Developing better batteries has won a young researcher from The University of Queensland a prestigious international award.
Dr Da-Wei Wang was awarded the 2013 Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Award in Engineering and Technology for his research that could one day allow electric cars to run between cities with fewer stops to recharge.
A postdoctoral research fellow in 国产探花鈥檚 , Dr Wang says the aim of his work is to produce a battery for electric cars that has much greater energy storage than the batteries available.
鈥淢y current focus is on carbon-based nanomaterials for use in high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hese are rechargeable batteries which are light-weight, store a large amount of energy, and are made from a cheap and readily available material.鈥�
The are part of a global initiative by Elsevier, a medical and scientific publishing company, to support early-career researchers in their quest to advance the frontiers of science across a broad range of disciplines.
Dr Wang鈥檚 award recognised his contributions to new supercapacitors and energy storage nanotechnology.
Supercapacitors combine the short charging time of capacitors with the large energy storage of batteries, providing an energy storage system with potential uses in electric cars and fast-charging electronic devices.
The judging panel said Dr Wang鈥檚 research has resulted in 鈥渟ubstantial advances鈥� and provided 鈥渇undamental new insights鈥� into nanocarbon materials.
鈥淗is work involves a number of contributions directly relevant to both supercapacitor and novel battery energy storage systems. These technologies are widely recognised as being a critical component to supporting renewable energy systems,鈥� the panel said.
Dr Wang hopes the award will help him to share his research with the public and increase awareness of the new energy technologies being developed.
The 2013 ceremony was held in Adelaide on 13 September 2013, awarding scientists from five disciplines.
Media contact: Dr Da-Wei Wang, PH: (+61 7) 3365 3868, E: d.wang6@uq.edu.au
