Ian Wark Research Institute
ARC Special Research Centre
ARC Special Research Centre
Research Area: Physical chemistry, chemical engineering,
physics
Supervisors: Dr
Marta Krasowska and Dr
Mihail Popescu
Description: Ionic liquids (ILs) are salt-like materials composed
of an ion pair of one positively charged molecule (cation) and one
negatively charged molecule (anion). However, unlike the more common
crystalline salts (like sodium chloride), ILs are liquids at
temperatures below 100oC. The possibility of altering the chemical and
physical properties of an IL by changing the cation-anion combination
allows them to be tuned to fit specific tasks or applications. They are
a popular class of 'green', alternative solvents of tremendous
importance for chemistry, pharmaceutical, and materials science and
represent ideal candidates for applications such as lubrication under
harsh conditions, where conventional polymer oil lubricants fail.
However, such developments are hindered by a lack of knowledge of how
ILs wet a solid surface (static wetting), how interfaces interact across
thin films of ILs, and how such interfaces involving ILs behave (stick
or slip at the interface) under flowing conditions.
The project will [i] measure these interactions for specific ILs and
solid surfaces by direct-force measurements using the Atomic Force
Microscopy technique; [ii] use microfluidics to investigate the flow
behaviour of bubbles and droplets in ionic liquids; [iii] determine how
ionic liquids wet specific solid surfaces and [iv] correlate the results
with specific physical and chemical properties of the ILs.
This is a collaborative project, involving researchers from The Wark and
three prestigious Swiss research centres: University of Geneva
(Department of Inorganic, Analytical and Applied Chemistry), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Institute of Chemical Sciences and
Engineering), and ETH Zurich (Department of Materials). Therefore the
successful candidate will be expected to travel and spend up to 1-2
months per year in Switzerland for training and research at the
collaborating institutes.
References
1. Holbrey, J. D.; Rogers, R. D., Green Industrial Applications of Ionic
Liquids: Technology Review. In Ionic Liquids. Industrial Applications
for Green Chemistry, Rogers, R. D.; Seddon, K. R., Eds. American
Chemical Society: 2002.
2. Horn, R.; Vinogradova, O.; Mackay, M. E.; Phan-Thien, N., J. Chem.
Phys. 2000, 112, 6424.
3. Malysa, K.; Zawala, J.; Krzan, M.; Krasowska, M., Bubbles Rising in
Solutions, Local and Terminal Velocities, Shape Variations and
Collisions with Free Surface. In Drop and Bubble Interfaces, Miller, R.;
Liggieri, L., Eds. Brill Publishers, Leiden: 2011 Vol. in press.
4. Parkinson, L.; Fornasiero, D.; Sedev, R.; Ralston, J., J. Colloid
Interface Sci. 2008, 322, 168.
5. Manica, R.; Parkinson, L.; Ralston, J.; Chan, D. Y. C., J. Phys.
Chem. C 2010, 114, 1942.
6. Connor, J. N.; Horn, R. G., Langmuir 2001, 17, 7194.
7. H. Li, R. Sedev, and J. Ralston, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 13,
3952.
Requirements: The suitable candidate would have an undergraduate
background in the area of physical chemistry, chemical engineering,
physics (Soft Condensed Matter), or similar. A working knowledge of
scientific computer programming and numerical methods is preferred, but
not required.
Funding: International students should apply for an International
Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) and a UniSA President's
Scholarship (UPS). To be eligible for UPS, applicants must be nominated
by the supervisors.
Australian students should apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) and a UniSA Australian Postgraduate Research Award (USAPRA).
