Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101824
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,970.00
Summary
Capturing Latent Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Production. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The natural gas industry produces significant methane emissions through collateral venting with nitrogen gas. Recovering waste methane will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the revenue of natural gas processors. This project will develop the technology needed to capture the latent methane and significantly reduce its concentration in nitrogen gas ri ....Capturing Latent Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Production. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The natural gas industry produces significant methane emissions through collateral venting with nitrogen gas. Recovering waste methane will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the revenue of natural gas processors. This project will develop the technology needed to capture the latent methane and significantly reduce its concentration in nitrogen gas rich vent streams. New adsorbents for separating these gases, such as molecular trapdoor zeolites, will be designed and tested over wide ranges of pressure and temperature. Dual reflux pressure swing adsorption cycles will be tested using the best materials to demonstrate how latent methane emissions can be reduced to part-per-million levels.Read moreRead less
Molecular Thermoelectric Materials: A New Hot Topic. This project aims to use the principles of chemistry and molecular electronics to synthesize and study molecules able to directly convert waste heat into electricity through the Seebeck effect. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the wire-like properties of molecules and conditions that lead to a high Seebeck coefficient, together with interference effects to suppress thermal conductance. Expected outcomes of this project ....Molecular Thermoelectric Materials: A New Hot Topic. This project aims to use the principles of chemistry and molecular electronics to synthesize and study molecules able to directly convert waste heat into electricity through the Seebeck effect. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the wire-like properties of molecules and conditions that lead to a high Seebeck coefficient, together with interference effects to suppress thermal conductance. Expected outcomes of this project include a deeper understanding of chemical structure - molecular electronic property relationships, and enhanced international collaboration with the UK. This should provide benefits in terms of low-cost conversion of waste heat to electrical energy. Read moreRead less
Ionic lquids for scalable production of monolayer two-dimensional materials. This project aims to produce stable solutions of high quality, two-dimensional materials (2DMs, exemplified by graphene) in ionic liquids by spontaneous exfoliation. The project will develop processes for producing significant quantities of high quality 2DMs for use in a diverse range of technologies, and train graduate students in experimental and computational chemistry techniques.
New mesoporous materials for use in high temperature proton exchange fuel cell membranes. A novel high temperature proton exchange membrane based on heteropolyacid (HPA) functionalised mesoporous silica will be developed. This research into the fundamental materials science of novel proton exchange membranes is expected to impact significantly on the advancement and commercialisation of portable fuel cell devices.
Understanding graphitization: developing a model for activated carbons. For over 60 years it has remained a puzzle why some carbons graphitise under heating while others do not. The question is of practical importance as oxidation of non-graphitising carbons produces activated carbon, a product of high value with industrial, medical and environmental applications. Using computational and experimental techniques the project will study the graphitisation process and pinpoint the structural element ....Understanding graphitization: developing a model for activated carbons. For over 60 years it has remained a puzzle why some carbons graphitise under heating while others do not. The question is of practical importance as oxidation of non-graphitising carbons produces activated carbon, a product of high value with industrial, medical and environmental applications. Using computational and experimental techniques the project will study the graphitisation process and pinpoint the structural elements which inhibit it. Based on these findings the project aims to develop a nanoscale atomistic model for activated carbons. This is expected to be an important contribution to the field of chemical engineering in which current models of activated carbon neglect either curvature in the network or the presence of oxygen.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100158
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Supercontinuum fibre laser consortium for the chemical and materials sciences. A supercontinuum fibre laser facility will be established across nodes at The University of Adelaide and The University of Melbourne, and used to probe the chemical basis of photosynthesis, explore the properties of organic solar cell materials and biomaterials, develop efficient metal catalysts, and detect metal vapours in gases.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101578
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,116.00
Summary
Quantitative structure-property relations for molecular crystals. Most of the known molecular compounds exist in crystalline form, and their stability and properties depend upon the structure and interactions in crystals. This project aims to develop methods in the field of quantum crystallography to accurately estimate the electronic properties of molecular crystals, their stability, and associated energetics. The outcomes will be directly applicable in the design of new solid-state forms of ph ....Quantitative structure-property relations for molecular crystals. Most of the known molecular compounds exist in crystalline form, and their stability and properties depend upon the structure and interactions in crystals. This project aims to develop methods in the field of quantum crystallography to accurately estimate the electronic properties of molecular crystals, their stability, and associated energetics. The outcomes will be directly applicable in the design of new solid-state forms of pharmaceutical drugs with enhanced solubility and efficacy and hence reduced drug dosage. Understanding the electronic properties in molecular semiconductor crystals, and the strategies to tune and control these properties will contribute to future generation electronic device material manufacturing.Read moreRead less