Novel fuel-cell structures based on electroactive polymers. This project will tackle some of the challenges currently hindering progression of our society into a post-petroleum era via materials developments that will lead to in-expensive, more efficient fuel cell technologies. Specifically, a new class of organic catalysts and novel ion conducting membranes will be integrated into functional fuel-cells.
Engineering the Microstructure of Electrodes for Advanced Fuel Cells. A polymer solution-based integration technique is proposed to be developed to fabricate polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, allowing for effective engineering of the porous networks and interfaces within electrodes and cells. This novel systems materials engineering approach is expected to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional hot pressing method, enabling precise integration of nanostructured electrodes and membrane ....Engineering the Microstructure of Electrodes for Advanced Fuel Cells. A polymer solution-based integration technique is proposed to be developed to fabricate polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, allowing for effective engineering of the porous networks and interfaces within electrodes and cells. This novel systems materials engineering approach is expected to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional hot pressing method, enabling precise integration of nanostructured electrodes and membrane into high-performance, flexible fuel cells. The outcomes of this research aim to provide a unique opportunity for Australia to become a world leader in the rapidly-emerging clean energy technology, and critical manufacturing of new energy generation systems for domestic uses and exports, thereby producing important economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101129
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,948.00
Summary
Two-Dimensional Material Tandem Detectors for Polarimetry and Spectroscopy. The aim of this project is to leverage the fundamental advantages that two-dimensional (2D) materials could provide to vertically-stacked (tandem) photodetectors. The strong absorption, tunable bandgap and polarisation dependence that many 2D materials exhibit, provides a means by which to detect properties of light. This topic is significant because it could overcome current cost/performance issues of tandem detectors, .... Two-Dimensional Material Tandem Detectors for Polarimetry and Spectroscopy. The aim of this project is to leverage the fundamental advantages that two-dimensional (2D) materials could provide to vertically-stacked (tandem) photodetectors. The strong absorption, tunable bandgap and polarisation dependence that many 2D materials exhibit, provides a means by which to detect properties of light. This topic is significant because it could overcome current cost/performance issues of tandem detectors, enabling widespread usage. The expected project outcome is the development of a novel tandem 2D detector, which as a single detector/pixel, can extract the intensity, polarisation and wavelength region of incoming light. This would provide benefits for many future applications, including machine vision and aerial surveying.Read moreRead less
Piezoelectric nanofibre membranes with built-in p-n junction: new self-rectifying piezoelectric power generators. This project will aim to develop new knowledge about how to efficiently convert small mechanical energy into directly usable electric power using piezoelectric nanofibre membranes and will fill this knowledge gap by systematically understanding the influence of doping agents on the charge transport during energy conversion.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100154
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,000.00
Summary
Engineering twisted two-dimensional materials for mid-infrared detectors. This project aims to engineer twisted two-dimensional materials and develop efficient room-temperature mid-infrared detectors that sense both the intensity and polarisation of light. This project expects to generate a cost-effective, ultra-compact, and multifunctional mid-infrared optical platform with high energy conversion efficiency towards advanced sensing and imaging systems. The anticipated goal of this project is to ....Engineering twisted two-dimensional materials for mid-infrared detectors. This project aims to engineer twisted two-dimensional materials and develop efficient room-temperature mid-infrared detectors that sense both the intensity and polarisation of light. This project expects to generate a cost-effective, ultra-compact, and multifunctional mid-infrared optical platform with high energy conversion efficiency towards advanced sensing and imaging systems. The anticipated goal of this project is to deliver high value-added devices with reduced energy consumption for the electronics and photonics industries. This should provide significant economic and environmental benefits by realising technological innovations, savings in materials and energy costs, and reduced environmental impact in advanced manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101501
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,000.00
Summary
Printed back electrodes enabling low-cost perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address back electrode material, a bottleneck functional material in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering printable and conductive materials based on carbon and gold nanowires, the project expects to enable highly-efficient and scalable PSCs while reducing cost of materials and production. These expected outcomes are to be implemented in PSCs and their impact rigorously tested in rese ....Printed back electrodes enabling low-cost perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address back electrode material, a bottleneck functional material in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering printable and conductive materials based on carbon and gold nanowires, the project expects to enable highly-efficient and scalable PSCs while reducing cost of materials and production. These expected outcomes are to be implemented in PSCs and their impact rigorously tested in research cells to large-area PSCs modules produced through industry-relevant, scalable, and low-cost printing and coating methods. This will provide significant benefits to Australian industry, from small to medium enterprises to larger utility power companies, while creating economic opportunities and enabling sustainable societies.Read moreRead less
High efficiency dye-sensitised solar cells containing multiple sensitisers. This project aims to develop a new scalable approach suitable for industrial production of high efficiency dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs) on both glass and flexible polymer substrates. The success of the project would be a breakthrough in DSC technology, bringing the technology a significant step closer to wide-spread commercial applications.
Tailoring smart film for energy efficient protected cropping. Cooling cost represents a major running cost for greenhouse, preventing the wide adoption of highly beneficial protected cropping technology. This project aims at solving this critical issue by developing a world-first tailored smart film that can simultaneously reject solar heat, cool down the greenhouse and maximise the yields of crops. This is made possible by advanced spectral engineering and light management with frontier nanostr ....Tailoring smart film for energy efficient protected cropping. Cooling cost represents a major running cost for greenhouse, preventing the wide adoption of highly beneficial protected cropping technology. This project aims at solving this critical issue by developing a world-first tailored smart film that can simultaneously reject solar heat, cool down the greenhouse and maximise the yields of crops. This is made possible by advanced spectral engineering and light management with frontier nanostructures combined with a scalable and low cost manufacturing process. Deliverables of the project include game-changing energy efficient solutions for protected cropping and marketable smart films readily integratable with existing greenhouse for dramatic energy saving and immediate economic and social benefits.Read moreRead less
A systems materials engineering strategy for hybrid ion capacitors. This project aims to develop a data science-driven approach to allow the use of materials systems engineering strategy to quantify the cell-level design of electrochemical energy storage devices such as hybrid ion capacitors. The intended outcomes of this project include new dynamic equivalent circuit models and a new quantitative approach to make the electrodes pairing predictable and realise their optimal design against the ne ....A systems materials engineering strategy for hybrid ion capacitors. This project aims to develop a data science-driven approach to allow the use of materials systems engineering strategy to quantify the cell-level design of electrochemical energy storage devices such as hybrid ion capacitors. The intended outcomes of this project include new dynamic equivalent circuit models and a new quantitative approach to make the electrodes pairing predictable and realise their optimal design against the needs of the specific applications. It will also demonstrate a combined strategy of data science and discipline-specific experiments and theories to advance the emerging field of materials systems engineering. Read moreRead less