqueous solutions. Classical theory tells us they should rapidly dissolve, yet they are stable for several days, a phenomenon which has only recently been explained. Despite this, nanobubbles are already used in cleaning processes and appear to have significant health benefits. They are being investigated in treatments for asthma and neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with a pharmaceu ....Characterisation of nanobubbles. Surprisingly, nano-sized bubbles have recently been found to exist in aqueous solutions. Classical theory tells us they should rapidly dissolve, yet they are stable for several days, a phenomenon which has only recently been explained. Despite this, nanobubbles are already used in cleaning processes and appear to have significant health benefits. They are being investigated in treatments for asthma and neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with a pharmaceutical company, the best means to produce and characterise nanobubbles will be investigated, as well as the conditions governing their stability. The project also aims to determine how the nanobubbles interact with surfaces in order to better control their properties and achieve a better understanding of these bubbles.Read moreRead less