June/July 2009

Nanomatters is published quarterly by the ARCCFN and includes updates on projects, international activities and general Centre news. Nanomatters is also online and 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:

• Nanomaterials for clean energy - China Alliance
• Project spotlight - Boron Nitride Nanotubes
• Clean Energy Catalysis Group
• International activites and awards
• Publication and communication highlights
• General news
• Contacts

Research news

Nanomaterials for Clean Energy - Alliance with Chinese Academy of Science

Late 2008 Prof. Max Lu and Centre researchers Drs Jorge Beltramini, Joe da Costa, Denisa Jurcakova, Sean Smith, Lianzhou Wang, Xiangdong Yao and Prof John Zhu were awarded a $1.95 million grant from the Queensland Government’s National and International Research Alliances Program.

The three year project aims to develop innovative materials that underpin emerging technologies for clean coal, hydrogen production, energy storage and hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. The alliance builds upon the existing expertise and strengths in Queensland in nanomaterials development, and those in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in energy storage and fuel cell research.

The grant will inject funding into the following key research areas:

- Development of new carbon materials for supercapacitors
- Design of nanostructured materials for photocatalytic applications and hydrogen storage.
- Chemical routes for the transformation of biomass into hydrogen and clean fuels.

These programs will be underpinned by support from Prof Sean Smith’s group expertise on simulation and computation. The first of three annual meetings occurs in Dalian and Shenyang the week of the 20 July.

The aim of the meeting is to:

- Provide an overview of the Centre’s research, specifically around the funded program focus
- Develop a series of targeted outcomes for the projects at the end of the three years
- Develop closer ties and foster collaborations with our colleagues in China.

This grant will enable the Centre to leverage its current skills and experience with the those from CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Institute of Metal Research (Shenyang) and accelerate the development of clean energy transport solutions.

Boron nitride nanotubes for targeted drug delivery

Centre program leader Professor Ian Ying Chen and colleagues from Italy have published results showing the potential applications of Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs) as nanovectors for targeted magnetic drug delivery.

While several biomedical applications of carbon nanotubes have been proposed, the use of boron nitride nanotubes has been largely unexplored, despite their unique and potentially useful properties.
The research group behind this paper has recently initiated an experimental program aimed at the exploration of the interactions between BNNTs and living cells.
In their paper, published in Current Nanoscience (2009, 5, 33-38), they report on the magnetic properties of BNNTs containing Fe catalysts, confirming the feasibility for their use as nanovectors for targeted drug delivery.

In vitro tests demonstrated that it is possible to influence the BNNT’s transport behaviour by exposure to an external magnetic source.
In sharp contrast to the several proposed applications of CNTs in biomedicine in recent years, the applications of BNNTs in this field have received little attention, despite their unique and impressive chemical and physical properties. In their paper the authors report the outcome of studies on the magnetic properties of BNNTs.

Magnetic behaviour is mainly due to the presence of small Fe particles as production catalysts, both being clearly identified by EDS and TEM studies. In vitro tests performed on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells demonstrated that cellular uptake of fluorescent labelled BNNTs can be modulated with an external magnetic field.

A model based on mass transport phenomena was elaborated and showed good agreement with the experimental results. BNNTs have therefore the potential for use as nanovectors for magnetic drug targeting: the goal of which is delivery of the drug in the required concentration at the target site under the influence of an external magnetic field.

Typically, the intended drug and a suitable magnetically active component would need to be combined into a pharmacologically stable formulation. The intrinsic magnetic properties of coated BNNTs and their ability to bind to drugs (quantum dots used in the present studies can be considered as a model for therapeutic molecules) render this nanovector ideal for such targeted drug delivery systems.

Introducing the Clean Energy Catalysis Group

Centre researchers investigating catalysts for clean energy have combined to form the Clean Energy Catalysis Group.

The group was founded in May 2009 under the leadership of Dr Jorge Beltramini to bring together the group leaders working in heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis at the Centre, with the aim to increase the flow of knowledge across various disciplines such as chemical reaction engineering, chemistry, nanomaterials, electrochemistry and photocatalysis through strong collaborations.

The research is divided into three groups:

- Biomass into liquid fuels, chemicals and hydrogen
- Visible light water splitting for hydrogen production and photocatalytic air/water purification
- Catalytic reduction of NOx and SOx from coal fired electricity production.

The group hopes to play a leading role in the new Catalysis Society of Australia. The CEC group is also one of the two proposed candidates to host the 2nd biannual International Catalysis Symposium organised by the Catalysis Society of Australia.

The three group leaders and their research:

Dr Jorge Beltramini

- Catalytic deoxygenation and/or decarboxylation of fresh/used vegetable oils to diesel range hydrocarbon
- Direct catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose to sugar alcohols and fuels using metal supported on functionalised mesoporous catalysts.
- Catalytic conversion of carbohydrates to key platform chemicals using novel metal supported mesoporous materials
- Integrated catalytic membrane reactor for hydrogen production and purification from oil-based liquid petroleum fuels.

Dr Lianzhou Wang

Design and fabrication of nanostructured materials for sustainable energy conversion, including
- Efficient photocatalysts for water/air purification, solar cells, self-cleaning coatings and water splitting for H2 production.
- Layered metal oxides as electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors.
- Ion-exchange nanocomposite membranes for water purification.

Prof John Zhu

- NOx removal over catalysts supported on mesoporous materials.
- Hydrogen production from methane by a hybrid catalyst/plasma process.
- Carbon supported catalysts for fuel cells, hydrogen production from ammonia decomposition.

International activities and awards

Australia China Young Scientist Exchange

Centre PhD student Mr Tom Rufford was selected with seven other RHD students from Australia to participate in this year’s Australia China Young Scientist Exchange - a program sponsored by the Australian Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

Tom’s two main objectives during the Australia-China Young Scientist Exchange scheme were to strengthen his existing links with researchers at the Institute of Metal Research and Zhejiang University of Technology in energy storage materials research, and to develop new relationships with Chinese researchers in NOx and SO2 pollution control, and more specifically to meet researchers studying non-thermal plasma processes.

During his visit Tom visited five universities/research institutes in Hangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian and Beijing, presenting his research, visiting laboratories, and partaking in small group discussions with host professors and Chinese research students.

Recognition from the Chinese Embassy

Centre PhD student Ms Zi (Sophia) Gu has been awarded a ‘2008 Award of Outstanding Overseas Chinese Student’ from the Chinese Embassy’s Education Department.
This award is offered by the China Scholarship Council, Ministry of Education China, and is specifically for overseas Chinese postgraduate students based on their excellence in research. Ms Gu received her award at a ceremony in Canberra.

Smart Future Fellowships

Two Research Fellows from the Centre’s node at The University of Queensland have won prestigious Smart Future Fellowships.

Dr Zhen Li is pursuing new contrasting agents for the existing technologies of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence mediated imaging (FMI) for early detection of cancers. Not only do these nanocrystals have the potential to extend the capabilities of MRI and FMI, they might also act as drug delivery molecules.

Dr Chenghua Sun aims to improve the performance of solar cells by increasing the reactivity of titanium oxide crystals. The potential benefits include greater utilisation of solar energy and new materials to break down air and water pollutants.
The Queensland Government sponsored Fellowships provide funding for early or mid-career researchers to undertake innovative research in Queensland and receive up to $300,000 from the Government over three years.

Centre Trailblazer

Centre Research Fellow Dr Moses Adebajo was a finalist in the UniQuest Trailblazer innovative ideas and early-stage research competition at The University of Queensland. Dr Adebajo’s successful idea was 'Smart nanosystems for cancer therapy’. As a finalist Dr Adebajo received valuable training in developing his proposals into five-minute presentations to pitch to a panel of commercialisation experts. Trailblazer aims to identify and reward original and innovative ideas that have the potential to benefit the community, industry or business.

Publication and communication highlights

Publications

Centre paper Inorganic nanoparticles as carriers for efficient cellular delivery, Xu, Zeng, Lu, Yu (Chemical Engineering Science Volume 61, Issue 3), has been ranked in the top 5 hottest article list for 13 consecutive quarters including 6 times 1st and 4 times 2nd hottest article. The paper has been cited 68 times since 2006.

Centre paper Chemoselective catalytic conversion of glycerol as a biorenewable source to valuable commodity chemicals, Zhou, Beltramini, Fan, Lu paper was the 2nd most accessed paper in Chemical Society Reviews for 2008

Communications

Choice magazine

In a recent review on nanotubes by the consumer agency Choice, Centre Program leader Prof Ian Ying Chen was asked to comment. In the interest of balance, Prof Chen was able to provide positive support for the case of using short, curled nanotubes, as opposed to the long, multiwalled nanotubes, which some believed may cause symptoms similar to mesothelioma if inhaled. Prof Chen was also able to highlight the importance of further research across a wide range of nanomaterials.

Bright Minds

Centre Chief Operating Officer Mr Steve Coombs delivered a presentation ‘What are Nanomaterials’ as part of The University of Queensland’s Bright Minds series. The series, organised by the University’s Faculty of Science aims at attracting bright students to science, raising student awareness of career options in science, and to provide teachers with the knowledge and resources to excite students and encourage them to study science. The presentation was well received, and opportunity was given for guests to talk directly to experts from the Centre.

General news

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.

Annual Conference Registration is now open for the Centre’s annual conference ‘Advances in Functional Nanomaterials’ in Coffs Harbour on the 9-11 November. Details are available on the Centre’s website.

Contacts