Nicholas Kirkwood (Nick) is a materials chemist with expertise in the synthesis, characterisation and application of colloidal nanomaterials. He worked at both CSIRO and Melbourne University to complete his PhD on the synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals ("quantum dots") and their application in LEDs (2012-2016), after which he worked for two years as a post-doctoral researcher at the Optolelectronic Materials Group at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (2016-2018). During his post-doc e worked on making and improving and understanding non-toxic nanomaterials for lighting and solar energy applications and was involved in working on and building collaborative projects with industry.
Building on his materials research background, Nick's role within the centre is to supervise student projects within the Nanoscience laboratory at the University of Melbourne, manage the safety and operation of the laboratory, develop and maintain collaborations within and outside of the Centre, and to undertake sample fabrication and proof-of-principle research for collaborations and industry partners. He is passionate about using the science of excitons to help develop a transition to a low-carbon energy economy.
Outside of his work Nick is a keen cyclist and enjoys hiking, camping, and reading, as well as using his chemistry skills for brewing beer and making bread.
