Category: Centre News

Professor Sir Anthony K. Cheetham has made enormous contributions to materials chemistry, ranging from the discovery of novel materials to the investigation of their mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties to pioneering a rich set of structural characterization methods. His 75th birthday this year marks half a century of transformative materials science.

With his commitment to advancing the frontiers of science, Professor Cheetham has led the field of materials chemistry for decades, leaving a lasting mark on both academia and industry. Likewise, Professor Cheetham’s influence extends globally through his extensive network of collaborations, leadership, mentorship, and advisory roles. As a distinguished professor at leading institutions, such as the University of Cambridge; the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), and, most recently, the National University of Singapore (NUS), he has nurtured generations of researchers and fostered a culture of collaboration, innovation, and scientific inquiry. His mentorship has inspired a legion of scientists who continue to push the boundaries of science in their own right.

To honour his work, Prof Bettina V. Lotsch, A/Prof Jingwei Hou, Prof Efrain E. Roriguez and Prof Wei Li have organised a Special Issue in APL Materials.  In the issue they celebrate Professor Cheetham’s defining role in materials chemistry across the globe for more than 50 years. The collection embraces materials chemistry in its entire breadth and depth—in terms of materials classes, characterization techniques, and the close entanglement of experiment and theory.

Read the article, published 17 May 2024, here.

About Professor Sir Anthony Cheetham

Professor Sir Anthony Cheetham is a Research Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore and a member of GETCO2’s Strategic Advisory Committee.  He was formerly the Goldsmiths’ Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge (2007-2017) and the Treasurer and Vice-President of the Royal Society (2012-2017).  He obtained his D.Phil. at Oxford in 1972 and did post-doctoral work in the Materials Physics Division at Harwell. He joined the Chemistry faculty at Oxford in 1974, and then moved to UC Santa Barbara in 1991 to become Professor in the Materials Department. From 1992-2004 Professor Cheetham was the Director of UCSB’s Materials Research Laboratory. In January 2020 he was knighted by the Queen for “Services to Materials Chemistry, UK Science and Global Outreach”, and in 2022 he received the Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Science.

GETCO2 researchers have built a nanogenerator that absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) to make electricity.

Dr Zhuyuan Wang from GETCO2 says the small, proof-of-concept nanogenerator is carbon negative because it consumes the greenhouse gas.

“This nanogenerator is made of two components: a polyamine gel that is already used by industry to absorb CO2 and a skeleton a few atoms thick of boron nitrate that generates positive and negative ions. We’ve worked out how to make the positive ions much larger than the negative ions and because the different sizes move at different speeds, they generate a diffusion current which can be amplified into electricity to power light bulbs or any electronic device”, Dr Wang said.

“In nature and in the human body, ion transportation is the most efficient energy conversion – more efficient than electron transportation which is used in the power network.”

The two components were embedded in a hydrogel which is 90 per cent water, cut into 4-centimetre discs and small rectangles and then tested in a sealed box pumped full of CO2.

“When we saw electrical signals coming out, I was very excited but worried I’d made a mistake. I double-checked everything, and it was working correctly so I started dreaming about changing the world using this technology. This technology goes further than being carbon neutral – it consumes CO2 as it generates energy,” Dr Wang said.

“At present we can harvest around 1 percent of the total energy carried intrinsically by gas CO2 but like other technologies, we will now work on improving efficiency and reducing cost.”

See Dr Zhuyuan Wang explain how the nanogenerator works in this video.

Director of the Dow Centre, Professor Xiwang Zhang, said following the success of the laboratory tests, there are two potential applications for the nanogenerator in the future.

“We could make a slightly bigger device that is portable to generate electricity to power a mobile phone or a laptop computer using CO2 from the atmosphere,” Professor Zhang said.

“A second application on a much larger scale, would integrate this technology with an industrial CO2 capture process to harvest electricity.”

The development of the nanogenerator will continue through GETCO2, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide which is led by UQ with Professor Zhang as Director.

“We want to realise the value in a problematic greenhouse gas and to change the perception of CO2. Until now CO2 has been seen as a problem to be solved but it can be a resource for the future,” Professor Zhang said.

The research has been published in Nature Communications.

Authors: Zhuyuan Wang, Ting Hu, Mike Tebyetekerwa, Xiangkang Zeng, Fan Du, Yuan Kang, Xuefeng Li, Hao Zhang, Huanting Wang & Xiwang Zhang

This article is based on a UQ Communications media release published on 18 April 2024.

Our International Women’s Day 2024 Series celebrates GETCO2’s trailblazer women in Science. Meet these talented and hard-working women and be inspired by their advice for others hoping to excel in their careers.

Karen Wilson

Professor Karen Wilson is a Chief Investigator and Theme Leader at GETCO₂, and is Professor of Catalysis and Director of the Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy at Griffith University. She has previously held a prestigious Royal Society Industry Fellowship in collaboration with Johnson Matthey and is Associate Editor of Sustainable Energy & Fuels (Royal Society of Chemistry), and Energy & Environmental Materials (Wiley) and Editorial Board member for Energy & Environmental Science (Royal Society of Chemistry). Karen co-directs the Surfaces, Materials & Catalysis Group, where her research focuses on the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable chemistry and utilisation of renewable feedstocks in the production of fuels and chemicals.

What are you most proud of in your career?

As the first member of my family to go to university, obtaining my BA and PhD from Cambridge University was a proud moment in my career. However, a particular highlight was being awarded a Royal Society Industry Fellowship in 2011 which was in collaboration with Johnson Matthey, and allowed me to establish important links with industry and understand the real-world challenges of my research.

What do you love most about your research? 

I enjoy doing work that matters to society and has impact. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your research contribute to development of an industrial process, being able to explain the significance of your work to the public. However, one of the most satisfying aspects of my role comes from being able to assist one of your students or mentees transition to having a successful career.

What is your advice for other women to excel in their careers?

Be patient and stay positive, establish a good network of mentors and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There may be some bumps in the road, but you will get through to the other side if you have the right people by your side. We all need a cheerleader, and finding one at an early stage of your career who will support you and think of you when opportunities arise will be a huge boost to your career.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. How do we invest in Women in research and science?

We need to recognise that everyone is different, and their careers will develop at different rates. There needs to be more women visible in positions of leadership, and an emphasis on trying to discourage nepotism in the scientific community to increase diversity in research teams. A move away from relying on journal-based metrics as a benchmark for excellence by funding agencies as recommended by the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) would be another step in the right direction.

Back to GETCO2’s IWD profiles.

Our International Women’s Day 2024 Series celebrates GETCO2’s trailblazer women in Science. Meet these talented and hard-working women and be inspired by their advice for others hoping to excel in their careers.

Rachel Caruso

Professor Rachel Caruso is the Deputy Director at GETCO2 and a RMIT Distinguished Professor in the School of Science, working in the discipline of Applied Chemistry and Environmental Science at RMIT University. She leads a research group that investigates approaches to control the morphology and composition of inorganic materials with potential application in areas such as photocatalysis, photovoltaics and batteries.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I am really proud of seeing recent PhD students in the group graduate after severe COVID lockdowns in Melbourne that prevented laboratory access for well over a year of their PhD journey. Having mentored them through this difficult and frustrating time, when we could only meet online and did not know when experiments could get started, it has been amazing to see their persistence and dedication as they have completed the research required for their theses. These students have developed strengths in resilience and patience, as well as excellent time management skills having been able to progress their projects and answer their research questions in the limited laboratory time available to them.

What do you love most about your research? 

There are a number of things I love about my research, from working through scientific challenges and trying to find solutions to meeting and working with a variety of people. I have really enjoyed conducting research in collaboration with other research groups. This has allowed me to work alongside remarkable colleagues, as we pool our research strengths and tackle the problem at hand. It has exposed me to new research areas and different research questions, and I have also learnt from observing other people’s approaches to conducting research.

What is your advice for other women to excel in their careers?

Follow your passion and work on things that fascinate you. Careers go through times of highs and lows, so it is important to celebrate successes and to find good mentors or develop approaches that help you through when things are tough.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. How do we invest in Women in research and science?

To invest in women in research and science we need women involved in setting research agendas and leading research projects. As a Centre we will be investing in women at all stages of their research careers: inspiring students in primary and secondary schools, training young scientist and engineers in their tertiary studies, building leadership skillsets in our early career researchers, giving opportunities to our mid-career academics, and supporting those in leadership roles. This investment will accelerate progress and drive scientific discovery.

Back to GETCO2’s IWD profiles.

Our International Women’s Day 2024 Series celebrates GETCO2’s trailblazer women in Science.

Yu Yang

Yu Yang is a PhD candidate in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney. She is conducting research in the field of ‘Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide/Carbon Monoxide Reduction’ under the supervision of Dr. Fengwang Li. She is interested in CO2 capture and utilisation, specifically (bi)carbonate/carbamate conversion, and is trying to develop a carbon-efficient CO2 conversion system.

Yu won the Best Student Presentation Award at GETCO2’s International Symposium on Green Transformation of Carbon Dioxide in 2023.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I am most proud of my ability to overcome challenges and continually grow both personally and professionally throughout my career. Whether it’s tackling complex projects, navigating new technologies, or fostering collaborations, each achievement has been a stepping stone toward realising my goals and making a positive impact in my field.

What do you love most about your research?

What I love most about my research is the opportunity to explore the unknown and contribute to advancements in science and technology. Every day brings new discoveries, challenges, and opportunities for innovation, allowing me to constantly learn and push the boundaries of knowledge in my field.

What is your advice for other women to excel in their careers?

My advice for other women aiming to excel in their careers is to be confident. Believe in your abilities, and don’t be afraid to take risks or pursue opportunities outside your comfort zone. Seek out mentors and mates who can support and champion your growth. Setbacks are always part of the journey—use them as opportunities to learn and grow stronger.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress‘. How do we invest in women in research and science?

I think we can invest in women in research and science by actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in all aspects of the scientific community. This includes creating welcoming and supportive platforms and environments where individuals from diverse backgrounds feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. We also need to encourage open dialogue and collaboration, challenge biases, and promise equity in opportunities and resources.

Back to GETCO2’s IWD profiles.

As we approach International Women’s Day on 8 March 2024, it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the remarkable women we have working with us in GETCO2 – from Research to Operations. Hear about their passion for science and leadership and get their take on this year’s IWD campaign, ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’.

Zaiping Guo

Professor Zaiping Guo is a Chief Investigator at GETCO2 and an Australian Laureate Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. She is also an Associate Editor for Chemical Science, a flagship journal of the RSC. She was elected to the Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2023. Zaiping’s research focuses on the design and application of electrode materials and electrolyte for energy storage and conversion, including rechargeable batteries, hydrogen storage, and fuel cells.

Read Zaiping’s opinion on how we invest in women in research and science.

Eloise Larsen

Dr Eloise Larsen is the Chief Operations Officer at GETCO2. She has a research background in microbiology focusing on water resources management and water quality. Prior to her current role, Eloise was the Centre Manager at UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation and has worked as Project Manager at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology at the University of Queensland, Research Portfolio Manager at the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities and also held positions at SEQWater, QUT and Griffith University.

Read Eloise’s vision for more women in STEM.

Yu Yang

Yu Yang is a PhD candidate in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney. She is conducting research in the field of ‘Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide/Carbon Monoxide Reduction’ under the supervision of Dr. Fengwang Li. She is interested in CO2 capture and utilisation, specifically (bi)carbonate/carbamate conversion, and is trying to develop a carbon-efficient CO2 conversion system. Yu won the Best Student Presentation Award at GETCO2’s International Symposium on Green Transformation of Carbon Dioxide in 2023.

Read Yu’s advice for women to excel in their careers.

Rachel Caruso

Professor Rachel Caruso is the Deputy Director at GETCO2 and a RMIT Distinguished Professor in the School of Science, working in the discipline of Applied Chemistry and Environmental Science at RMIT University. She leads a research group that investigates approaches to control the morphology and composition of inorganic materials with potential application in areas such as photocatalysis, photovoltaics and batteries.

Read Rachel’s ambitions to attract more women to GETCO2.

Karen Wilson

Professor Karen Wilson is a Chief Investigator and Theme Leader at GETCO₂, and is Professor of Catalysis and Director of the Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy at Griffith University. She has previously held a prestigious Royal Society Industry Fellowship in collaboration with Johnson Matthey and is Associate Editor of Sustainable Energy & Fuels (Royal Society of Chemistry), and Energy & Environmental Materials (Wiley) and Editorial Board member for Energy & Environmental Science (Royal Society of Chemistry). Karen co-directs the Surfaces, Materials & Catalysis Group, where her research focuses on the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable chemistry and utilisation of renewable feedstocks in the production of fuels and chemicals.

Read Karen’s suggestions to how we include more women in science.

Our International Women’s Day 2024 Series celebrates GETCO2’s trailblazer women in Science. Meet these talented and hard-working women and be inspired by their advice for others hoping to excel in their careers.

Zaiping Guo

• Professor Zaiping Guo is an Australian Laureate Fellow at School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide. She is also an Associate Editor for Chemical Science, a flagship journal of the RSC. She was elected to the Fellow of Australian Academy of Science and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2023. Her research focuses on the design and application of electrode materials and electrolyte for energy storage and conversion, including rechargeable batteries, hydrogen storage, and fuel cells. Her research achievements have been recognized through numerous awards, including an ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship in 2010, an ARC Future Professorial Fellowship in 2015, an ARC Laureate Fellowship (2021), and the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher Award in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. She was also awarded 2020 NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science & Engineering for Excellence in Engineering or Information and Communications Technology.

What are you most proud of in your career?

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my career has been mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers in the field of energy storage. Seeing my students and mentees thrive and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of battery technology brings me immense pride and satisfaction

What do you love most about your job?

What I love most about my job is the opportunity to explore and innovate in the field of energy storage and conversion. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible in energy storage and conversion, and that constant sense of discovery is incredibly rewarding.

What is your advice for other women to excel in their careers?

My advice to other women is to embrace their unique strengths and perspectives. Diversity of thought and experience is invaluable in any field, and women bring a valuable perspective to the table. Be confident in your abilities and don’t be afraid to speak up and share your ideas.

Don’t be afraid to take risks and embrace challenges. Growth often comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and taking on new and unfamiliar tasks. Be open to new opportunities and don’t let fear of failure hold you back. Also, remember to prioritize self-care. Balancing a successful career with other aspects of your life can be challenging, but it’s essential for overall well-being and success. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. How do we invest in women in research and science?

Offer professional development programs, workshops, and training opportunities to help women researchers advance in their careers. Provide access to resources, networks, and opportunities for collaboration. Also, highlighting the contributions of women in research and science can inspire others and promote gender equality.

Back to GETCO2’s IWD profiles.

Our International Women’s Day 2024 Series celebrates GETCO2’s trailblazer women in Science. Meet these talented and hard-working women and be inspired by their advice for others hoping to excel in their careers.

Eloise Larsen

Dr Eloise Larsen is the Chief Operations Officer at GETCO2. She has a research background in microbiology focusing on water resources management and water quality. Prior to her current role, Eloise was the Centre Manager at UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation and has worked as Project Manager at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology at the University of Queensland, Research Portfolio Manager at the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities and also held positions at SEQWater, QUT and Griffith University.

What are you most proud of in your career?

When I was young I thought I could have it all! I learnt over time that ‘having it all’ takes compromise & hard work, which luckily I’m not afraid of! I was always curious to try different things in my career & my path has not always been clear.  On IWD, I’m proud that I’ve managed to forge my own way while adapting to changing family responsibilities.

What do you love most about your research/job/studies? 

I love working with inspirational people. And I love science that has tangible impact. I feel my current role as COO of GETCO2 is a dream job – I get to work with the best minds on mitigating a problem that has global scale.

What is your advice for other women to excel in their careers?

Find those people who have faith in you. Constantly learn from the people around you & help each other to achieve life & career goals.

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress‘. How do we invest in women in research and science?

In my career I have often been in situations where I’m the ‘only woman in the room’. It’s difficult to navigate the culture in these situations & stay true to yourself. I want our Centre to create a scaffold for the realisation of talent so that women are supported, not just to enter STEM but to stay in STEM!

Back to GETCO2’s IWD profiles.