News

Inspired by nature, nanotechnology researchers have identified ‘spontaneous curvature’ as the key factor determining how ultra-thin, artificial materials can transform into useful tubes, twists and helices.

The University of Cambridge represents a fascinating intersection between the past and present of groundbreaking scientific research, but it’s the future that Professor Neil Greenham is busy prioritising.

Exciton Science researchers based at Monash University, RMIT University and CSIRO have achieved an important innovation in the synthesis of perovskite nanocrystals.

Exciton Science Node Administrator Brooke Nati has been awarded a prize for Service Excellence in RMIT University’s 2023 Research Service Awards.

In the bustling environment of Oxford PV, a company at the forefront of emerging solar technology, Dr Boer Tan, a former member of Exciton Science, stands out through her dedication to creating positive change.

In the ever-evolving world of science, theories from the past sometimes need a modern revisit. 

A strong focus on disability, including neurodiversity, chronic illness and mental ill-health, marked an important evolution for the second edition of the inSTEM conference in September 2023.

In the picturesque and illustrious surroundings of the University of Oxford, Dr David McMeekin is immersed in an exciting new chapter of his scientific journey.

In northern Bavaria, at the University of Bayreuth, a passionate scientist has been quietly making waves in the world of organic semiconductors.

Are you a high-performing chemistry graduate looking to pursue an industry-funded Master of Industrial Research program? The University of Melbourne invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified graduate students to a pursue this exciting industry-focused project.

Exciton Science Associate Investigator Anita Ho-Baillie has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom.

Exciton Science Chief Investigator Professor Tim Schmidt has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).

Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.

Australian researchers have taken the first steps to creating ultrafast computing devices smaller than a nanometre by studying the behaviour of perylene as a candidate molecule for excitonic logic operations.

Dr Heyou Zhang isn’t afraid of a challenge and he’s no stranger to adversity, but the path of least resistance could prove to be his best route to achieving research results and professional success.

A new facility capable of completing years of painstaking research in a matter of weeks with more accuracy than ever before is set to transform the development of next-generation solar cells and hydrogen catalysts.

The Avail Solar team featuring members of Exciton Science were awarded a bonus of AU$4,000 following their involvement in CSIRO’s ON Prime program.

A research innovation project led by members of Exciton Science has been selected as a finalist in Australia’s premier national science awards, the Eureka Prizes.

Exciton Science researchers have created a new type of highly absorbent material that could help to increase the efficiency of photocatalysis for hydrogen production and water purification.

The Exciton Science Annual Report for 2022 is now available.

Exciton Science researchers based at Monash University have demonstrated a mechanism for reducing parasitic light absorption and improving the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with back contact architecture.

Researchers in Australia have demonstrated a highly efficient mechanism for extracting energy from metal nanocrystals, with potential benefits in photovoltaics, photocatalysis and optoelectronics.

Countless hours could be saved in the quest to discover new materials thanks to a machine learning program that rapidly and accurately predicts vibrational stability.

Exciton Science congratulates Dane McCamey on being awarded the Sir Paul Callaghan Medal by the Australian and New Zealand Magnetic Resonance Society (ANZMAG).

Researchers in Switzerland and Australia have used machine learning to crack the code governing charge transfer and colour emission in chains of molecules.

An Exciton Science team is among the 10 deep-tech game-changers selected for CSIRO’s ON Accelerate program.

Exciton Science Associate Investigator Nicholas Ekins-Daukes will lead a project with Airbus Defence and Space to research high efficiency solar cells for use in space.

Exciton Science congratulates our Chief Investigator Tim Schmidt on being awarded the Liversidge Lecture for 2022 by the Royal Society of New South Wales.

Exciton Science is delighted to announce the appointment of the University of Melbourne’s Dr James Hutchison as a Chief Investigator in the Centre.

We are excited to confirm the appointment of Dr Carol Hua as a Senior Exciton Science Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science and the University of Bayreuth will jointly host a new International Research Training Group (IRTG) aimed at enhancing the functionality of semiconductors.

A new collaboration between HQS Quantum Simulations GmbH and RMIT University’s Jared Cole aims to use quantum computers to solve the resonant transfer model and improve the efficiency of organic solar cells.

Using a new low-cost, scalable fabrication method called microsphere lithography, researchers at the Exciton Science, in collaboration with colleagues at CSIRO and MCN, have discovered a new way to fabricate thinner, cheaper, and more efficient solar cells.

Exciton Science Chief Operating Officer Kate McGeoch has been appointed to the STEM Sector Policy Committee of Science and Technology Australia.

A simple and versatile nanoparticle ink could help next-generation perovskite solar cells to be printed at scale and become the dominant force in commercial photovoltaics.

Researchers in Australia have been able to use trace amounts of liquid platinum to create cheap and highly efficient chemical reactions at low temperatures, opening a pathway to dramatic emissions reductions in crucial industries.

Exciton Science congratulates PhD student Alison Goldingay on winning the 2021 Dean’s Award for Citizenship and Outreach at the University of Sydney.

The market for expensive fabrication methods in electronics manufacturing could soon dry up after a high-performance material was created via solution processing

Exciton Science’s Dr Christopher Hall has received the Selby Research Award for 2022, which he will use to develop a new technique for probing drug structure and bonding.

Scientists have created the first ever 2D map of the Overhauser field in organic LEDs, shedding light on the challenges we face in designing accurate quantum-based technologies

Published in the journal Nature Synthesis, scientists from Australia, New Zealand, and the US have reported a new type of pattern appearing on the surface of solidifying liquid metals.

Exciton Science Associate Investigators Anita Ho-Baillie, Nicholas Ekins-Daukes and Joanne Etheridge were among the successful applicants to be awarded Australian Research Council Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grants in December 2021.

Exciton Science congratulates our Chief Investigator Tim Schmidt, who has been awarded the 2021 Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Physical Chemistry Division Medal.

Researchers in Australia and China have found a cheaper, easier way to organise large groups of carbon nanotubes, potentially opening up many new avenues for their use by more scientists around the world.

Net zero within reach for major Australian city through comprehensive adoption of photovoltaics in built environment

Dr James Hutchison has been awarded a 12-month Victorian Government Study Melbourne/veski Research Partnerships grant to explore new directions for the harvesting and manipulation of thermal energy.

Next-generation laser technology offers the promise of cheaper devices that require less energy to run. Now, this technology is a step closer to being developed, following the latest research published by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science. 

Generating solar energy from low energy photons via photochemical upconversion could become more effective by using perylene monoimide as the emitter or ‘annihilation’ molecule. 

A little touch of ‘quantum magic’ has clarified the role of excimers and molecular aggregation during singlet fission in TIPS-pentacene solutions.

Exciton Science’s Dr Chris Hall has been awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship to develop new tools to study photochemical systems.

An efficient new way of harnessing the sun’s energy to perform chemical reactions has been demonstrated, through a surprisingly simple approach using widely available materials.

‘Microfluidic processing’ could help to make a competitive printed photovoltaics industry a reality.

Supercomputers could find themselves out of a job thanks to a suite of new machine learning models that produce rapid, accurate results using a normal laptop.

New research published in the prestigious journal Nature Energy has enhanced our understanding of the defects in a popular perovskite light absorber that impede solar cell performance. 

The design of next-generation solar panels can now be improved thanks to a greater fundamental understanding of the structure within a key component.

New mechanisms for converting sunlight to electricity more efficiently are also beneficial for extending the lifespan of solar panels

Dr Sherif A. Tawfik Abbas of RMIT University and Exciton Science has been awarded the prestigious Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (ADPRF).

We are excited to confirm that Exciton Science has received funding from the Australian Government to assist with our participation in National Science Week in 2021, from 14-22 August.

Explore climate policy challenges. Learn how climate change is reshaping communities, the environment, health, business and beyond.

Like groups of elements on the periodic table, chemistry runs in the family for Exciton Science’s Nastaran Meftahi.

A once-in-a-lifetime school trip to the other side of the world set Alison Campbell firmly on the path to studying a PhD in chemistry, and the University of Sydney student is determined to use the knowledge she gains to become a force for good.

For Girish Lakhwani, the privilege of a career in academia is less a circuit and more of an electrical charge, as the Exciton Science Chief Investigator seeks to ‘pass it on’ to the next generation.

You won’t see Roberto Muñoz wearing a stethoscope when he completes his doctorate. But for the Monash University PhD candidate, there are surprising parallels between an MD and his own work applying information theory techniques to enhance our understanding of quantum dots.

Exciton Science Chief Investigators Jacek Jasieniak, Udo Bach and Trevor Smith are set to embark on exciting new projects aimed at rapidly accelerating the pace of solar photovoltaics materials discovery.

Professor Dr. Anna Köhler, experimental physicist at the University of Bayreuth and an Associate Investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, has been awarded the Max Born Prize 2020 by the German Physical Society (DPG) and the British Institute of Physics (IOP). 

A new type of machine learning model will predict the efficiency of materials that can be used in next-generation organic solar panels, including ‘virtual’ compounds that don’t exist yet. 

Our understanding of how light behaves has grown with the surprising discovery that colours can be seen in a new way. An example of a process called scattering, the effect occurs in some materials when light interference combines with strong electric fields.

Centre Advisory Board member Dr Scott Watkins has shared a good news story amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new video series, Q&ARC, will go behind the scenes at leading universities and institutions, and offer a unique chance to get to know some of the brightest - and most curious - minds in the country.

Researchers have demonstrated that certain molecules previously viewed as potentially detrimental to copper electrolyte performance are crucial to suppressing recombination losses and maximising efficiency when harnessed correctly

A world-first in light conversion has potential future implications for solar photovoltaics, biomedical imaging, drug delivery and photocatalysis.

Australian researchers have demonstrated the strong potential for a new type of flexible, recyclable electrode to be used in creating cheaper solar cells, touchscreens, wearable ‘e-skins’ and next-generation responsive windows.

The University of Melbourne’s Professor Paul Mulvaney, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, has launched a virtual issue of the journal ACS Nano dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology research in Melbourne, one of the world’s leading hubs of scientific research and discovery.

Inorganic nanoparticles made of metals, semiconductors, and oxides are now used as functional components in catalysis, sensing, photovoltaics, and colour conversion in white light generation.

Semi-transparent solar cells that can be incorporated into window glass are a “game-changer” that could transform architecture, urban planning and electricity generation.

After another calendar year of growth, development and impressive research impact, the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science is proud to present its 2019 annual report.

One of the fundamental mysteries of chemistry has been solved by a collaboration between Exciton Science, UNSW and CSIRO – and the result may have implications for future designs of solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes and other next gen technologies.

Exciton Science Associate Investigator Dr Ivan Kassal has been awarded the 2020 Le Fèvre Medal by the Australian Academy of Science.

Exciton Science is able to confirm it has successfully applied for grant funding from the Australian Government to create an exciting installation during National Science Week in August 2020.