ACES Newsletter

Issue 5: June 2008

Fast Read

Congratulations to a number of ACES members for recognition of outstanding research.

• Congratulations to Dame Bridget Ogilvie, AC DBE FAA FRS, who was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences. She is distinguished for her work in parasitology, science administration, research and education. Dame Bridget was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from UOW in 2005 and currently serves as Chair for the International Advisory Board of the UOW-based Australian Centre of Excellence in Electromaterials (ACES) and as an advisor to our Illawarra Health & Medical Research Institute.
• Congratulations Yong Liu, a PhD student at IPRI, was awarded the Chinese Government's Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students to the value of US $ 5000. >> read more
• Congratulations Sau Yen Chew (Sophie), a PhD candidate working on the lithium-ion battery project with ACES, (ISEM node). Sophie was awarded a prestigious ECS summer fellowship for 2008, specifically the F. M. Becket Summer Fellowship, during her visiting period at the Battery Group Electrochemistry Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland.This award consists of US$5000, funded by The Electrochemical Consolidated Fellowship Fund, with the aim to assist the student in the pursuit of work in a field of interest to The Electrochemical Society. >> read more
• Congratulations David Nayagam, an ACES member from BEI, who was awarded a Victorian Neurotrauma Initiative (VNI) Skill Development scholarship to value of $2,200. This award provides opportunities for new and early career researchers to attend short courses designed to develop research skills. David used his funds to attend the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Australian and New Zealand Surgical Skills Education and Training (ASSET) course. David was also the Valedictorian, at the University of Melbourne graduation ceremony, January 2008.
• Nanotechnology scientists of the future will make their presence felt at the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Symposium on Nanobionics to be held at UOW’s Innovation Campus following the successful running of a competition open to nanotechnology students. >>read more
• The ARC Centre of Excellence Electromaterials Science (ACES)/ Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) node, provided scholarships to 4 undergraduates from the Bachelor of Nanotechnology degree, University of Wollongong, to attend the International Conference of Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (ICONN2008) held in Melbourne late February.  The students, Dennis Antiohos, David Marshall, Shane Ellis and Tom Higgins were selected via a competition amongst all senior undergraduate students in Nanotechnology. >> read more

What happened at?

Conference and Meeting Reports can be accessed by following the links.

• ACES centre February 2008 meeting report
• ACES NMR workshop report, February 2008
• 3rd International Electromaterials Science Symposium  - "Advanced Materials for Batteries, Energy and Solar Cells", February 2008
• IPRI presented at the Research Strength Showcase series, UOW, March 2008
• ACES Gel workshop at IPRI UoW, May 2008.
• “Prospective Research Students Day” at IPRI, UoW, 6 June 2008.

Project Spotlight

ACES Research Programme 3: Energy Storage (ISEM node)

ACES/ISEM researchers will continue to develop the new electrodes and electrolytes materials for the next generation batteries with high energy density, long cycle life and better safety to be used in high-power and high-energy applications such as defense, automotive, and aerospace.

Read more (or download pdf 237KB) about the highlights of this programme. This document discusses the following:

• an update on the ACES/ISEM lithium- rechargeable batteries project. This project aims to develop nanostructured electrodes with high capacity and long cycle life so they can be used in commercial lithium batteries.
• how ACES/ISEM researchers have studied the capacity fading and solid electrolyte interphase formation problems to be solved in the lithium batteries.
• how the ACES/ISEM staff and postgraduates are actively collaborating the world research teams and raising the ACES/ISEM national and international profile.
• a list of the grants supporting this research.

Facilities Focus

The ARC through the ARC LIEF scheme provides excellent facilities in which the ACES/ISEM researchers involved.

An Integrated Raman Microscope and in situ TEM Analysis System (LE0882787). The Raman microscope integrated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a structural and chemical analyser is an outstanding characterisation system for a wide range of materials, capable of structural, elemental, morphological, and physical characterization of the same sample region under precisely controlled conditions. The in-situ TEM holder will allow in-situ STM sample characterisations that will provide invaluable information on electrical properties and dynamic processes at specific locations. As a co-ordinated facility, these instruments represent a comprehensive characterisation tool underpinning the work of excellent researchers in advanced nano-materials, polymers, and biological systems.

Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer and Rapid Photoluminescence Mapping System for Development of Advanced Materials and Biosystems (LE0883056). This facility strengthens Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials and biosystems through the purchase of (1) Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer to characterize electronic structures of advanced materials and also interactions of matter at an atomic level in biological environments, and (2) Rapid Photoluminescence Mapping System to measure various thin film properties, critical dimensions, overlay control and optical, electrical and material properties as well as the variation of photonic properties with the structural change of biological tissues. The establishment of these advanced research facilities will be an important addition to the research infrastructure in Australia.

A multiscale system for characterizing surface and subsurface properties of advanced materials (LE0775643). This facility provides the precise characterization of surfaces and subsurfaces of advanced components across several dimensional scales which is critical to the performance, development and cost-effective production of high-integrity systems manufactured by any technology. This most leading and versatile tool is enable the Australian research teams to make innovative development for many research programs in the area of multiscale manufacturing which will otherwise be impossible to proceed.

Laser Flash Thermophysical Properties Analyser for the Development of Advanced Materials, Food Processing Technologies and Biomedical Components (LEO775511). The laser flash technique is currently the most widely accepted method for precise measurement of thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. It not only characterises the ability of the substance to transfer heat but also yields information about the lattice vibrations, electronic states near the Fermi level, bandgap energy, low temperature electronic characteristics etc. The aim of this application is to strengthen Australian research activities in the development of advanced materials, food processing technologies and biomedical components through purchase of this technology to characterise a range of important thermophysical properties from 180 Celcius to 2500 Celcius.

Personnel Profiles

Welcome to our new PhD starters as well. They are:

• Widsanusan Chartarrayawadee at IPRI UoW
• Matt Griffith at IPRI UoW
• Amy Gelmi at IPRI UoW
• Peter Sherrell at IPRI UoW
• Adrian Gestos at IPRI UoW
• Ian Jackson at Engineering UoW
• Lex Edmond at Monash
• Timothy Khoo at Monash
  
• Usman Ali Rana at Monash
• Hasitha Weerasinghe at Monash
• Dongchuan Fu at Monash
• Paul Dicarmine at Monash

ACES Workshops and Training Schedule for 2008

Global Activities

A lot of things have been happening with our international collaborators and with ACES researchers taking their work abroad.

• The first HOPE Meeting was held in Tsukuba, Japan in February 2008. Brianna Thompson, an ACES PhD student based at IPRI, was chosen by the Australian Research Council Nanotechnology Network and the Australian Academy of Sciences as one of five Australian students to attend the conference. The aim of the meeting was to gather high quality research students in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology from the Asia-Pacific region, and introduce them to Nobel Prize winners and other outstanding researchers in the field. >>read more
• On January 7-11, 2008, Dr. Joselito Razal presented an invited plenary talk on the importance and applications of interfacing organic conductors with living systems at the 10th Eurasia Conference on Chemical Sciences (EuAsC2S) in Manila Philippines. The conference was organised to emphasise scientific activities in the Eurasia continent and the developing Asian countries achieving supports from other continents such as America, Canada and Australia.
• Prof. Gordon Wallace delivered an invited lecture to the MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, 25 March 2008.  His talk, “Organic Conducting Polymers and Living Cells – New Platforms for Medical Bionic Devices”, was part of the Symposium AA: ‘Conjugated Organic Materials – Synthesis, Structure, Device, and Applications’ session and was one of the biggest ever symposium’s hosted by the MRS.
• Dr Philip Whitten, Dr Scott McGovern and PhD candidate Stephen John represented ACES/IPRI node at the 15th Annual SPIE Smart Structures and NDE conference. These key researchers in the field of polymer actuators went to San Diego, CA to wow the audience with the novel technologies that they are producing in the laboratories that are based on the controlled expansion and contraction of conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes and polymer gels. >> read more
• Dr Philip Whitten (IPRI/ACES) spent 3 days working with Professor Richard Kaner at UCLA.  During his visit Philip continued research in collaboration with members of Richard’s group on polyaniline nano-fibres, which has already resulted in a publication in Advanced Materials. Philip is interested in the application of these nanofibres as novel actuator materials.
• Dr Scott McGovern and Prof. Gordon Wallace from IPRI/ACES recently visited Dublin City University as part of ongoing collaborative studies supported by an ARC Linkage Grant. The work involves the use of new electromaterials in the development of novel fluid movement and sensing systems. The team aims to develop an autonomous low powered mobile sensing unit.
• Dr Andrew Minett presented an invited talk titled ‘Modification of carbon nanotube architectures for alternative energy applications’  at the 22nd  International Winterschool on Electronic Properties of Novel Materials (IWEPNM), Tirol, Austria 1- 8 March, 2008. IWEPNM is held annually and is an important meeting of pre-eminent nanomaterial scientists. The Winterschool provides a platform for reviewing and discussing new developments in the field of electronic properties of molecular nanostructures and their applications.
• In March Dr Minett travelled to visit his research collaborators and present talks at their respective institutions. In Germany, Dr Minett visited Prof. Siegmar Roth at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung and Sineurop Nanotech GmbH both in Stuttgar. In Ireland, Dr Minett spent 10 days in Dublin visiting collaborators at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and Dublin City University (DCU).
• Prof. Wallace recently (March 2007) visited Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore. The visit was hosted by Dr Alan Sellinger - a collaborator on the DEST funded linkage project - ICOS - on development of new solar cells. Prof. Wallace delivered a seminar on “Nanostructured Electromaterials from Solar Cells to Living Cells”. The development of collaborative research links with IMRE are being explored in a number of areas.
• Professor David Officer and Dr Benny Kim, from IPRI/ACES, attended a meeting between members of a Korean delegation from Gangwon Province and NSW Government officials and science and technology company members and representatives. The main aim of the meeting was the signing of a technology collaboration agreement between Gangwon Province and NSW in order to create a technology cooperation framework within which there will be a collaborative grant program to support joint proof of concept projects between researchers and/or companies from both regions. Following the signing ceremony, Professor Officer presented relevant aspects of IPRI and ACES research work to members of the delegation and discussed areas of future collaboration.
• Dr. Joselito Razal presented his recent work on wet-spinning of carbon nanotube biofibers (published recently in Advanced Functional Materials 2008 18 61-66) at the ChemOnTubes Conference held in Zaragoza, Spain on April 6 to 9, 2008. After the conference, Dr. Razal worked with Dr. Edgar Muñoz and Dr. German de la Fuente Leis at the Instituto de Carboquimica on producing new metal-carbon nanocomposites by laser ablation of organometallic compounds. International collaboration on utilising these new carbon nanostructures for catalysis applications is now underway.
• 8 researchers from ACES presented their work in the areas of Bionics, fibre spinning, drug delivery, graphene and polythiophene chemistry at the 2nd Alan MacDiarmid Symposium, hosted by The Alan MacDiarmid Institute, Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand on the 14th April. This date was chosen to coincide with the late Alan’s birthday. To honour the memory of Alan the nature of the Symposium was relaxed with an emphasis on fostering collaborative discussion.
• 6 PhD representatives from ACES (IPRI node), Shannon Little, Charles Mire, Satyen Desai, Alberto Javier Granero Rodriguez, Sina Naficy and Javad Foroughi, attended the Uniquest Research Commercialisation Workshop at the Novatel Twin Waters in Brisbane, 16-18th April 2008. The workshop focused on promoting the commercial opportunities arising from current research being undertaken at the University of Wollongong. A significant portion of the program aimed at “hands on” and workgroup/discussion based exercises.
• In April 2008, Associate Professor Chee Too and Dr Jun Chen of ACES/IPRI (University of Wollongong) visited Professor Zi-Feng Ma of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to kick off a three-year DEST ISL Australia-China project on “Nanostructured Electromaterials for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell”.  SJTU is ranked 4th in China.
  

Employment opportunities

Check our website regularly for any job vacancies or any student PhD vacancies. There were recently 3 research fellow positions and 4 PhD positions available.

Publications

• Congratulations Professor Douglas MacFarlane and co-authors on your article, "Ionic Liquids in Electrochemical Devices and Processes: Managing Interfacial Electrochemistry", published in Accounts of Chemical Research [Acc. Chem. Res. 2007, 40, 1165–1173], being featured on the ACS Publications website as the Most-Accessed Article for the fourth-quarter of 2007.  Most-Accessed Articles listed are based on article web view data collected following COUNTER-compliant ACS Usage Reports.
• Congratulations Professor David Officer and co-authors on your article, Highly Efficient Porphyrin Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. It is one of the most-accessed articles published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C in 2007.

Selected publications from February - May 2008.

Electromaterials

• Functionalising Carbon Nanotubes Lynam, C., Minett, A.I., Habas, S.E., Gambhir, S., Officer, D.L., Wallace, G.G. International Journal of Nanotechnology 2008, 5 (2), 331-351.
• Direct Growth of Flexible Carbon Nanotube Electrodes, Chen, J., Minett, A.I., Liu, Y., Lynam, C., Sherrell, P., Wang, C., Wallace, G.G. Advanced Materials 2008, 20, 566-570.
• Monolithic Actuators from Flash-Welded Polyaniline Nanofibers Baker, C.O., Shedd, B., Innis, P.C., Whitten, P.G., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., Kaner, R.B., Advanced Materials 2008, 20, 155-158.
• Electrochemical synthesis and characterisation of polyaniline/poly(2-methoxyaniline-5-sulfonic acid) composites Masdarolomoor, F., Innis, P.C., Wallace, G.G. Electrochimica Acta 2008, 53, 4146-4155.
• DNA Hydrogel Fiber with Self-Entanglement Prepared by Using an Ionic Liquid, Lee, C.K., Shin, S.R., Lee, S.H., Jeon, J.-H., So, I., Kang, T.M., Kim, S.I., Mun, J.Y., Han, S.-S., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., Kim, S.J. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 2470-2474.
• Production of polypyrrole fibres by wet spinning, Foroughi, J., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., Whitten, P.G. Synthetic Metals 2008, 158, 104-107.
• The Influence of poly(2-methoxyaniline-5-sulfonic acid) on the electrochemical and photochemical properties of a highly luminescent ruthenium complex Dennany, L., O’Reilly, E.J., Innis, P.C., Wallace, G.G., Forster, R.J. Electrochimica Acta 2008, 53, 4599-4605.
• The fabrication and characterization of inkjet-printed polyaniline nanoparticle films Morrin, A., Ngamna, O., O’Malley, E., Kent, N., Moulton, S.E., Wallace, G.G., Smyth, M.R., Killard, A.J. Electrochimica Acta 2008, 53, 5092

Energy Conversion

• A galvanic cell driven controlled release system based on conducting polymers Wang, C., Whitten, P.G., Too, C.O., Wallace, G.G. Sensors and Actuators B 2008, 129, 605-611
• Polypyrrole/Co-tetraphenylporphyrin modified carbon fibre paper as a fuel cell electrocatalyst of oxygen reduction Zhang, W., Chen, J., Wagner, P., Swiegers, G.F., Wallace, G.G. Electrochemistry Communications 2008, 10, 519-522.
• Carbon Nanotube Electroactive Polymer Materials: Opportunities and Challenges Qu, L., Peng, Q., Dai, L., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., Baughman, R.H. MRS Bulletin 2008, 33, 215-224.
• Response Characterization of Electroactive Polymers as Mechanical Sensors Alici, G., Spinks, G.M., Madden, J.D., Wu, Y., Wallace, G.G. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 2008, 13 (2), 187-196.
• Nano-Pt Modified Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays Are Efficient, Robust, High Surface Area Electrocatalysts Liu, Y., Chen, J., Zhang, W., Ma, Z., Swiegers, G.F., Too, C.O., Wallace, G.G. Chemistry of Materials 2008, 20 (8), 2603-26

Energy Storage

• A novel capacitor material based on Nafion-doped polypyrrole, Kim, B.C., Ko, J.M., Wallace, G.G. Journal of Power Sources 2008, 177, 665-66
• DNA-Wrapped Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Fibers for Supercapacitors and Artificial Muscles Shin, S.R., Lee, C.K., So, I., Jeon, J.-H., Kang, T.M., Kee, C., Kim, S.I., Spinks, G.M., Wallace, G.G., Kim, S.J. Advanced Materials 2008, 20, 466-470

Bionics

• Carbon Nanotube Biofiber Formation in a Polymer-Free Coagulation Bath, Razal, J.M., Gilmore, K., Wallace, G.G. Advanced Functional Materials  2008, 18, 61-66.
• Nanofiber Mats from DNA, SWNTs, and Poly(ethylene oxide) and Their Application in Glucose Biosensors Liu, Y., Chen, J., Nguyen, T.A., Too, C.O., Misoska, V., Wallace, G.G. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2008, 155 (5), K100-K103.
• The intelligent knee sleeve: A wearable biofeedback device, Munro, B.J., Campbell, T.E., Wallace, G.G., Steele, J.R. Sensors and Actuators B 2008, 131, 541-547.
• Amperometric Glucose Biosensor on Layer by Layer Assembled Carbon Nanotube and Polypyrrole Multilayer Film, Shirsat, M.D., Too, C.O., Wallace, G.G.
  Electroanalysis 2008, 20 (2), 150-156.