Fields of Research

Colloid and surface chemistry
Polymerisation mechanisms
Metal organic frameworks
Composite and hybrid materials
Analytical spectrometry
Polymers and plastics
Physical properties of materials
Separation science
Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
Macromolecular materials
Functional materials
Instrumental methods (excl. immunological and bioassay methods)
Other chemical sciences
Structure and dynamics of materials
Interaction and experience design
Organometallic chemistry
Catalysis and mechanisms of reactions
Biomechanical engineering
Free radical chemistry
Sensor technology (incl. chemical aspects)
Manufacturing management
Additive manufacturing
Nanochemistry
Microfluidics and nanofluidics
Microtechnology
Agricultural biotechnology diagnostics (incl. biosensors)
Engineering instrumentation
Theory and design of materials

Research Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
Plastics
Expanding knowledge in engineering
Terrestrial systems and management
Polymeric materials and paints
Natural hazards
Assessment, development and evaluation of curriculum
Environmentally sustainable manufacturing activities
Paper products and pulp
Scientific instruments
Paints
Water services and utilities
Instrumentation
Organic industrial chemicals (excl. resins, rubber and plastics)
Other manufacturing
Hydrogen production from renewable energy
Crop and pasture protection chemicals
Medical instruments
Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
Composite materials
Solar-photovoltaic energy
Industrial chemicals and related products
Computer, electronic and communication equipment

Career Best Publications

Bio-functional, lanthanide-labeled polymer particles by seeded emulsion polymerization and their characterization by novel ICP-MS detection; Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Biomimetic surface coatings for atmospheric water capture prepared by dewetting of polymer films; Advanced Materials
Controlled/living radical polymerization in dispersed systems: an update; Chemical Reviews
Emulsion polymerization: state of the art in kinetics and mechanisms; Polymer
Greener, faster, stronger: The benefits of deep eutectic solvents in polymer and materials science; Polymers
Hollow hybrid polymer-graphene oxide nanoparticles via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization; Nanoscale
Lanthanide-containing polymer microspheres by multiple-stage dispersion polymerization for highly multiplexed bioassays; Journal of the American Chemical Society
Micropatterned substrates made by polymer bilayer dewetting and collagen nanoscale assembly support endothelial cell adhesion; Soft Matter
Polymer-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles of various morphologies via polymerization-induced self assembly and sol–gel chemistry; Polymer Chemistry
Preparation of thermoresponsive hydrogels: Via polymerizable deep eutectic monomer solvents; Polymer Chemistry
Rapid additive manufacturing of 3D geometric structures via dual-wavelength polymerization; ACS Macro Letters
Recent advances in colloidal nanocomposite design via heterogeneous polymerization techniques; Polymer Chemistry
Surface functionalization methods to enhance bioconjugation in metal-labeled polystyrene particles; Macromolecules

Research Publications

Advances and opportunities of oil-in-oil emulsions; ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Ambient-temperature waterborne polymer/rGO nanocomposite films: effect of rGO distribution on electrical conductivity; ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Assessing the extent, stability, purity and properties of silanised detonation nanodiamond; Applied Surface Science
Assessment in the chemistry teaching laboratory
Assessment in the chemistry teaching laboratory
Bio-functional, lanthanide-labeled polymer particles by seeded emulsion polymerization and their characterization by novel ICP-MS detection; Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Biomimetic surface coatings for atmospheric water capture prepared by dewetting of polymer films; Advanced Materials
Competition between dewetting and cross-linking in poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)/polystyrene bilayer films; Langmuir
Controlled/living radical polymerization in dispersed systems: an update; Chemical Reviews
Core-shell and gradient morphology polymer particles analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: effect of monomer feed order; Journal of Polymer Science. Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Dispersion polymerization of styrene in CO₂-expanded ethanol; Polymer
Early and intermediate stages of guided dewetting in polystyrene thin films; Langmuir
Electrically conductive polymer/rGO nanocomposite films at ambient temperature via miniemulsion polymerization using GO as surfactant; Nanoscale
Emulsion polymerization: state of the art in kinetics and mechanisms; Polymer
Enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human fetal cartilage rudiment cells on graphene oxide-PLGA hybrid microparticles; Journal of Functional Biomaterials
Estimation of copolymer/water interfacial tensions using pendant drop tensiometry; Langmuir
Extended mechanistic description of particle growth in electrosterically stabilized emulsion polymerization systems; Macromolecules
Factors influencing the preparation of hollow polymer-graphene oxide microcapsules via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization; Polymer
Formation of homogeneous nanocomposite films at ambient temperature via miniemulsion polymerization using graphene oxide as surfactant; Journal of Polymer Science. Part A
Functional patterned coatings by thin polymer film dewetting; Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
Functionalization of graphene oxide for the production of novel graphene-based polymeric and colloidal materials; Current Organic Chemistry
Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets as oil-in-water emulsion stabilizers: influence of oil phase polarity; Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
Greener, faster, stronger: The benefits of deep eutectic solvents in polymer and materials science; Polymers
Growing and bio-fabricating SCOBY: a project developed in an extended cross-disciplinary research team; 1st Annual Design Research Conference (ADR18)
High Glass Transition Temperature Fluoropolymers for Hydrophobic Surface Coatings via RAFT Copolymerization; Australian Journal of Chemistry
Hollow hybrid polymer-graphene oxide nanoparticles via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization; Nanoscale
Influence of monomer type on miniemulsion polymerization systems stabilized by graphene oxide as sole surfactant; Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Influence of polymer matrix on polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposite intrinsic properties; ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Interfacial crosslinking of self‐assembled triblock copolymer nanoparticles via alkoxysilane hydrolysis and condensation; Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Interplay between dewetting and layer inversion in poly(4-vinylpyridine)/polystyrene bilayers; Langmuir
Intrinsic green fluorescent cross-linked poly(ester amide)s by spontaneous zwitterionic copolymerization; Biomacromolecules
Investigating the viability of a competency-based, qualitative laboratory assessment model in first-year undergraduate chemistry; Chemistry Education Research and Practice
Lanthanide-containing polymer microspheres by multiple-stage dispersion polymerization for highly multiplexed bioassays; Journal of the American Chemical Society
Mechanism of radical entry in electrosterically stabilized emulsion polymerization systems; Macromolecules
Metal-containing polystyrene beads as standards for mass cytometry; Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Micropatterned substrates made by polymer bilayer dewetting and collagen nanoscale assembly support endothelial cell adhesion; Soft Matter
Micropatterned surfaces for atmospheric water condensation via controlled radical polymerization and thin film dewetting; ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Midchain transfer to polymer in styrene-poly(butyl acrylate) systems: direct evidence of retardative effects; Macromolecules
Miniemulsion polymerization using graphene oxide as surfactant: In situ grafting of polymers; Carbon
Morphology control in polymerised high internal phase emulsion templated via macro-RAFT agent composition: visualizing surface chemistry; Polymer Chemistry
Nano-sized graphene oxide as sole surfactant in miniemulsion polymerization for nanocomposite synthesis: effect of pH and ionic strength; Polymer
Particle size distributions in electrosterically stabilized emulsion polymerization systems: testing the 'mid-chain-radical' hypothesis; Macromolecules
PEO-based brush-type amphiphilic macro-RAFT agents and their assembled polyHIPE monolithic structures for applications in separation science; Scientific Reports
Photo-driven synthesis of polymer-coated platinized ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced photoelectrochemical charge transportation; Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Photoactive metal carbonyl complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: synthesis, characterization, and viability as photoredox catalysts; Inorganic Chemistry
Pickering miniemulsion polymerization using graphene oxide: effect of addition of a conventional surfactant; Polymer Chemistry
Polymer-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles of various morphologies via polymerization-induced self assembly and sol–gel chemistry; Polymer Chemistry
Preparation of composite materials by using graphene oxide as a surfactant in ab initio emulsion polymerization systems; ACS Macro Letters
Preparation of inverse polymerized high internal phase emulsions using an amphiphilic macro-RAFT agent as sole stabilizer; Polymer Chemistry
Preparation of polymer particles containing reduced graphene oxide nanosheets using ionic liquid monomer; Macromolecules
Preparation of thermoresponsive hydrogels: Via polymerizable deep eutectic monomer solvents; Polymer Chemistry
Propagation rate coefficient of acrylic acid: theoretical investigation of the solvent effect; Polymer
Protein micropatterns by PEG grafting on dewetted PLGA films; Langmuir
Rapid additive manufacturing of 3D geometric structures via dual-wavelength polymerization; ACS Macro Letters
Rate-controlling events for radical exit in electrosterically stabilized emulsion polymerization systems; Macromolecules
Recent advances in colloidal nanocomposite design via heterogeneous polymerization techniques; Polymer Chemistry
Resin design in stereolithography 3D printing for microfluidic applications; 3D Printing with Light
Revised insights into templating radical polymerization within nanoreactors; Journal of Polymer Science. Part A
Self-assembly of block copolymers with an alkoxysilane-based core-forming block: a comparison of synthetic approaches; Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Structural complexity of graphene oxide: the kirigami model; ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Surface functionalization methods to enhance bioconjugation in metal-labeled polystyrene particles; Macromolecules
Synthesis and characterisation of gradient polymeric nanoparticles; Polymer Chemistry
Synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles containing reduced graphene oxide nanosheets stabilized by poly(ionic liquid) using miniemulsion polymerization; Soft Matter
Synthesis of polystyrene nanoparticles 'armoured' with nanodimensional graphene oxide sheets by miniemulsion polymerization; Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Transfer to 'monomer' in styrene free-radical polymerization; Macromolecules
Understanding the interaction of gold and silver nanoparticles with natural organic matter using affinity capillary electrophoresis; Environmental Science: Nano
Utilizing RAFT polymerization for the preparation of well-defined bicontinuous porous polymeric supports: application to liquid chromatography separation of biomolecules; ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Research Projects

A high speed, high fidelity 3D printer for fabricating microfluidic devices; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Biomimetic templating radical polymerisation in nanoreactors; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Boosting research capability to develop value-added products for the food and wood industries in regional areas.; Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE)
Faster, greener, stronger: a new approach to synthesis of polymer materials; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Hierarchical Assembly of Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles as Bionic Interfaces; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DoIIS)
Polymer nanoparticles with gradient morphology for environmentally friendly aqueous coatings applications; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Ring-Opening Polymerization in Emulsion; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Ultra-High Resolution 3D Printer to make micron-sized structures and voids; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Developing sustainable biodegradable packaging from wood fibre and kelp polysaccharides
Micropatterned Polymer Film Coatings for the Capture of Water Directly from the Atmosphere

Research Candidate Supervision