Inorganic/organic Hybrids for flexible thermoelectric generators. Flexible thermoelectric generators can directly harvest electricity from body heat, offering a new technology for wearable electronics, but their unsatisfied performance limits their applications. This project aims to design high-efficient and mechanically robust flexible thermoelectric devices based on novel hybrids with quantum dots and conducting polymers as key components. The key breakthrough is to establish unique devices wi ....Inorganic/organic Hybrids for flexible thermoelectric generators. Flexible thermoelectric generators can directly harvest electricity from body heat, offering a new technology for wearable electronics, but their unsatisfied performance limits their applications. This project aims to design high-efficient and mechanically robust flexible thermoelectric devices based on novel hybrids with quantum dots and conducting polymers as key components. The key breakthrough is to establish unique devices with record-high thermoelectric efficiency and to illustrate the underlying mechanisms for searching new-type flexible thermoelectrics. The expected outcomes will lead to innovative technology for energy conversion and advanced manufacturing and place Australia at the forefront of energy and manufacturing fields.Read moreRead less
Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish ....Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics in alkaline solution. The project is expected to generate cost-effective hydrogen electrodes for hydrogen electrolyzers, advanced knowledge in the electrode material engineering, electrochemical reaction mechanistic insights, and eventually promoted development of disruptive electrolysis technology.Read moreRead less
Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and ....Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and hard materials with tuneable optical and electronic properties. The expected outcome is new light materials that emit and detect light in the far ultraviolet for biological imaging and tough materials with low friction needed for motors and regenerative technologies.Read moreRead less
Diamane: A New Frontier in Materials Science. Single-layer diamond (‘diamane’) is a new frontier of material research although its preparation is still in infancy with many structures predicted possible but have not been made experimentally. Built on a new chemical route for 'graphite to diamane' transformation, this project will address a research gap towards synthesising new diamane(-like) nanostructures and developing an in-depth understanding of the chemically induced phase transformation an ....Diamane: A New Frontier in Materials Science. Single-layer diamond (‘diamane’) is a new frontier of material research although its preparation is still in infancy with many structures predicted possible but have not been made experimentally. Built on a new chemical route for 'graphite to diamane' transformation, this project will address a research gap towards synthesising new diamane(-like) nanostructures and developing an in-depth understanding of the chemically induced phase transformation and structure-property correlations, which will have far-reaching impact on scientific fields beyond carbon research. Preliminary data points to both feasibility and impact for discovering new materials and technologies, which will bring foreseeable scholarly, economic, and social benefits.Read moreRead less
Developing Multi-Scale Technologies for Two-Dimensional Metal Nanoparticle Superlattice Sheets. Nanoparticle superlattices refer to highly ordered nanoparticle arrays, which are a new class of crystalline materials with collective properties different from those of bulk phase crystals, isolated nanocrystals and even disordered nanocrystal assemblies. However nanoparticle superlattice is still in the embryonic stage of development due to the lack of multiscale technologies. This project aims to d ....Developing Multi-Scale Technologies for Two-Dimensional Metal Nanoparticle Superlattice Sheets. Nanoparticle superlattices refer to highly ordered nanoparticle arrays, which are a new class of crystalline materials with collective properties different from those of bulk phase crystals, isolated nanocrystals and even disordered nanocrystal assemblies. However nanoparticle superlattice is still in the embryonic stage of development due to the lack of multiscale technologies. This project aims to develop such important technologies to produce two-dimensional nanoparticle superlattice sheets for novel energy-harvesting devices. This will generate new knowledge and important patentable technologies for future energy industries, contributing to further advance Australian knowledge base and build a greener world.Read moreRead less
Functionalised two-dimensional nanomaterials for future energy storage. This project aims to identify new ways to enhance the properties of two-dimensional nanomaterials and to tailor material attributes that can meet the fabrication and application needs of flexible and high performance supercapacitors. Two-dimensional nanomaterials are proving critical for pushing the boundaries in energy storage devices, making them more powerful and longer lasting than current state-of-the-art devices. This ....Functionalised two-dimensional nanomaterials for future energy storage. This project aims to identify new ways to enhance the properties of two-dimensional nanomaterials and to tailor material attributes that can meet the fabrication and application needs of flexible and high performance supercapacitors. Two-dimensional nanomaterials are proving critical for pushing the boundaries in energy storage devices, making them more powerful and longer lasting than current state-of-the-art devices. This project is expected to result in a scalable approach to producing novel materials and devices which will enhance Australia’s capacity for advanced manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Poly(dendrimer) organic light-emitting diodes. This project aims to develop ultrathin efficient emissive technologies based on low embedded energy organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). It will develop transformative OLEDs that can be used in displays and lighting, by creating semiconductor materials and diode architectures that optimise each step in light generation, from charge injection, transport and capture to light emission. The efficiency improvements made possible by OLED technology can ....Poly(dendrimer) organic light-emitting diodes. This project aims to develop ultrathin efficient emissive technologies based on low embedded energy organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). It will develop transformative OLEDs that can be used in displays and lighting, by creating semiconductor materials and diode architectures that optimise each step in light generation, from charge injection, transport and capture to light emission. The efficiency improvements made possible by OLED technology can reduce electricity consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and the cost of living.Read moreRead less
A new design strategy for supercapacitors. This project aims to build a new equivalent electric circuit model using structurally tuneable graphene-based porous electrodes to establish a quantitative structure-property-performance relationship for super-capacitors. The new model will then be used to design novel electrode and device architectures to realise new energy storage devices with high usable storage capacity at high operation rates. This new computer-aided strategy will greatly accelerat ....A new design strategy for supercapacitors. This project aims to build a new equivalent electric circuit model using structurally tuneable graphene-based porous electrodes to establish a quantitative structure-property-performance relationship for super-capacitors. The new model will then be used to design novel electrode and device architectures to realise new energy storage devices with high usable storage capacity at high operation rates. This new computer-aided strategy will greatly accelerate the design of next-generation high-performance super-capacitors, and bring significant benefit to Australia's emerging knowledge-based manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
Systems engineering approach to nanostructuring porous electrodes for compact capacitive energy storage. This project will develop a new systems engineering approach to fabricating porous yet densely packed electrodes with high ion-accessible surface area and low ion transport impedance. This will lead to new-generation compact electrochemical capacitive energy storage systems that can combine high energy density, fast charging/discharging rate and long cycle life. The success of this project wi ....Systems engineering approach to nanostructuring porous electrodes for compact capacitive energy storage. This project will develop a new systems engineering approach to fabricating porous yet densely packed electrodes with high ion-accessible surface area and low ion transport impedance. This will lead to new-generation compact electrochemical capacitive energy storage systems that can combine high energy density, fast charging/discharging rate and long cycle life. The success of this project will facilitate future large-scale adoption of renewable energy and many other new emerging technologies such as portable/wearable electronics, electric vehicles, and energy regeneration systems.Read moreRead less
Production of C1/C2 Commodity-Chemicals via Efficient Electrocatalysis. This project aims at sustainable and efficient production of methanol and ethylene glycol via development of revolutionary electrocatalytic processes that use renewables as energy input, water as oxidising agent and carbon dioxide-derived intermediates as feedstock. Outcomes include advanced knowledge of complex interface electrocatalysis and reaction-targeted catalysts with commercially relevant performance, achieved by com ....Production of C1/C2 Commodity-Chemicals via Efficient Electrocatalysis. This project aims at sustainable and efficient production of methanol and ethylene glycol via development of revolutionary electrocatalytic processes that use renewables as energy input, water as oxidising agent and carbon dioxide-derived intermediates as feedstock. Outcomes include advanced knowledge of complex interface electrocatalysis and reaction-targeted catalysts with commercially relevant performance, achieved by combination of theoretical computations, atomic-level material design, in-situ spectroscopy tests and interfacial engineering. It will significantly benefit renewable energy use, commodity-chemicals manufacturing, together with carbon-footprint reduction to make Australia and the world carbon-neutral and sustainable.Read moreRead less