April/May 2010

Nanomatters is published quarterly by the ARCCFN and includes updates on projects, international activities and general Centre news. Nanomatters is also available online where you can access an extensive archive dating back to December 2004.
For further information on our stories or Centre activities, please contact the Centre or email Paulette Baumgartl (p.baumgartl@uq.edu.au)

In this issue:

• UQ cenenary celebrations
• Research highlight
• Travel and exchange
• Awards and recongnitions
• Centre annual report 2010
• Upcoming Events
• Contacts

Open day

Centre Open Day for University of Queensland Centenary Celebrations

On Sunday, 18 April, thousands of people ventured to The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus to celebrate its Centenary, and to enjoy a day of festivities. As part of these activities, the ARCCFN UQ node opened its doors to almost 100 people. The general public were invited into the Centre, and were guided through the laboratories by several PhD students who presented the Centre’s research in clean energy, environment and health care.
The broad and diverse interests in the Centre’s activities from the general public was very encouraging, many of whom were learning about nanotechnology and materials science for the first time.
Several Centre Chief Investigators were also involved in the day’s celebrations, presenting their research to crowded lecture theatres as part of the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology talks and tours program and the cross-institute Climate Change Lecture Series.

Picture: Students Mr Amir Popat and Mr Sandy Budi Hartono with three of the younger visitors

Research highlight

Maintaining fresh produce with mesoporous Co₃O₄ and Au/Co₃O₄

A Centre paper recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society examines low temperature oxidative elimination of trace ethylene. Ethylene is released from fruit on storage leading to its premature ripening and spoiling. A catalyst that can bring about the oxidation of ethylene at low temperatures is thus of great interest.
In their latest work on nanoporous materials for the elimination of trace ethylene, Centre researchers A/Prof Shizhang Qiao and Dr Qing Ma from The University of Queensland, along with collaborators in Australia and China, have explored mesoporous Co₃O₄ and Au/Co₃O₄ catalysts with highly reactive {110} facets. They showed that at 0^oC, 30% and 76% of ethylene (50 ppm in air) can be eliminated by passage (at 60 mL.min^–1) over beds of mesoporous Co₃O₄ and Au/Co₃O₄, respectively (Ma C.Y., et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2608).
The stable, highly dispersed and exposed gold nanoparticles in the more active catalyst abide in the pore walls of the mesoporous Co3O4 support, readily producing surface active oxygen species for the oxidation reaction. Both C-C π and σ bonds are cleaved by the catalysts, a feat that has never before been achieved at 0°C.

For full details of this publication, click here

Travel and exchange

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea

Centre PhD student Ms Chalida Klaysom received a research travel grant from The University of Queensland’s graduate school to conduct experimental work and collaborate with the Laboratory for Environmental-Oriented Electrochemical Engineering at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in South Korea.
During her time at GIST, Chalida conducted a number of experiments focusing on electrochemical properties of ion-exchange membranes and their application in desalination by electrodialysis (ED). Over her three month stay, Chalida’s research skills, particularly in membrane characterisation and processes using ED, were developed dramatically through discussion and exchange with peers working in the same field. Chalida could also learn directly from Prof Seung-Hyeon Moon, an internationally-renowned expert in ED, which will greatly contribute to the progress of her PhD project.
Resulting from this exchange, an ion-exchange membrane characterisation module and full ED testing system will be established at The University of Queensland. This will enhance further development of ion-exchange membranes for desalination, aiding in the development of new materials that consume less energy for producing cheap drinking water from salt-rich water.

Picture: Ms Klaysom (second from right in the back row) with students from the GIST and Prof Moon

Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco, Mexico

In April, Centre Senior Research Fellow Dr Jorge Beltramini was invited to the Engineering and Basic Sciences Unit at the Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco (UJAT), in Mexico to participate in the 25th anniversary of the Unit.
Dr Beltramini delivered two plenary talks, Nanotechnology impact on society and Chemicals and Fuels from renewable biomass.
He was also invited to participate in a round table discussion on the Future of Basic Sciences and their contribution to Society and then gave two television interviews and one live radio interview on these issues. While at the UJAT, Dr Beltramini delivered a one week course (35 hours) on Biomass Utilisation: From plant to processes.
He also visited the UNAM (Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico), where he delivered the lecture Functional nanomaterials for Energy Applications.

Picture - Dr Beltramini (back row, fifth from left) with students from the Engineering and Basic Sciences Units at Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco in Mexico

Princeton University, USA

Centre Post-doctoral fellow Dr Chenghua Sun visited the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University for six months through a Queensland International Fellowship.
During his stay, Dr Sun could continue his research focus on the theoretical study of water-splitting over titanium dioxide (TiO₂), working within Professor Annabella Selloni’s group who focus on computational physics and chemistry, modelling and surface structural and electronic properties.
Water-splitting over photocatalysts with sunlight as the only energy input is most promising approach to address issues of energy supply and carbon emission. He uses density functional theory technology to simulate the H₂O/TiO₂ interface.
Different from normal experimental studies, theoretical simulations provide a lot of information about water adsorption, diffusion and dissociation at the time scale of femtosecond (fs, 1 fs = 10^-15 s). The challenge is the modelling of bulk water, which is often dominated by hydrogen bonds and most theoretical approaches fail to describe such weak interaction. He addresses this issue by applying the van der Waals-corrected Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics.
Dr Sun’s research will provide fundamental understanding about the behaviour of water over TiO₂-based catalysts.

Picture: Dr Sun in Princeton

Awards and recognitions

Ian Wark medal for Prof Aibing Yu

Centre CI, ARC Federation Fellow and Scientia Professor Aibing Yu has been awarded this year’s Ian Wark medal by the Australian Academy of Science. The Ian Wark medal and lecture recognises the contributions to Australian Science and Industry by the late Sir William Wark. It acknowledges research that contributes to the prosperity of Australia, and where that prosperity is attained through the advancement of scientific knowledge and its application. The award is normally made only every two years. Most recent recipients include Professor Alan Reed, former director at the CSIRO Institute of Energy and Earth Resources, and Professor Graham Clark, Inventor of the bionic ear. In receiving this award, Professor Yu has joined an elite class of Australian researchers. He will receive the medal at a presentation in August.

Picture: Professor Aibing Yu

Australia India Science and Technology Research Award

Centre Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Akshat Tanksale has been awarded an inaugural Australia India Science and Technology Research Award (AISTRA).
The award, announced by the Hon Stephen Smith, supports three-month overseas research placements for two talented early career researchers, one from Australia and one from India. The theme for the inaugural awards, ‘Energy generation in a low-carbon future’, reflects the importance India and Australia place on meeting our growing energy requirements in a sustainable manner.
Dr Akshat Tanksale will work with researchers at India’s National Chemical Laboratories in Pune, India’s leading research organisation in the field of chemistry, chemical engineering and nanotechnology. His research will focus on making new nanomaterials for catalytic applications to convert agricultural matter into carbon-neutral fuel.
The AISTRA program was established in 2009 to promote greater collaboration between the Australian and Indian research communities. The awards are administered by the Australian Academy of Technology Sciences and Engineering with the support of the Australia-India Council.

Commercialisation Australia grant, A/Prof Darren Martin

Centre CI A/Prof Darren Martin received one of the first grants to be given by the Federal government’s Commercialisation Australia program. The program, which commenced in January, recognises the creativity of Australian innovators, which is all too often taken overseas. A/Prof Martin’s Company TenasiTech Pty Ltd received a grant for the project Cost effective additive extending life and performance of thermoplastic polyurethane products. A/Prof Martin and colleagues will collaborate with a mining equipment supplier and a golf ball manufacturer to improve the manufacturing cost and performance of their products. The additive allows products with improved durability and flexibility.

Scopus Young Researcher finalist, A/Prof Lianzhou Wang

Centre researcher A/Prof Lianzhou Wang was one of three finalists in the Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Awards for 2010 in the category Engineering and Science.
These awards acknowledge Australian researchers for their achievements and dedicated contributions to various fields of research.

2010 Centre Annual report

The 2009 Annual Report of the Centre was submitted to the Australian Research Council at the end of March. The full report is available to download from the Centre website
arccfn.org.au/annualReports.html

Upcoming Events

Australia-China symposium on nanomaterials for clean energy

27-29 May, 2010
The University of Queensland, St Lucia

Click here for details

The 7th ARC Centre Annual Conference, Advances in Functional Nanomaterials

25-26 November 2010
Gold Coast, Australia

more details soon

General

Newsletter Nanomatters is also available as an email edition or online at the Centre’s website www.arccfn.org.au. To register for our email editions, please email Paulette Baumgartl at p.baumgartl@uq.edu.au

Website The Centre’s website (arccfn.org.au) contains information on the Centre’s aims, governance, research activities, publications, news items and interesting links. All current and past newsletters and annual reports are also available to download from the site.

Contacts