Influence of organic amendments on greenhouse gas emissions and N use efficiency in sub-tropical cropping systems

This thesis investigated the impact of organic sources of nutrients on greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane), nitrogen use efficiency and biomass production in subtropical cropping soils. The study was conducted in two main soil types in subtropical ecosystems, sandy loam soil and clay soil, with a variety of organic materials from agro-industrial residues and crop residues. It is important for recycling of agro-industrial residues and agricultural residues and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen use efficiency.

Plasma assisted surface modification of organic biopolymers to prevent bacterial attachment

Despite many synthetic biomaterials having physical properties that are comparable or even superior to those of natural body tissues, they frequently fail due to the adverse physiological reactions they cause within the human body, such as infection and inflammation. The surface modification of biomaterials is an economical and effective method by which biocompatibility and biofunctionality can be achieved while preserving the favorable bulk characteristics of the biomaterial, such as strength and inertness. Amongst the numerous surface modification techniques available, plasma surface modification affords device manufacturers a flexible and environmentally friendly process that enables tailoring of the surface morphology, structure, composition, and properties of the material to a specific need. There are a vast range of possible applications of plasma modification in biomaterial applications, however, the focus of this review paper is on processes that can be used to develop surface morphologies and chemical structures for the prevention of adhesion and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria on the surfaces of in-dwelling medical devices. As such, the fundamental principles of bacterial cell attachment and biofilm formation are also discussed. Functional organic plasma polymerised coatings are also discussed for their potential as biosensitive interfaces, connecting inorganic/metallic electronic devices with their physiological environments.

Complex permittivity measurements of RF plasma polymerized polyterpenol organic thin films employing split post dielectric resonator

In the fields of organic electronics and biotechnology, applications for organic polymer thin films fabricated using low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma techniques are gaining significant attention because of the physical and chemical stability of thin films and the low cost of production. Polymer thin films were fabricated from non-synthetic terpinen-4-ol using radiofrequency polymerization (13.56 MHz) on low loss dielectric substrates and their permittivity properties were ascertained to determine potential applications for these organic films. Real and imaginary parts of permittivity as a function of frequency were measured using the variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer. The real part of permittivity (k) was found to be between 2.34 and 2.65 in the wavelength region of 400–1100 nm, indicating a potential low-k material. These permittivity values were confirmed at microwave frequencies. Dielectric properties of polyterpenol films were measured by means of split post dielectric resonators (SPDRs) operating at frequencies of 10 GHz and 20 GHz. Permittivity increased for samples deposited at higher RF energy – from 2.65 (25 W) to 2.83 (75 W) measured by a 20-GHz SPDR and from 2.32 (25 W) to 2.53 (100 W) obtained using a 10-GHz SPDR. The error in permittivity measurement was predominantly attributed to the uncertainty in film thickness measurement.

Effect of organic gate dielectric material properties on interfacial charging and discharging of pentacene MIM device

The effect of material properties of an environmentally friendly, optically transparent dielectric material, polyterpenol, on the carrier transients within the pentacene-based double-layer MTM device was investigated. Polyterpenol films were RF plasma polymerised under varied process conditions, with resultant films differing in surface chemistry and morphology. Independent of type of polyterpenol, time-resolved EFISHG study of IZO/polyterpenol/pentacene/Au structures showed similar transient behaviour with carriers injected into pentacene from Au electrode only, confirming polyterpenol to be a suitable blocking layer for visualisation of single-species carrier transportation during charging and discharging under different bias conditions. Polyterpenol fabricated under higher input power show better promise due to higher chemical and thermal stability, improved uniformity, and absence of defects.

Fabrication and characterization of polyterpenol as an insulating layer and incorporated organic field effect transistor

A non-synthetic polymer material, polyterpenol, was fabricated using a dry polymerization process namely RF plasma polymerization from an environmentally friendly monomer and its surface, optical and electrical properties investigated. Polyterpenol films were found to be transparent over the visible wavelength range, with a smooth surface with an average roughness of less than 0.4 nm and hardness of 0.4 GPa. The dielectric constant of 3.4 for polyterpenol was higher than that of the conventional polymer materials used in the organic electronic devices. The non-synthetic polymer material was then implemented as a surface modification of the gate insulator in field effect transistor (OFET) and the properties of the device were examined. In comparison to the similar device without the polymer insulating layer, the polyterpenol based OFET device showed significant improvements. The addition of the polyterpenol interlayer in the OFET shifted the threshold voltage significantly; + 20 V to -3 V. The presence of trapped charge was not observed in the polyterpenol interlayer. This assisted in the improvement of effective mobility from 0.012 to 0.021 cm 2/Vs. The switching property of the polyterpenol based OFET was also improved; 107 compared to 104. The results showed that the non-synthetic polyterpenol polymer film is a promising candidate of insulators in electronic devices.

Fabrication and characterization of plasma polymer thin films from monoterpene alcohols for applications in organic electronics and biotechnology

After more than twenty years of basic and applied research, the use of nanotechnology in the design and manufacture of nanoscale materials is rapidly increasing, particularly in commercial applications that span from electronics across renewable energy areas, and biomedical devices. Novel polymers are attracting significant attention for they promise to provide a low−cost high−performance alternative to existing materials. Furthermore, these polymers have the potential to overcome limitations imposed by currently available materials thus enabling the development of new technologies and applications that are currently beyond our reach. This work focuses on the development of a range of new low−cost environmentally−friendly polymer materials for applications in areas of organic (flexible) electronics, optics, and biomaterials. The choice of the monomer reflects the environmentally−conscious focus of this project. Terpinen−4−ol is a major constituent of Australian grown Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil, attributed with the oil's antimicrobial and anti−inflammatory properties. Plasma polymerisation was chosen as a deposition technique for it requires minimal use of harmful chemicals and produces no hazardous by−products. Polymer thin films were fabricated under varied process conditions to attain materials with distinct physico−chemical, optoelectrical, biological and degradation characteristics. The resultant materials, named polyterpenol, were extensively characterised using a number of well−accepted and novel techniques, and their fundamental properties were defined. Polyterpenol films were demonstrated to be hydrocarbon rich, with variable content of oxygen moieties, primarily in the form of hydroxyl and carboxyl functionalities. The level of preservation of original monomer functionality was shown to be strongly dependent on the deposition energy, with higher applied power increasing the molecular fragmentation and substrate temperature. Polyterpenol water contact angle contact angle increased from 62.7° for the 10 W samples to 76.3° for the films deposited at 100 W. Polymers were determined to resist solubilisation by water, due to the extensive intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds present, and other solvents commonly employed in electronics and biomedical processing. Independent of deposition power, the surface topography of the polymers was shown to be smooth (Rq <0.5 nm), uniform and defect free. Hardness of polyterpenol coatings increased from 0.33 GPa for 10 W to 0.51 GPa for 100 W (at 500 μN load). Coatings deposited at higher input RF powers showed less mechanical deformation during nanoscratch testing, with no considerable damage, cracking or delamination observed. Independent of the substrate, the quality of film adhesion improved with RF power, suggesting these coatings are likely to be more stable and less susceptible to wear. Independent of fabrication conditions, polyterpenol thin films were optically transparent, with refractive index approximating that of glass. Refractive index increased slightly with deposition power, from 1.54 (10 W) to 1.56 (100 W) at 500 nm. The optical band gap values declined with increasing power, from 2.95 eV to 2.64 eV, placing the material within the range for semiconductors. Introduction of iodine impurity reduced the band gap of polyterpenol, from 2.8 eV to 1.64 eV, by extending the density of states more into the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Doping decreased the transparency and increased the refractive index from 1.54 to 1.70 (at 500 nm). At optical frequencies, the real part of permittivity (k) was determined to be between 2.34 and 2.65, indicating a potential low-k material. These permittivity values were confirmed at microwave frequencies, where permittivity increased with input RF energy – from 2.32 to 2.53 (at 10 GHz ) and from 2.65 to 2.83 (at 20 GHz). At low frequencies, the dielectric constant was determined from current−voltage characteristics of Al−polyterpenol−Al devices. At frequencies below 100 kHz, the dielectric constant varied with RF power, from 3.86 to 4.42 at 1 kHz. For all samples, the resistivity was in order of 10⁸−10⁹ _m (at 6 V), confirming the insulating nature of polyterpenol material. In situ iodine doping was demonstrated to increase the conductivity of polyterpenol, from 5.05 × 10⁻⁸ S/cm to 1.20 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm (at 20 V). Exposed to ambient conditions over extended period of time, polyterpenol thin films were demonstrated to be optically, physically and chemically stable. The bulk of ageing occurred within first 150 h after deposition and was attributed to oxidation and volumetric relaxation. Thermal ageing studies indicated thermal stability increased for the films manufactured at higher RF powers, with degradation onset temperature associated with weight loss shifting from 150 ºC to 205 ºC for 10 W and 100 W polyterpenol, respectively. Annealing the films to 405 °C resulted in full dissociation of the polymer, with minimal residue. Given the outcomes of the fundamental characterisation, a number of potential applications for polyterpenol have been identified. Flexibility, tunable permittivity and loss tangent properties of polyterpenol suggest the material can be used as an insulating layer in plastic electronics. Implementation of polyterpenol as a surface modification of the gate insulator in pentacene-based Field Effect Transistor resulted in significant improvements, shifting the threshold voltage from + 20 V to –3 V, enhancing the effective mobility from 0.012 to 0.021 cm²/Vs, and improving the switching property of the device from 10⁷ to 10⁴. Polyterpenol was demonstrated to have a hole transport electron blocking property, with potential applications in many organic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes. Encapsulation of biomedical devices is also proposed, given that under favourable conditions, the original chemical and biological functionality of terpinen−4−ol molecule can be preserved. Films deposited at low RF power were shown to successfully prevent adhesion and retention of several important human pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis, whereas films deposited at higher RF power promoted bacterial cell adhesion and biofilm formation. Preliminary investigations into in vitro biocompatibility of polyterpenol demonstrated the coating to be non−toxic for several types of eukaryotic cells, including Balb/c mice macrophage and human monocyte type (HTP−1 non-adherent) cells. Applied to magnesium substrates, polyterpenol encapsulating layer significantly slowed down in vitro biodegradation of the metal, thus increasing the viability and growth of HTP−1 cells. Recently, applied to varied nanostructured titanium surfaces, polyterpenol thin films successfully reduced attachment, growth, and viability of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.

Assessing infant exposure to persistent organic pollutants via dietary intake in Australia

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); organochlorine pesticides (OCPs); and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, and pose a risk of causing adverse human health effects. Typically, exposure assessments undertaken by modeling existing intake data underestimate the concentrations of these chemicals in infants. This study aimed to determine concentrations of POPs in infant foods, assess exposure via dietary intake and compare this to historical exposure. Fruit purees, meat and vegetables, dairy desserts, cereals and jelly foods (n = 33) purchased in 2013 in Brisbane, Australia were analyzed. For OCPs and PCBs, concentrations ranged up to 95 pg/g fw and for PBDEs up to 32 pg/g fw with most analytes below the limit of detection. Daily intake is dependent on type and quantity of foods consumed. Consumption of a 140 g meal would result in intake ranging from 0 to 4.2 ng/day, 4.4 ng/day and 13.3 ng/day, for OCPs, PBDEs and PCBs, respectively. PBDEs were detected in 3/33 samples, OCPs in 9/33 samples and PCBs in 13/33 samples. Results from this study indicate exposure for infants via dietary (in contrast to dust and breast milk) intake in Australia contribute only a minor component to total exposure.

Persistent organic pollutants in matched breast milk and infant faeces samples

Assessing blood concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in infants is difficult due to the ethical and practical difficulties in obtaining sufficient quantities of blood. To determine whether measuring POPs in faeces might reflect blood concentration during infancy, we measured the concentrations of a range of POPs (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)) in a pilot study using matched breast milk and infant faecal samples obtained from ten mother-child pairs. All infants were breast fed, with 8 of them also receiving solid food at the time of faecal sampling. In this small dataset faecal concentrations (range 0.01-41ngg-1 lipid) are strongly associated with milk concentrations (range 0.02-230ngg-1 lipid). Associations with other factors generally could not be detected in this dataset, with the exception of a small effect of age or growth. Different sources (external or internal) of exposure appeared to directly influence faecal concentrations of different chemicals based on different inter-individual variability in the faeces-to-milk concentration ratio Rfm. Overall, the matrix of faeces as an external measure of internal exposure in infants looks promising for some chemicals and is worth assessing further in larger datasets.

Analysing the Impact of Learning Inputs - Application to Terrain Traversability Estimation

Data-driven approaches such as Gaussian Process (GP) regression have been used extensively in recent robotics literature to achieve estimation by learning from experience. To ensure satisfactory performance, in most cases, multiple learning inputs are required. Intuitively, adding new inputs can often contribute to better estimation accuracy, however, it may come at the cost of a new sensor, larger training dataset and/or more complex learning, some- times for limited benefits. Therefore, it is crucial to have a systematic procedure to determine the actual impact each input has on the estimation performance. To address this issue, in this paper we propose to analyse the impact of each input on the estimate using a variance-based sensitivity analysis method. We propose an approach built on Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) decomposition, which can characterise how the prediction changes as one or more of the input changes, and also quantify the prediction uncertainty as attributed from each of the inputs in the framework of dependent inputs. We apply the proposed approach to a terrain-traversability estimation method we proposed in prior work, which is based on multi-task GP regression, and we validate this implementation experimentally using a rover on a Mars-analogue terrain.

Superhydrophobic fabrics for oil-water separation based on the metal organic charge transfer complex CuTCNAQ

This work reports on the fabrication of a superhydrophobic nylon textile based on the organic charge transfer complex CuTCNAQ (TCNAQ = 11,11,12,12-tetracyanoanthraquinodimethane). The nylon fabric that is metallized with copper undergoes a spontaneous chemical reaction with TCNAQ dissolved in acetonitrile to form nanorods of CuTCNAQ that are intertwined over the entire surface of the fabric. This creates the necessary micro and nanoscale roughness that is required for the Cassie-Baxter state thereby achieving a superhydrophobic/superoleophilic surface without the need for a fluorinated surface. The material is characterised with SEM, FT-IR and XPS spectroscopy and investigated for its ability to separate oil and water in two modes, namely under gravity and as an absorbent. It is found that the fabric can separate dichloromethane, olive oil and crude oil from water and in fact reduce the water content of the oil during the separation process. The fabric is reusable and tolerant to conditions such as seawater, hydrochloric acid and extensive time periods on the shelf. Given that CuTCNAQ is a copper based semiconductor may also open up the possibility of other applications in areas such as photocatalysis and antibacterial applications.

Environmental applications of inorganic-organic clays for recalcitrant organic pollutants removal: Bisphenol A

Bisphenol-A (BPA) adsorption onto inorganic-organic clays (IOCs) was investigated. For this purpose, IOCs synthesised using octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (ODTMA, organic modifier) and hydroxy aluminium (Al13, inorganic modifier) were used. Three intercalation methods were employed with varying ODTMA concentration in the synthesis of IOCs. Molecular interactions of clay surfaces with ODTMA and Al13 and their arrangements within the interlayers were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Surface area and porous structure of IOCs were determined by applying Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) method to N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. Surface area decreased upon ODTMA intercalation while it increased with Al13 pillaring. As a result, BET specific surface area of IOCs was considerably higher than those of organoclays. Initial concentration of BPA, contact time and adsorbent dose significantly affected BPA adsorption into IOCs. Pseudo-second order kinetics model is the best fit for BPA adsorption into IOCs. Both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were applicable for BPA adsorption (R2 > 0.91) for IOCs. Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity for IOCs was as high as 109.89 mg g‒1 and it was closely related to the loaded ODTMA amount into the clay. Hydrophobic interactions between long alkyl chains of ODTMA and BPA are responsible for BPA adsorption into IOCs.

Adsorption and Unfolding of Lysozyme at a Polarized Aqueous-Organic Liquid Interface

The adsorption of proteins at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions has been found to be key to their bioelectroactivity at such interfaces. Combined with interfacial complexation of organic phase anions by cationic proteins, this adsorption process may be exploited to achieve nanomolar protein detection. In this study, replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to elucidate for the first time the molecular mechanism of adsorption and subsequent unfolding of hen egg white lysozyme at low pH at a polarized 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface. The unfolding of lysozyme was observed to occur as soon as it reaches the organic−aqueous interface,which resulted in a number of distinct orientations at the interface. In all cases, lysozyme interacted with the organic phase through regions rich in nonpolar amino acids, such that the side chains are directed toward the organic phase, whereas charged and polar residues were oriented toward the aqueous phase. By contrast, as expected, lysozyme in neat water at low pH does not exhibit significant structural changes. These findings demonstrate the key influence of the organic phase upon adsorption of lysozyme under the influence of an electric field, which results in the unfolding of its structure.

Metal nanoparticle photocatalysts: Emerging processes for green organic synthesis

Metal nanoparticle photocatalysts have attracted recent interest due to their strong absorption of visible and ultraviolet light. The energy absorbed by the metal conduction electrons and the intense electric fields in close proximity, created by the localized surface plasmon resonance effect, makes the crucial contribution of activating the molecules on the metal nanoparticles which facilitates chemical transformation. There are now many examples of successful reactions catalyzed by supported nanoparticles of pure metals and of metal alloys driven by light at ambient or moderate temperatures. These examples demonstrate these materials are a novel group of efficient photocatalysts for converting solar energy to chemical energy and that the mechanisms are distinct from those of semiconductor photocatalysts. We present here an overview of recent research on direct photocatalysis of supported metal nanoparticles for organic synthesis under light irradiation and discuss the significant reaction mechanisms that occur through light irradiation.

3D hierarchical rutile TiO2 and metal-free organic sensitizer producing dye-sensitized solar cells 8.6% conversion efficiency

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanoscale architectures comprised of building blocks, with specifically engineered morphologies, are expected to play important roles in the fabrication of 'next generation' microelectronic and optoelectronic devices due to their high surface-to-volume ratio as well as opto-electronic properties. Herein, a series of well-defined 3D hierarchical rutile TiO2 architectures (HRT) were successfully prepared using a facile hydrothermal method without any surfactant or template, simply by changing the concentration of hydrochloric acid used in the synthesis. The production of these materials provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first identified example of a ledgewise growth mechanism in a rutile TiO2 structure. Also for the first time, a Dye-sensitized Solar Cell (DSC) combining a HRT is reported in conjunction with a high-extinction-coefficient metal-free organic sensitizer (D149), achieving a conversion efficiency of 5.5%, which is superior to ones employing P25 (4.5%), comparable to state-of-the-art commercial transparent titania anatase paste (5.8%). Further to this, an overall conversion efficiency 8.6% was achieved when HRT was used as the light scattering layer, a considerable improvement over the commercial transparent/reflector titania anatase paste (7.6%), a significantly smaller gap in performance than has been seen previously.

Worldwide outdoor round robin study of organic photovoltaic devices and modules

Accurate characterization and reporting of organic photovoltaic (OPV) device performance remains one of the important challenges in the field. The large spread among the efficiencies of devices with the same structure reported by different groups is significantly caused by different procedures and equipment used during testing. The presented article addresses this issue by offering a new method of device testing using “suitcase sample” approach combined with outdoor testing that limits the diversity of the equipment, and a strict measurement protocol. A round robin outdoor characterization of roll-to-roll coated OPV cells and modules conducted among 46 laboratories worldwide is presented, where the samples and the testing equipment were integrated in a compact suitcase that served both as a sample transportation tool and as a holder and test equipment during testing. In addition, an internet based coordination was used via plasticphotovoltaics.org that allowed fast and efficient communication among participants and provided a controlled reporting format for the results that eased the analysis of the data. The reported deviations among the laboratories were limited to 5% when compared to the Si reference device integrated in the suitcase and were up to 8% when calculated using the local irradiance data. Therefore, this method offers a fast, cheap and efficient tool for sample sharing and testing that allows conducting outdoor measurements of OPV devices in a reproducible manner.