Nanotechnology and Functional Materials
Our Nanotechnology and Functional Materials’ researchers seek to explore, understand and engineer materials at the nano level.

Our work spans a wide variety of projects related to nanomaterials synthesis. Some of their particular areas of focus include:
- nanomaterials and nanoporous materials for new energy technologies
- nanostructured materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors
- nanostructured non-precious metal and metal-free electrocatalysts for sustainable clean energy generation.
We are also investigating:
- solar fuel generation
- catalyst material for green ammonia production
- theories for electrocatalytic energy conversion processes based on computational chemistry calculations.
Our research in Nanotechnology and Functional Materials is of relevance to companies and organisations—in both industry and government—involved in:
- renewable energy generation
- renewable energy storage
- health (medical implants, antimicrobial surfaces, biosensors)
- environmental protection (clean water, clean air, gas sensors)
- agriculture (fertilisers, soil remediation)
- electronics (antennas, electromagnetic shielding)
- construction materials
- additive manufacturing (3D and 2D printing).
Research impact
Our Nanotechnology and Functional Materials researchers aim to:
- achieve accurate materials design for different purposes
- understand and link materials’ apparent performance to their intrinsic properties, such as molecular structure and chemical composition
- generate value-added products.
Our expertise in these pursuits has enabled us to create, for example:
- enhanced battery materials
- materials and solutions for renewable energy generation
- a vast nanomaterials ‘knowledge bank’.
Consulting services
We advise on, contribute to and lead, projects and:
- provide expert insight and leadership on particular topics
- analyse, characterise and test materials
- build molecular models for materials and simulate its behaviour in different functions.
Our researchers
We have expertise across a wide range of areas. Many of our researchers are available to assist with research project supervision for Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy students.
Research team | Expertise |
---|---|
Professor Shizhang Qiao | |
Professor Dusan Losic | |
Professor Bo Jin | |
Dr Abel Santos | |
Dr Diana Tran | |
Dr Yan Jiao | |
Dr Yao Zhang | |
Dr Jingrun Ran | |
Dr Bo You | |
Dr Deepak Dubal | |
Dr Tran Tung | |
Dr Ken Davey |
Collaborations
We collaborate with various industry and government organisations, including:
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (USA)
- Curtin University of Technology
- Flinders University
- Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
- Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)
- Kent State University (USA)
- Kumamoto University (Japan)
- Max-Plank Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam (Germany)
- Monash University
- Nanjing Tech University (China)
- Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
- National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan)
- Newcastle University (UK)
- Seoul National University (South Korea)
- Shanghai Jiao-Tong University (China)
- Stanford University (USA)
- Surrey University, Guildford (UK)
- Technische Universitaet Dresden (Germany)
- Tianjin University (China)
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (South Korea)
- University College London (UK)
- University of New South Wales
- University of Queensland
- University of South Australia
- University of Technology Sydney
- University of Western Ontario, London (Canada)
- University of Wollongong
Contact us
To enquire about consulting or working with us a research project, please contact:
Higher degrees by research
Whether you intend to work in research or industry, a higher degree by research can give you a competitive edge throughout your career. Find out more about studying a Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy.