Functionalising sustainable natural binders for energy storage devices. This project aims to produce low-cost energy storage devices to meet the energy demands and safety requirements of electric appliances, electric vehicles and smart electricity grids. High-cost and non-regenerable resources and existing energy storage devices’ safety issues have hindered the electrification of portable electronic devices and vehicles and use of intermittent solar and wind energy. This project will use sustain ....Functionalising sustainable natural binders for energy storage devices. This project aims to produce low-cost energy storage devices to meet the energy demands and safety requirements of electric appliances, electric vehicles and smart electricity grids. High-cost and non-regenerable resources and existing energy storage devices’ safety issues have hindered the electrification of portable electronic devices and vehicles and use of intermittent solar and wind energy. This project will use sustainable natural polymers to develop green electrode technologies for manufacturing batteries with greatly reduced production and environmental cost. The in-depth understandings from the combination of experiments and computation simulations will help create strategies to realise low cost, long-life and safe batteries.Read moreRead less
Photoelectrode design for solar driven methane to methanol conversion. This project aims to achieve efficient photoelectrocatalytic partial oxidation of greenhouse gas methane for methanol production with high selectivity. The program will design new semiconductor materials through rational defect engineering and co-catalyst selection to revolutionise methane conversion. The expected outcomes include sustainable processes to convert methane into valuable liquid chemicals like methanol, and compr ....Photoelectrode design for solar driven methane to methanol conversion. This project aims to achieve efficient photoelectrocatalytic partial oxidation of greenhouse gas methane for methanol production with high selectivity. The program will design new semiconductor materials through rational defect engineering and co-catalyst selection to revolutionise methane conversion. The expected outcomes include sustainable processes to convert methane into valuable liquid chemicals like methanol, and comprehensive understanding on functional material design for solar driven catalytic reactions. The significant benefits will include revolutionary methane mitigation technologies and sustainable processes for value-added chemical production, alleviating key environmental and energy challenges facing Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
A New Photocatalytic System for Solar-to-Chemical Energy Conversion. The expected outcomes of this program are a new class of photocatalyst systems for converting waste products into valuable chemicals using solar energy. Using advanced materials and photocatalysis, the project aims to develop a new class of bi-functional photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems for application in waste brine treatment and valuable chemical generation. The key concept lies in the innovative design of layered semicondu ....A New Photocatalytic System for Solar-to-Chemical Energy Conversion. The expected outcomes of this program are a new class of photocatalyst systems for converting waste products into valuable chemicals using solar energy. Using advanced materials and photocatalysis, the project aims to develop a new class of bi-functional photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems for application in waste brine treatment and valuable chemical generation. The key concept lies in the innovative design of layered semiconductors as efficient and stable photocatalysts and their integration into PEC reaction systems for simultaneous solar hydrogen and valuable chemicals (eg bromine) generation from brine. The project aims to advance fundamental understanding of the photocatalytic water-splitting concept to other waste product splitting.Read moreRead less
Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technolo ....Advancing green electrochemical engineering of functional 2D nanomaterials. This project aims to produce value-added functional 2D nanomaterials by advancing the green, scalable and cost-effective electrochemical production method developed by the candidate. In addition to developing transformational electrochemical engineering technology to utilise Australian raw resources, this project will generate new knowledge in the area of materials chemistry and innovative additive manufacturing technology. Expected outcomes of this project include improved pilot-scale electrochemical reactors for producing various functional 2D nanomaterials and enabling precise control of their molecular and bulk properties. These tailored 2D nanomaterials will significantly improve the performances of flexible and energy-related devices.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101662
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Non-Oxidative and Scalable Electrochemical Production of Functional Graphene and its Nanohybrids. The lack of cost-effective and scalable graphene production methods is the current bottleneck that impedes the commercialisation of advanced graphene-based nanomaterials. Novel electrochemical production of those functional materials directly from bulk graphite not only holds the key to the solution but also provides a non-oxidative route for the production of highly conductive graphene which is wel ....Non-Oxidative and Scalable Electrochemical Production of Functional Graphene and its Nanohybrids. The lack of cost-effective and scalable graphene production methods is the current bottleneck that impedes the commercialisation of advanced graphene-based nanomaterials. Novel electrochemical production of those functional materials directly from bulk graphite not only holds the key to the solution but also provides a non-oxidative route for the production of highly conductive graphene which is well suited for applications such as biosensing, energy storage and conversion. Besides achieving scientific breakthroughs in graphene electrochemistry, this project will directly benefit many Australian socio-economic objectives, including manufacturing of Australia's natural resources into valuable energy related products.Read moreRead less
Solar driven methane conversion for green methanol production. This project aims to develop advanced photoelectrode materials for solar driven methane partial oxidation to produce methanol. The key concepts are to develop new semiconductor devices and alloy metal cocatalysts in solving the slow charge and mass transfer challenges in catalytic methane partial oxidation reactions. The expected outcomes include ground-breaking approaches for catalytic materials design, efficient solar fuel producti ....Solar driven methane conversion for green methanol production. This project aims to develop advanced photoelectrode materials for solar driven methane partial oxidation to produce methanol. The key concepts are to develop new semiconductor devices and alloy metal cocatalysts in solving the slow charge and mass transfer challenges in catalytic methane partial oxidation reactions. The expected outcomes include ground-breaking approaches for catalytic materials design, efficient solar fuel production and cutting-edge knowledge on methane activation mechanism. The program is aligned with Australia’s Net-Zero Emission 2050 target, representing an innovative pathway in converting greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals, which will bring environmental and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102836
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
A novel fully inorganic quantum dots based solar cell. A fully-inorganic quantum dots solar cell will be constructed by using cheap chemical solution techniques. The development of the new 3rd generation solar cell is aimed to realise the high-efficiency, low-cost, and well-stability of solar cells. It would dramatically increase commercial viability of quantum solar cells.
Low-temperature plasma processes for high-quality graphene films. The project aims to develop novel plasma-enabled processes for low-cost, energy-efficient, and scalable growth of high-quality graphene films for applications in touch screen, solar cell and other devices. It aims to discover non-equilibrium plasma-surface interactions enabling nucleation and growth of graphene films with large and low-defect domains on metal catalysts at low temperatures, and then develop energy-efficient, enviro ....Low-temperature plasma processes for high-quality graphene films. The project aims to develop novel plasma-enabled processes for low-cost, energy-efficient, and scalable growth of high-quality graphene films for applications in touch screen, solar cell and other devices. It aims to discover non-equilibrium plasma-surface interactions enabling nucleation and growth of graphene films with large and low-defect domains on metal catalysts at low temperatures, and then develop energy-efficient, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication and device transfer processes. These processes are designed to retain high quality of graphene films upon scale-up and will be compatible with the existing and emerging applications in touch screens and other devices. The expected outcomes include fundamental understanding and novel practical approaches to control synthesis and device integration of two-dimensional atomically-thin materials.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
An integrated system for measuring thermoelectric properties of advanced materials. This facility will establish an integrated measuring system which will form the key step in developing thermoelectric materials. The instruments will support groundbreaking research in developing advanced materials with significant economic and environmental benefits for many industries, such as materials manufacturing and improving automobile energy efficiency.
Quantification of airborne engineered nanoparticles: developing a scientific framework to inform their regulation and control. Despite the presence of airborne engineered nanoparticles in many commercial/research facilities, there are no established methods for their detection/characterisation. This work aims to develop a foundation for the quantitative assessment of airborne engineered nanoparticles, which is critical for controlling exposure and minimising health risks.