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Research Projects
Supervisors of project: Dr Jingxiu Bi (N212) and A/Prof Sheng Dai Nature of project work: Experimental investigation Area of project work: Bioprocess engineering Potential long-term implications of line of research: the improvement of product purity in protein based pharmaceutical industry Number of students: 1 Brief description of project: Affinity chromatography separates proteins on the basis of a reversible interaction between a protein and a specific ligand coupled to a chromatography matrix. The technique provides high selectivity, high resolution and also high capacity for the proteins of interests. With a great purification level up to several thousand-fold, this technology has been favoured by industry especially in the downstream purification of protein based pharmaceuticals. However, the real world application of chromatographic separation remains largely empirical and for the large-scale monoclonal antibodies purification, the fundamental understanding of protein-ligand binding mechanism can help in the optimisation of existing purification methodology in order to improve the efficiency and profit in therapeutics production In this research, the binding and elution thermodynamic properties between the adsorption of protein A ligand and Bevacinzumab will be investigated by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC). Protein purification will be applied in the AKTA Pure chromatography system, and the antibody purity will be determined by the SDS-PAGE. 2. Exploring biodegradable and non-cytotoxic Poly (ethylenimine) for efficient DNA delivery
Supervisor(s) of project(s): Dr Jingxiu Bi (N212) and A/Prof Sheng Dai Nature of project work: Experimental investigation plus analysis of some existing data. Area of project work: Bionanotechnology, gene delivery. Potential long-term implications of line of research: Gene therapy. Number of students: Up to 2. Brief description of project(s): One cationic polymer, Poly (ethylenimine) (PEI), has been proven to be an efficient gene vector because of its high cationic charge density potential. However, the high cytotoxicity of this polymer remains to be a drawback for its application in gene delivery. The main cause of its high cytotoxicity is also its high cationic density potential. To solve this problem, to develop a biodegradable PEI by using low molecular weight PEI could be the best strategy. This research will focus on the synthesis of biodegradable PEI by linking low molecular weight PEI with disulfide bond to maintain the high transfection efficiency as well as reduce its cytotoxicity.
Supervisor: Dr Philip Kwong (N209) Nature of project work: Literature review and experiments Area of project work: Waste management, renewable energy, thermo-chemical conversion Potential long-term implications of line of research: Sustainable waste management. Length of project: 1 or 2 semesters. Number of students: Up to 2 students can be accommodated, each focusing on different configurations. Brief description: This study will investigate the feasibility in converting various agricultural wastes into clean syngas and biochar using the waste heat of internal combustion engine. The syngas produced from pyrolysis will feed into the internal combustion engine for electricity generation and the waste heat from the engine exhaust could be utilized directly through the recirculation of the exhaust gas, or indirectly using heat exchanger to drive the endothermic pyrolysis reactions. The main goal of this project is to investigate the feasibility of using the waste heat of the internal combustion engine for the conversion of biomass into biochar for carbon sequestration and renewable electricity for energy services. 8. Development of low cost catalysts for tar elimination in biomass gasification/ pyrolysis process
Supervisor: Dr Philip Kwong (N209) Nature of work: Literature review and experiments Area of project work: Thermal chemical conversion of biomass. Potential long-term implications of line of research: Sustainable waste management Length of project: 1 or 2 semesters. Number of students: Up to 2 students can be accommodated, each considering a different catalyst and feedstock. Brief description: Biomass energy is expected to be one of the main contributors to achieve renewable energy target in Australia. Gasification and pyrolysis will be important technologies to convert biomass feedstocks into useful energy products. Impeding the implementation of gasification/ pyrolysis systems, however, is the elimination of the organic impurities (tar) from the product gas to meet the gas quality requirement for power generations. The main goal for this project is to develop a cost effective catalytic system for tar elimination in biomass gasification/ pyrolysis process.
Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the proposed optical biosensing system based on functionalised NAA structures for detection of cardiac biomarkers.
References:
[1] S. Mendis, P. Puska and B. Norrving, Global atlas on cardiovascular disease prevention and control, World Health Organization, 2011. [2] B. McDonnell, S. Hearty, P. Leonard and R. O'Kennedy, Clin. Biochem., 2009, 42, 549. [3] A. M. Md Jani, D. Losic and N. H. Voelcker, Prog. Mater Sci., 2013, 58, 636. [4] A. Santos, T. Kumeria and D. Losic, TrAC, Trends Anal. Chem., 2013, 44, 25.
Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the proposed optical biosensing system based on functionalised NAA structures for detection of food biomarkers. References
[1] G. K. Agrawal, A. M. Timperio, L. Zolla, V. Bansal, R. Shukla and R. Rakwal, J. Proteomics, 2013, 93, 74. [2] A. M. Md Jani, D. Losic and N. H. Voelcker, Prog. Mater Sci., 2013, 58, 636. [3] A. Santos, T. Kumeria and D. Losic, TrAC, Trends Anal. Chem., 2013, 44, 25.
Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing alternative sensing systems with potential applicability in food industry.
References
[1] G. K. Agrawal, A. M. Timperio, L. Zolla, V. Bansal, R. Shukla and R. Rakwal, J. Proteomics, 2013, 93, 74. [2] A. M. Md Jani, D. Losic and N. H. Voelcker, Prog. Mater Sci., 2013, 58, 636. [3] A. Santos, T. Kumeria and D. Losic, TrAC, Trends Anal. Chem., 2013, 44, 25.
References
[1] A. M. Md Jani, D. Losic and N. H. Voelcker, Prog. Mater Sci., 2013, 58, 636. [2] S. B. Lee, D. T. Mitchell, L. Trofin, T. K. Nevanen, H. Sderlund and C. R. Martin, Science, 2002, 296, 2198. [3] T. Sano, N. Iguchi, K. Lida, T. Sakamoto, M. Baba and H. Kawaura, Appl. Phys. Lett., 2003, 83, 4438. [4] T. Yamashita, S. Kodama, M. Ohto, E. Nakayama, N. Takayanagi, T. Kemmei, A. Yamaguchi, N. Teramae and Y. Saito, Chem. Commun., 2007, 11, 1160.
Brief Description of Project: Graphene, a 2D honeycomb arrangement of carbon atoms of one atom thickness, is the center of attraction in nanoscience and nanotechnology. It is remarkable material owing to its exceptional physical properties, such as high electronic conductivity, good thermal stability, and excellent mechanical strength. The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for isolation of graphene. Other forms of graphene-related materials, including graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and exfoliated graphite, can been reliably produced from grpahite. It is less known that South Australia has large reserves of graphite, which can provide great potential for large scale production of this valuable material in our state. Different techniques have been performed to obtain graphene such as, epitaxial growth by ultra high vacuum graphitizatin, chemical oxidization and further reduction, chemical vapour deposition and solvothermal synthesis with pyrolysis. Electrochemical techniques are one of the most common procedures used to a produce graphene because they are simple, economic, non-destructive, environmentally friendly, operate at ambient temperature and pressure, and provide thickness controlled by adjusting the electrode potential. This project proposes to use natural graphite flakes from South Australias mining industry to prepare high-quality graphene. From this project, the student will have the chance to learn how to obtain graphene from graphite by using a electrochemical system, their characterization and about the mechanism of electrochemical intercalation and exfoliation of graphite. The application of isolated graphene oxide and graphene by their incorporation into other functional materials developed in our lab will be finally demonstrated. References:
1. 2. 3. Ruoff, R. (2008) Graphene: calling all chemists. Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 1011. Stankovich, S., Dikin, D. A., Dommett, G. H., Kohlhaas, K. M., Zimney, E. J., Stach, E. A., Piner, R. D., Nguyen, S. T., and Ruoff, R. S. (2006) Graphene-based composite materials. Nature 442, 282286. Dikin, D. A., Stankovich, S., Zimney, E. J., Piner, R. D., Dommett, G. H., Evmenenko, G., Nguyen, S. T., and Ruoff, R. S. (2007) Preparation and characterization of graphene oxide paper. Nature 448, 457460.
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References:
1. 2. 3. Ruoff, R. (2008) Graphene: calling all chemists. Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 1011. Gao, W., Majumder, M., Alemany, L. B., Narayanan, T. N., Ibarra, M. A., Pradhan, B. K., and Ajayan, P. M. (2011) Engineered graphite oxide materials for application in water purification. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 3, 18211826. Madadrang, C. J., Kim, H. Y., Gao, G., Wang, N., Zhu, J., Feng, H., Gorring, M., Kasner, M. L., and Hou, S., (2012) Adsorption behavior of EDTA-graphite oxide for Pb (II) removal, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 4, 11861193.
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One challenge associated with using bunkers is that, being unsealed structures, they are more vulnerable to infestation by insect pests. Infestation results in spoilage, reducing overall grain quality and potentially making it unfit for consumption. As a result, protection of the stored grain with insecticides is of paramount importance. In order to select an appropriate insecticide, the efficacy of candidates against various insect species needs to be known. Most often, insecticides are tested under conditions emulating storage in silos. However, this data is not applicable to storage in bunkers, as the unsealed nature of this storage method means that the environmental conditions are much more variable. Therefore, there is a need to devise a test method by which the efficacy of insecticides against insect pests may be evaluated under bunker storage conditions. The overall goal of this project is to design a laboratory scale bunker. This will first involve a review and analysis of the literature to identify prevailing conditions and construction materials (or suitable alternatives). Subsequent design of the bunker will need to consider methods for emulating environmental conditions, how to introduce and contain test insects, and how to count insects following treatment so that efficacy can be evaluated. References
[1] Agricultural Production. In: Year Book Australia. (2012) Australian Bureau of Statistics. [2] The Australian Grains Industry: The Basics. (2011) PwC Australia. (http://www.pwc.com.au/industry/agribusiness/assets/Australian-Grains-Industry-Nov11.pdf).
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References
1. 2. 3. M. Sinn Aw, M. Kurian D. Losic, Non-eroding drug-releasing implants with ordered nanoporous and nanotubular structures: Concepts for controlling drug release, Biomaterials Science (RSC), 2014, 9, 9243-9257 K. Gulati, M. Sinn Aw, D.M. Findlay, D. Losic, Local drug delivery in bone by drug releasing implants: perspectives of nano-engineereed titania nanotubes, Therapeutic Delivery, 2012, 3 (7) 857-873 D. Losic, S. Simovic, Self-ordered nanopore and nanotube platforms for drug delivery applications, Expert Opinion in Drug Delivery, 2009, 6, 1363-1380
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Supervisor(s) of project: Dr. Woei Saw (N123c), Dr. Philip van Eyk (N123c) and Prof. Peter Ashman (N122). Nature of project work: Literature review, modelling and techno-economic study. Area of project work: Process design and hybridisation. Potential long-term implications of line of research: Process modelling and optimisation Number of students: Up to six (6) students, each focussing on a different process. Brief description of project: The concept of solar hybridised polygeneration is to produce heat, electricity, and transportation liquid fuels (or chemical feedstocks) from product gas obtained from carbonaceous feedstock gasification with the integration of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP). In comparison with conventional gasification systems, the proposed solar hybrid gasification system increases the product gas production rate by ~25%, depending on the configuration, while also achieving a reduction in CO2 emissions by ~23% for coal as the feedstock [1]. This is due to the fact that the heat required to meet the endothermic gasification reactions is supplied by CSP when the sun is available, rather than due to the partial combustion of the carbonaceous feedstock that is typical of conventional gasification. To date, the dynamic process modelling and the economic analysis of such hybrid system is limited. The objectives of this project are therefore: 1) to identify promising processes for the production of liquid transport fuels and/or chemical feedstocks using solar hybridised gasification of carbonaceous feedstocks by conducting a review of the literature; 2) to perform modelling of these processes using standard simulation package (e.g. AspenPlus); 3) to assess the technical and economic feasibility of these processes with a view to provide a direct comparison of relative economic viability of the different processes.
[1] Kaniyal, K.A., van Eyk, P.J., Nathan, G.J., Ashman, P.J., Pincus, J.J. (2013). Polygeneration of liquid fuels and electricity by the atmospheric pressure hybrid solar gasification of coal, Energy & Fuels, 27(6), 3538-3555.
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25. Thermo-sensitive Nanocarrier for Drug Delivery Supervisor(s) of project: Dr Hu Zhang (N208) and A/Professor Sheng Dai. Nature of project work: Experimental design and implementation. Area of project work: Drug delivery Potential long-term implications of line of research: New formulation of anticancer drugs Number of students: 1 Brief description of project: New anti-cancer drugs are being developed due to advances in highthroughput screening, human genome decoding, as well as drug formulation techniques. These new drugs are, however, limited in the clinical applications due to their hydrophobic nature and strong side effects. Formulation of these drugs attracts great attention to achieve control release, target release, as well as reduction of toxicity for normal cells. Smart polymers responsive to external stimuli have been developed 18
Brief description of project: Nanofluids have been demonstrated to enhance heat transfer, however, the mechanisms of enhancement still remains unclear. In this project, numerical simulation will be used to study the heat transfer performance with nanofluids, considering different nanoparticles, concentration, and geometry. The nanoparticle Brownian movement and thermodynamic properties will be incorporated into the computational fluid dynamics model. 27. Lattice Boltzmann Method for Two-Fluid Flow in Porous Media Supervisor(s) of project: Dr Hu Zhang (N208) and Ed Green (Mathematical Science). Nature of project work: Mathematical modelling. Area of project work: Computational Fluid Flow Potential long-term implications of line of research: Mineral, chemical and pharmaceutical processing. Number of students: 1 student with MATLAB skills. Brief description of project: Numerical simulation and modelling of immiscible multiphase flow in porous media have gained wide attention in the past decades because of its wide applications in mineral, chemical and pharmaceutical engineering. Lattice Boltzmann method has been recently developed and it has been attractive because of its microscopic model and mesoscopic kinetic equations. This method is particularly interesting for a large topology change occurring around the interface during the fluid flow. Matlab code of Lattice Boltzmann method for 2-D single phase flow has been developed. In this project, this code will be extended to 2-D two-fluid flow in the porous media. Understanding and development of Matlab code are essential for this project.
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Brief description of project: Carbonaceous material can cause significant problems in the recovery of valuable sulfide minerals. Such material can coat unwanted minerals (such as silica or pyrite) with a hydrophobic surface layer, which will cause the minerals to be recovered along with the valuable material in the flotation process. Polymers are often used to adsorb onto this carbonaceous layer and lower the hydrophobicity, thus preventing bubble-particle attachment in the flotation cell, and reducing the recovery of the unwanted mineral. However, many surfactants used in flotation (to stabilise bubbles) are also likely to adsorb onto the carbonaceous layer, and this may prevent the polymers from performing their task (or enhance their action). There is very little literature on this potential antagonistic (or potentially synergistic) effect. The student chosen for this project will perform studies of polymer and surfactant co-adsorption onto the surface of graphite (representative of graphitic carbonaceous material) and alkanethiol-coated gold (representative of non-graphitic carbonaceous material). The techniques to be used will be quartz crystal microbalance and ellipsometry. These techniques will quantify the adsorbed material in terms of adsorbed amount, thickness, and rigidity (Sedeva et al, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2010, vol. 345, pp417-426). Studies of surface tension for bubbles will also be performed to study coadsorption phenomena at the liquid-air interface. The effect of co-adsorption phenomena on bubbleparticle attachment will be studied by using single bubble collisions against planar carbonaceous surfaces (monitored using high speed video capture), which will reveal the kinetics of thin film rupture and bubble spreading that control the recovery of minerals in flotation (e.g. Beaussart et al, Langmuir, 2009, vol. 25, pp13290-13294).
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Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai (N212a), Dr Nick Collins (ACPFG, Waite Campus) and other supervisors from Phenomics and Bioinformatics Research Centre, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Dr Jason Connor and Prof. Stan Miklavcic) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at PBRC and the Waite Campus (i.e. must have your own transport) Area of project work: Process design and thermodynamics applied to agriculture Potential long-term implications of line of research: Development of heat resistant crops Number of students: 1 student Brief description of project: Agriculture plays a significant role in Australias economy. Heat stress is major issue for wheat growers in Australia that leads to reduced harvest yields and profits. Considerable effort has been directed toward developing wheat varieties that have improved heat tolerance at the ACPFG hosted at Adelaide Universitys Waite Campus. However, the current experimental strategies for comparing the crops response to different environmental conditions are limited by seasonal conditions. In particular, crop samples are often planted at different times of the year to simulate the stressed and unstressed environments (e.g. plants would be sown closer to the hotter months to impose heat stress while the control would be sown earlier when the climate is much cooler). A problem with this strategy is that other conditions besides average temperature differ between the two samples, e.g. rainfall, daylength and humidity. Patterns of short-term weather fluctuations also differ, which can have a significant impact on expression of heat responses that are specific to a developmental-stage. It would be much better to sow both samples at the same time, and apply a short burst of heat stress artificially at a particular developmental stage. A chemical engineering solution may potentially solve this problem! We propose to design a heat exchanger system that can be located within a wheat crop to artificially modify the local environment to simulate heat stress. The equipment needs to be inexpensive, simple to implement and compatible with the footprint of the crop. The project would involve literature review, design of a suitable piece of equipment and if time permits commissioning of the equipment. 30. Hybrid Coating using Ionic Liquid Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai (N212a) and other supervisors from IWRI, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Prof Namita Choudhury (Namita.Choudhury@unisa.edu.au) and Prof Naba Dutta (Naba.Dutta@unisa.edu.au)) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at IWRI (i.e. must have your own transport) Area of project work: adsorption, surface characterisation. Potential long-term implications of line of research: Novel products Number of student: 1 Brief description of project: With a view to achieve barrier characteristics of a protective coating, in this investigation, we aim to explore novel environment-friendly polymeric hybrid coatings using ionic liquid based active component in microencapsulates. The task of developing green and smart additive releasable coatings has the 21
31. Electrospun Hybrid for Energy and Biomedical Applications Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai and other supervisors from IWRI, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Prof Naba Dutta (Naba.Dutta@unisa.edu.au) and Prof Namita Choudhury (Namita.Choudhury@unisa.edu.au)) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at IWRI (i.e. student must have own transport) Area of project work: Polymer Science & Engineering Potential long-term implications of line of research: Novel products Number of student: 1 Brief description of project: The project aims to develop and characterise electrospun hybrid materials for diverse range of applications such as energy and biomedical. The major focus is to develop nanoscale hybrid structure involving inorganic nanoparticles and functional polymer. The hybrid self- assembled structures is expected to have unique electronic and surface properties, which have significant potential impact on emerging fields. Electrospinning will be used to create highly porous structure consisting of polymer nanofibers for various applications ranging from membrane for energy storage and scaffolds for biomedical applications. Such nanoporous fibers possess very high porosity and excellent inter-connectivity, making them ideally suited for membrane. In this work, we plan to use electrospinning in the fabrication of hybrid nanofibres that can be used as scaffold. The project also involves characterisation of the hybrid using techniques such as electrochemical, surface spectroscopy and thermal analysis in order to assess their suitability for the above applications. In depth understanding of the interdependence of the functional properties on the type of the nanoparticles, its size, size distribution, morphology and its interaction with the polymer will be developed. References:
1. Langer R, Tirrell DA, Nature 2004, 428:487-492.
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32. Corrosion of superhydrophobic surfaces Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai and other supervisors from IWRI, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Dr Jason Connor (Jason.Connor@unisa.edu.au) and A/Prof. Rossen Sedev) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at IWRI (i.e. student must have own transport) Area of project work: Corrosion Engineering, Colloid & Interface Science, Chemistry/ Electrochemistry and nanotechnology Potential long-term implications of line of research: Novel products Number of student: 1 Brief description of project: Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) are created when surface texture (1 m or less) is introduced on a hydrophobic surface. Air pockets are trapped between the liquid and the solid surface and on SHS drops do not adhere strongly and roll off easily. There is currently a great deal of interest in the technological applications of SHS ranging from self-cleaning windscreens and underwater devices through to microfluidic chips. One potential Effect of a monolayer thiol coating on a roughened brass application of SHS is in corrosion protection. The premise surface. LHS hydrophilic; RHS super hydrophobic. being, if the liquid does not contact most of the surface then (A. Hurkmans, 4th Year Thesis 2013) corrosion will be much less. In this project metal surfaces will be modified to be superhydrophobic and their corrosion resistance will be investigated. 33. Corrosion under liquid droplets Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai and other supervisors from IWRI, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Dr Jason Connor (Jason.Connor@unisa.edu.au) and A/Prof Rossen Sedev) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at IWRI (i.e. must have your own transport) Area of project work: Corrosion Engineering, Colloid & Interface science, Chemistry & Electrochemistry Potential long-term implications of line of research: New technology Number of students: 1 student Brief description of project: Often liquids form discrete droplets on solid surfaces rather than a continuous film (e.g. salt spray from sea water, fugitive emissions from chemical process plants and drop condensation on aircraft frames during flight). In these instances corrosion due to the droplet is localised and often complicated by
(d) (e) (f) (a) (b) (c)
Spreading of a sulphuric acid droplet on a mild steel surface over 22 min. (L. W. Ng. et al 2012)
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34. Tribology in industrially relevant environments Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Yung Ngothai and other supervisors from IWRI, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes (Dr Jason Connor (Jason.Connor@unisa.edu.au) and A/Prof Rossen Sedev) Nature of project work: Experimental work to be conducted at IWRI (i.e. must have your own transport) Area of project work: Rheology, Tribology and Corrosion Engineering. Potential long-term implications of line of research: New technology Number of students: up to 2 students with one working on tribology of emulsions and the other on tribocorrosion. Brief description of project: Tribology is the study of friction and wear. It usually refers to the interactions between solid surfaces that may or may not have a lubricant present but is also relevant to erosion of surfaces in pipe flow. The pin on disk tribometer is commonly used to investigate friction and wear by running a pin pressed against a circular disk under a constant load and rotation rate. Sensors detect the friction force and the wear scar is studied using microscopy. 1. Tribology of emulsions Emulsions are often used as lubricants. High-speed machining would not be possible without the use of metalworking fluids which are typically oil-in-water emulsions. Drilling fluids based on emulsions play a key role in deep drilling for oil and gas recovery. It is generally understood that the oil provides the lubrication while the aqueous phase acts as a coolant. Rheological measurements with emulsions have shown that emulsion structure and stability can change in confined spaces and this affects their lubrication behaviour. We will explore the effectiveness of emulsion-based lubricants as a function of the oil volume fraction and the type of stabilisation (with surfactants, or nano-particles, or both). The friction coefficient between lubricated metal surfaces will be measured with a pin-on-disk apparatus. The structure of the emulsions will be characterised with optical and confocal microscopy. 2. Tribo-corrosion in aqueous environments Machinery in process plants, such as pumps, often operate in highly corrosive environments (like leach circuits) of high salt concentration, pH and temperature. The combination of friction and corrosion can 24
Pin on disk tribometer (LHS) testing an oil-in-water emulsion (RHS). (A. Verma, IWRI Vacation Student Project Report 2012)
References
40. Porous metal oxide nanoarrays for efficient oxygen evolution Supervisor of project: Prof. Shi Zhang Qiao (N219), Dr. Tianyi Ma Nature of project work: Nanomaterial synthesis and application Area of project work: Nanotechnology Potential long-term implications of line of research: fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Number of students: 1. Brief description of project: Among all the electrochemical processes, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is coupled with a number of key renewable energy systems including direct solar and electrolytic water splitting, rechargeable metal-air batteries and regenerative fuel cells. Prof. Qiao and coworkers have developed a series of high-performance OER catalysts (see Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 13567; ACS Nano 2013, 7, 10190), and found the great importance of electrode structure (e.g. Ni foam, free-standing film) and interactions between active species and electrodes on determining the OER performance. Recently, well-aligned metal oxide nanoarrays with the active components directly grown on current collectors (Cu, Ti, Au foils) have demonstrated their intrinsic advantages such as good electrical conductivity, low diffusion resistance to ionic species, and easy electrolyte penetration in comparison to the conventional powder-form samples (see Yeo et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 5587). The aim of this project is to rationally design highly porous metal oxide nanoarrays for efficiently catalyzing OER process (see the figure). The objectives are: (1) controllably synthesizing nanoarrays composed of various redox-active transition-metal oxides, which are directly grown on metal foils, and (2) investigating the effects of porosity, nanoarray morphology and substrate on the OER activity. 41. Non-metallic heteroatoms engineered graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for highperformance electrocatalysis Supervisor(s) of project: Prof. Shizhang Qiao (N219), Mr Yao Zheng Nature of project work: Synthesis of nanomaterials 28
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Supervisor(s) of project: A/ Prof. Zeyad Alwahabi Nature of project work: Literature research & modeling Area of project work: Laser diagnostics Potential long-term implications of line of research: Development of new sensing technology Number of students: 2 students Brief description of project: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a versatile tool for elemental analysis, which offers many great practical applications. The technique may be used for real-time detection of multiple elements simultaneously. LIBS may be utilized to measure the composition of samples in any physical state, including particles and aerosols. It is a superior technique for stand-off detection in harsh environments such as blast furnaces, nuclear reactors, biohazardous areas, and in space including the planet Mars. This project aims for a full literature review on the use of LIBS for the quantitative detection of metal. The review will be followed by a systematic modeling approach of real experimental data obtained recently in our laboratories. 46. Quantitative detection of elements in gas-phase using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof. Zeyad Alwahabi Nature of project work: Literature research & modeling Area of project work: Laser diagnostics Potential long-term implications of line of research: Development of new molecular detection technology Number of students: 2 students Brief description of project: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a versatile tool for elemental analysis, which offers many great practical applications. The technique may be used for real-time detection of multiple elements simultaneously. LIBS may be utilized to measure the composition of samples in any physical state, including particles and aerosols. It is a superior technique for stand-off detection in harsh environments such as blast furnaces, nuclear reactors, biohazardous areas, and in space including the planet Mars.
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Brief Description of Project: Graphene-based materials are set to revolutionize the 21st century for its wide practical uses due to its unique physical and chemical properties, such as, ultra-large surface area, excellent chemical stability, enormous mechanical strength, superb electrical and thermal conductivity. Future development of graphene-based nanocarriers is required for poorly water soluble drugs, especially for anti-cancer therapy where these materials have shown considerable potential. One of the advantages of graphene oxide (synthesized Graphene oxide from graphite) is that it can be well dispersed in water and other physiological Antibody Targeting probes environments due to its abundant hydrophilic groups, such as hydroxyl, Drug epoxide and carboxylic groups. Therefore, the graphene oxide nanosheets can be chemically functionalised with a variety of compounds to enhance the materials properties as controlled drug release depends strongly on pH values. The aim of the proposed research project is to multi-functionalize graphene nanosheets suitable for poor water soluble drugs for selective-drug delivery systems using a green chemistry approach for the reduction of graphene oxide. This knowledge will help provide significant development in nanomedicine and allow insights to new nanocarriers for future applications. References:
1. 2. 3. 4. Ruoff, R. (2008) Graphene: calling all chemists. Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 1011. Yang, X., Wang, Y., Huang, X., Ma, Y., Huang, Y., Yang, R., Duan, H., and Chen, Y. (2011) Multi-functionalized graphene oxide based anticancer drug-carrier with dual-targeting function and pH-sensivity, J. Mat. Chem. 21, 3448-3454. Pan, Y., Sahoo, N. G., and Li, L. (2012) The application of graphene oxide in drug delivery. Expert Opin. Drug Deliv., 112. Liu, J., Cui, L., and Losic, D., (2013) Graphene and graphene oxide as new nanocarriers for drug delivery applications, Acta Biomaterialia, 9, 9243-9257.
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References:
van Eyk, P.J., Muhlack, R.A., Ashman, P.J. (2009) Gasification of Grape Marc in a Circulating Fluidised Bed. Proceedings of the Australian Combustion Symposium, Brisbane, Australia. Muhlack, R. (2013) Its time to power up, Wine Business Monthly (WBM), Issue (August), pg 39-41
51. Study of graphene binding peptides for applications in energy and biotechnology Supervisor(s) of project: Prof. Patrick Johnson (University of Wyoming, USA, visiting professor) and Prof. Mark J. Biggs (N119) Nature of project work: Experimental and molecular modelling. Area of project work: Bionanotechnology Potential long-term implications of line of research: Energy storage, biosensors, nanodevices, solar cells. Number of students: 4. Students can work on either experimental approaches or molecular modelling of peptide - surface interactions (ideally 2 modelling / 2 experimental). Brief description of project: Graphene is a single atomic layer of graphite that was only recently isolated in 2004. This new nanostructured material has remarkable properties that are just beginning to be explored. It has a high strength to mass ratio as well as outstanding electrical and heat conduction properties. Potential applications are wide ranging, including biosensors, energy storage and solar cells. The objectives of the project are to understand the interaction of unique peptides that specifically bind to graphene surfaces. Sophisticated techniques will be employed to evaluate how the peptides adsorb to graphene and to discern their conformations under various conditions. Potential experimental techniques include QCM-D (Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation) and SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance), while molecular modelling studies will utilize classical molecular dynamics as implemented in the code NAMD. Each project will focus on a different system (e.g. different peptide; different conditions; different levels of graphene oxide reduction).
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56.
Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Brian ONeill (N114), Dr. Simon Nordestgaard AWRI Nature of project work: Heat transfer, polymers, insulation Area of project work: Wine Processing Potential long-term implications of line of research: Improved temperature control for wine storage. Number of students: 1. Brief description of project: Flexi-tanks are a collapsible polyethylene bags that convert a 20 ft dry shipping container into a 24,000 L liquid tank. They are a widely used alternative to ISO tank liquid shipping containers that are usually in short supply in Australia. Unlike ISO tanks, flexi-tanks are not typically insulated. Simple radiant barrier insulation (often used in shipping containers for other products) is ineffective since flexi-tanks rest against the container walls. Other insulating materials have been trialled but are unwieldy to install and recycle. This project will investigate whether there are materials that can be expanded in place to form a layer of insulation. The ultimate goal is to develop a thin layer of material on a flexi-tank, which can be converted into insulation after the tank has already been filled with liquid, and after use disposed of or recycled together with the flexi-tank. 57. Improving the performance and life of positive plates in Collins Class submarines Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Brian ONeill (N114), Peter Chaplin (PMB Pacific Marine Batteries (manufacturer of the lead acid batteries for the Collins Class submarines) Nature of project work: Improving the performance of battery design Area of project work: Energy Storage; Batteries Potential long-term implications of line of research: Improved life and performance for batteries on Collins Class submarines. Number of students: 1. Brief description of project: This project will investigate the conductivity effect of introducing other metals into the lead oxide of positive plates. Silver would be very interesting (because its oxides and sulfates are all highly insoluble in acid and highly conductive) but these present a significant challenge to make. Initial studies could focus on tin in lead. Work at PMB confirms that the tin significantly improves conductivity in the spines, doesnt seem to hurt the PAM (Positive Active Material) and decreases gassing on the negative plate.
As noted earlier, making an oxide powder is not a trivial exercise. However, it is possible to initially commence the study by constructing Plante cells, since the company already has plenty of sheet lead containing 1% Sn. The resulting oxide layer is thin but you could develop an understanding of its effect and hopefully then develop a procedure for binding the high conductivity oxides to the PAM. As well, a paper study of the predicted effect on electrical conductivity would be developed.
58.
Supervisor(s) of project: A/Prof Dzuy Nguyen (N117) and Mr Colin Ng Nature of project work: Experimental study Area of project work: Fluid mechanics; Oil & gas exploration; Polymer processing; Food processing. Potential long-term implications of line of research: Oil/gas/hydro thermal well drilling & completion 38
Brief description of project: Non-Newtonian fluid flow in eccentric annuli is encountered in the drilling of oil/gas wells and is of particular interest in polymer and food processing. The annular eccentricity makes the fluid to flow at a higher velocity in the wide part than in the narrow part of the annulus. In annular displacement of one fluid by another, this can lead to the displacing fluid channelling through the wide side, leaving behind a layer of the fluid to be displaced in the narrow side. An example is in the completion of oil/gas wells where the drilling mud, which initially fills the annulus between the steel casing and the wellbore, is displaced by a cementing fluid. Good bonding between casing/cement and cement/formation is essential for hydraulic isolation of the well. In addition to eccentricity, displacement efficiency is dependent on the flow rate, fluid rheology, interfacial mixing and deviation of the annulus from vertical. This project is part of a research program funded by Halliburton Energy Services. It is focused on fundamental study of the flow and displacement involving miscible fluids flowing through an eccentric annulus using a unique helical flow apparatus with adjustable annular eccentricity, angle of inclination and inner pipe rotation. Displacement experiments are to be conducted with a variety of non-Newtonian fluids, representing drilling and cementing fluids, in various annular geometries and flow conditions to quantify the factors that affect the displacement efficiency. The profile and velocity of the interface are determined by flow visualization. Displacement efficiency is measured using the conductivity method.
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