Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882357
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
A Computational Facility for Multi-scale Modelling in Bio and Nanotechnology. Bio- and nanotechnology have the potential to transform Australian industry and research, and to bring significant benefits for consumers. The scope will include materials for energy storage, medical diagnostics and cellular imaging, bioengineering, drug and gene delivery, improved foods by molecular design, novel materials for electronics, improved techniques for particle processing, and molecular sieves for filtering ....A Computational Facility for Multi-scale Modelling in Bio and Nanotechnology. Bio- and nanotechnology have the potential to transform Australian industry and research, and to bring significant benefits for consumers. The scope will include materials for energy storage, medical diagnostics and cellular imaging, bioengineering, drug and gene delivery, improved foods by molecular design, novel materials for electronics, improved techniques for particle processing, and molecular sieves for filtering/purifying water and gases. The dedicated computing facility will enable a fast interactive cycle between simulation and experiment in these areas, accelerating the pace of research and applications.Read moreRead less
Nanostrutured Magnesium-base Composites for High-density Hydrogen Storage. This project aims to develop nanocrstalline magnesium-based composites for effective hydrogen storage, overcoming two main technical barriers of current metal hydride systems: high charging/discharging temperature and slow kinetics. Nanoscale catalysts based on mesoporous carbons and metal nanoparticles will be introduced into the magnesium to increase storage capacity and increase the rate at low temperatures. Fundament ....Nanostrutured Magnesium-base Composites for High-density Hydrogen Storage. This project aims to develop nanocrstalline magnesium-based composites for effective hydrogen storage, overcoming two main technical barriers of current metal hydride systems: high charging/discharging temperature and slow kinetics. Nanoscale catalysts based on mesoporous carbons and metal nanoparticles will be introduced into the magnesium to increase storage capacity and increase the rate at low temperatures. Fundamental understanding on the effects of catalysts, and adsorption and desorption mechanisms will be obtained to optimise the composite materials. This project will lead to effective and practical technology for hydrogen storage that will meet the target of commercial fuel cell vehicles.Read moreRead less
NANO-SCALE CATALYST SYSTEMS FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION FOR FUEL CELLS. The project aims to develop nano-scale catalyst materials for micro-channel fuel processing systems. Micro-channel reactors have the benefits over conventional technology of being more compact and potential for much lower costs. This will assist in the development of hydrogen generation systems for fuel cells, as well as other chemical processing applications such as gas-to-liquids technology. The technology has the potential t ....NANO-SCALE CATALYST SYSTEMS FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION FOR FUEL CELLS. The project aims to develop nano-scale catalyst materials for micro-channel fuel processing systems. Micro-channel reactors have the benefits over conventional technology of being more compact and potential for much lower costs. This will assist in the development of hydrogen generation systems for fuel cells, as well as other chemical processing applications such as gas-to-liquids technology. The technology has the potential to generate significant IP in an evolving multi-billion dollar fuel cell industry. Support from Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. and the Gas Technology Institute will ensure that the work has an international as well as national perspective, and a route to exploitation.Read moreRead less
Greatly improved rectification by molecular diodes. Society has already seen dramatic benefits from microtechnology, which has made possible most of the devices that we take for granted. The limits of miniaturisation using current technology are rapidly being reached, and the next stage is in the realm of nanotechnology. The goal of the field known as molecular electronics is to reach the point where electronic components are composed of single molecules or single molecular layers. In this fi ....Greatly improved rectification by molecular diodes. Society has already seen dramatic benefits from microtechnology, which has made possible most of the devices that we take for granted. The limits of miniaturisation using current technology are rapidly being reached, and the next stage is in the realm of nanotechnology. The goal of the field known as molecular electronics is to reach the point where electronic components are composed of single molecules or single molecular layers. In this field the smallest active component is the molecular diode, and this project is focussed on achieving practical performance from molecular diodes, as a crucial first step in achieving miniaturisation far beyond anything now possible.Read moreRead less
Nano-structured sol-gels synthesised under microgravity conditions. This project aims to study the nano-structured silica formation under microgravity conditions using a sol-gel process. In the absence of gravitional forces and associated free convective disturbances, the sol reaction in our preliminary testing with NASA has revealed fundamental reorganisation in nano properties (i.e. fractal dimension, pore size, surface area and pore volume) as compared to tests carried out under normal gravi ....Nano-structured sol-gels synthesised under microgravity conditions. This project aims to study the nano-structured silica formation under microgravity conditions using a sol-gel process. In the absence of gravitional forces and associated free convective disturbances, the sol reaction in our preliminary testing with NASA has revealed fundamental reorganisation in nano properties (i.e. fractal dimension, pore size, surface area and pore volume) as compared to tests carried out under normal gravity conditions. This is a key feature of scientific interest for the production of nanomaterials for applications such as linear and non-linear optical materials and quantum materials.Read moreRead less
Developing a simple method for characterising the mechanical properties of nanowhiskers. This project aims to accurately measure mechanical properties of nanostructures, addressing a challenging issue in the ongoing development of nanotechnology. The success of this project will provide important advances in the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of nanowhiskers and assist in the further development of nanomaterials.
Developing innovative methodologies to understand nano-adhesion/friction. The project seeks to improve the measurement of nanoscale adhesion and friction. The understanding of adhesion and friction between a nanowhisker and a substrate is crucial for developing next-generation nanodevices. However, the current methods for measuring nanoscale adhesion and friction are inaccurate and can produce contradictory results, due to the extreme challenges in mastering sophisticated measuring techniques an ....Developing innovative methodologies to understand nano-adhesion/friction. The project seeks to improve the measurement of nanoscale adhesion and friction. The understanding of adhesion and friction between a nanowhisker and a substrate is crucial for developing next-generation nanodevices. However, the current methods for measuring nanoscale adhesion and friction are inaccurate and can produce contradictory results, due to the extreme challenges in mastering sophisticated measuring techniques and the lack of understanding of their underlying mechanisms. This project aims to develop innovative ‘push-peel’ and ‘push-slide’ methods to accurately measure those properties and to further understand their fundamental origins. Successful outcomes from this study would not only solve a long-standing problem in the application of nanowhiskers, but also generate new nanosurface science.Read moreRead less
Biocompatible Electro-Ionic Signal Transduction. Bioelectronics is a new frontier field concerned with integrating electrical control systems and biological entities for applications such as in-situ bio-monitoring and cellular-level control and interrogation of tissue. Electrical signals in biology are mostly carried by ion currents, whilst conventional electronics rely on electrons. This project addresses the critical challenge of bioelectronics; the development of biocompatible electrical inte ....Biocompatible Electro-Ionic Signal Transduction. Bioelectronics is a new frontier field concerned with integrating electrical control systems and biological entities for applications such as in-situ bio-monitoring and cellular-level control and interrogation of tissue. Electrical signals in biology are mostly carried by ion currents, whilst conventional electronics rely on electrons. This project addresses the critical challenge of bioelectronics; the development of biocompatible electrical interfaces capable of transducing ion-and-electron currents. This project will specifically study the complex transport physics of conducting biomacromolecules and develop new interface devices, with an ultimate goal is to create a simple and generic transducing element for cellular-level electrical communication. Read moreRead less