This is the first exemplar project of the Australia/China NanoNetwork. This project brings together researchers and doctoral students into teams focussing on renewable energy generation and uptake. These teams will build on the skills and capabilities of each participating university, creating a multi-institution network in the emerging field of nanoscience and nanotechnology underpinning renewable energy technologies.
Each of the three subprojects has a focus on materials structured on the nanoscale, imparting unique electronic and optical properties and energy conversion and storage capabilities to materials and devices.
Australian and Chinese researchers with expertise on the preparation, characterization and application of new nanomaterials will collaborate to share learnings across a number of material types (e.g.: highly porous metal hybrid nanoparticles/membranes and hydride nanotubes, sensitised oxide photocatalysts, superluminescent zinc nanowires and polymer-carbon nanotubes). These nanomaterials will be incorporated into fuel cells, photo-voltaics, solar cells and solid state lighting systems. Participating researchers will have access via the NanoNetwork to a wide range of state-of–the-art preparation, analysis and characterization techniques including computer simulation, scanning electron and probe microscopes, electrochemical and materials handling capabilities and engineering scale-up.
Each sub-Project will build on the skill mix and research agenda of the participating Australian and Chinese groups. The overarching Project will be organised around selected mid-career researchers keen to further enhance their international research profiles. Targeted PhD projects will operate across the sub-Projects, with each involving at least 2 new research students from Australian and Chinese partner universities.
Curtin University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
RMIT University
University of South Australia
University of Technology, Sydney
Nanjing University
Nanjing Aeronautics and Astronautics University
Shanghai University of Science and Technology
Tongji University
Prof. Neil Furlong, Neil.Furlong@rmit.edu.au