Mapping, modelling, and manipulating graphene oxide interfaces. This project aims to provide a platform for the controllable manipulation of graphene oxide in water and with additives. Graphene oxide-based materials promise transformative change in the areas of filtration, separation science, energy materials and specialty coatings. Expansion of these materials into this broad range of high-performance applications is limited by the lack of reliable control over the organisation of the graphene ....Mapping, modelling, and manipulating graphene oxide interfaces. This project aims to provide a platform for the controllable manipulation of graphene oxide in water and with additives. Graphene oxide-based materials promise transformative change in the areas of filtration, separation science, energy materials and specialty coatings. Expansion of these materials into this broad range of high-performance applications is limited by the lack of reliable control over the organisation of the graphene oxide sheets in solution and in the presence of additives. This project will identify the practical steps for controlling the inter-sheet spacing in graphene oxide stacks, which is critical to realising their potential in real-world applications such as in filtration membranes for water desalination. This project will provide significant benefits in making reliable energy materials and filtration and separation membranes.Read moreRead less
Structurally-bridged crystalline molecular sieve-polymer membranes. This project aims to produce a membrane platform technology for efficient and cost-effective separation in natural gas processing and petrochemicals, using crystalline sieve materials. It will address the mismatch of mechanical properties between crystalline molecular sieve materials (zeolites and metal organic frameworks) and polymers, and coating flaws which limit their use as gas separation membranes. It will create nano-rein ....Structurally-bridged crystalline molecular sieve-polymer membranes. This project aims to produce a membrane platform technology for efficient and cost-effective separation in natural gas processing and petrochemicals, using crystalline sieve materials. It will address the mismatch of mechanical properties between crystalline molecular sieve materials (zeolites and metal organic frameworks) and polymers, and coating flaws which limit their use as gas separation membranes. It will create nano-reinforcement in the coating and polymer substrate, with nano-bridges between them. The resulting membranes will be mechanically tough and separate better than existing membranes. Advanced membranes are expected to benefit fuel industries by reducing separation cost and energy consumption.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,446.00
Summary
Development of two-dimensional nanoporous membranes. This project aims to develop new desalination membranes able to selectively remove contaminants from liquid effluents with greater cost efficiency and lower environmental footprint. It aims to do this by forming hierarchical membranes, where nanoscale pores generated across nano-porous two-dimensional materials are seeded with highly selective micro-porous crystals. These membranes will reduce the cost of desalination, developing new markets b ....Development of two-dimensional nanoporous membranes. This project aims to develop new desalination membranes able to selectively remove contaminants from liquid effluents with greater cost efficiency and lower environmental footprint. It aims to do this by forming hierarchical membranes, where nanoscale pores generated across nano-porous two-dimensional materials are seeded with highly selective micro-porous crystals. These membranes will reduce the cost of desalination, developing new markets beyond the sole field of water desalination, in resource, solvent recovery and protein fractionation.Read moreRead less
Composite Membranes for Energy-efficient Separation Technologies. Advanced separation membranes play a crucial role in the development of clean energy and sustainable water technologies. In this project, new membranes will be developed to substantially improve separation efficiencies in these areas.
Putting metal organic frameworks to work at interfaces. This project aims to develop new strategies to better synthesize ultrathin Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes by nanostructured and chemically functionalized substrates. MOF materials have enormous potential due to the extraordinary structural and chemical diversity of these crystalline microporous materials and their potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis and sensing. However, a major challenge is fabricating thi ....Putting metal organic frameworks to work at interfaces. This project aims to develop new strategies to better synthesize ultrathin Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes by nanostructured and chemically functionalized substrates. MOF materials have enormous potential due to the extraordinary structural and chemical diversity of these crystalline microporous materials and their potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis and sensing. However, a major challenge is fabricating thin robust MOF films or patterns on porous, flexible, and nonporous substrates, quickly and easily in order to construct useful devices. The project will grow ultrathin layers of molecular sieving and electroactive MOFs to produce technology platforms for large scale device manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Carbon nanotube fluidic channels for desalination - interplay of nanoscale confinement and electrostatics. Tiny tubes of carbon, ten thousand times smaller than human hair, allow water to pass through at extraordinary speed. This project aims to understand and improve their salt rejection properties using comprehensive experimental and theoretical approaches. This will provide the impetus and knowledge for developing advanced membranes for desalination