Current research projects
The GICAN team is currently working on the following research projects:
Advanced nanomaterials-based portable water filtration bags
Funding body Drinking Water Solutions Pty Ltd
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Gurwinder Singh
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass,
Mr Euiho Hwang,
Time frame 2024 -2027
Design of Nanoporous BCN with Tunable Pores for CO2 Capture and Conversion
Funding body ARC (Australian Research Council)
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Time frame 2024 -2026
Unlocking Soil Potential (USP)
Funding body Grains Research and Development Corporation
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass,
Doctor Gurwinder Singh,
Dr Eshan Tavakkoli,
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten
Time frame 2023 -2026
Unlocking Soil Potential (USP)-PhD student-Ajanya: Transformation of Industrial Green Wastes into Nanoporous Biocarbons for Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Funding body Grains Research and Development Corporation
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass,
Doctor Gurwinder Singh,
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten
Time frame 2023 -2026
Unlocking Soil Potential (USP)-PhD student-Reshma: Metal oxide functionalised biomass-derived porous carbon for CO2 Capture and sequestration
Funding body Grains Research and Development Corporation
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass,
Doctor Gurwinder Singh,
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten
Time frame 2023 -2026
PNU-UoN Global Collaborative Research Center for Green Ammonia Integrated Power Generation
Funding body Pusan National University
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Soonho Lee,
Doctor Jangmee Lee,
Professor Jiabao Yi,
Doctor Thava Palanisami,
Professor Chunghwan Jeon,
Professor JuHun Song,
Professor HeeChang LIm,
Professor ByungHwa Lee,
Doctor Jae-Hun Yang,
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Time frame 2022 -2027
Nanoscale heating towards high efficient nitrogen reduction
Funding body ARC (Australian Research Council)
Project Team
Professor Jiabao Yi,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass,
Tony Belperio,
Zongyou Yin,
Mr James Marsh,
Mr Rana Sami Ul Haq,
Mr Wilson Jacks Clinton
Timeframe 2022-2025
Cold catalysis for water splitting
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
Project Team
Professor Jiabao Yi,
Doctor Jangmee Lee,
Doctor Jae-Hun Yang,
Mr Chaojie Cao,
Professor Kazunari Domen,
Mr Chenxi Yu
Time frame 2022-2024
Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL)
Funding body: NHMRC (National Health & Medical Research Council)
Project Team
Doctor Thava Palanisami
Timeframe 2022 -2027
Biomass optimisation and microbial biopolymer synthesis for the compostable bioplastic production
Funding body Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Project Team
Associate Professor Thava Palanisami,
Associate Professor Ian Grainge,
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti,
Miss Haryni Jayaradhika Raghuraman Rengarajan,
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Professor Jiabao Yi
Time frame 2022 -2023
Engineering novel amendments for regenerating soil carbon without the greenhouse gas implications of nitrogen fertiliser
Funding body
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Professor Paul Munroe,
Dr Eshan Tavakkoli,
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten
Time frame 2022 -2025
Engineering novel amendments for regenerating soil carbon without the greenhouse gas implications of nitrogen fertiliser
Funding body
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Professor Paul Munroe,
Dr Eshan Tavakkoli,
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten
Time frame 2022 -2025
Dispersive soil and soil structure: Novel amendments for improving soil structure
Funding body
CRC for High-Performance Soils
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass
Time frame 2022 -2024
Engineered clay-polysaccharide composites for efficient nutrient delivery
Funding body
ARC (Australian Research Council), Minotaur Exploration Pty Ltd and Andromeda Metals Limited
Project Team
Professor Nanthi Bolan,
Professor Ajayan Vinu,
Doctor Kavitha Ramadass, Richard Bell, Dr Lukas Van Zwieten, Dr Eshan Tavakkoli,
Mr James Marsh,
Tony Belperio
Time frame 2022 -2024
Design, development and delivery of low-cost adsorbent systems for the selective capture of CO2
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Funding body: DEBEL India
Timeframe: 2019 -2025
Design and the development of advanced nanomaterials for the production of pharmaceuticals and their delivery
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Funding body: Apex Lab
Timeframe: 2021 -2025
Engineered carbon-clay composite based novel fertilisers to overcome nutrient stratification in soil
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Funding body: Soil CRC
Timeframe: 2021 -2024
Biophysical approaches to achieving long-term storage of soil carbon in sugarcane systems
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Funding body: Soil CRC
Timeframe: 2021 - 2024
Reconciling carbon sequestration with fertiliser value of biowastes in farming systems through nanostabilisation of biowastes
Research team:
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Dr Girish Choppala
Professor Ed Burton
Funding body: Soil CRC PhD scholarship grant
Timeframe: 2021- 2024
Removal and degradation of microplastics using halloysite nanocomposite
Project Team
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi (lead investigator)
Dr Thava Palanisami
Dr Kavitha Ramadass
Professor Shaobin Wang
Mr James Marsh
Dr Antonio Belperio
Funding body: Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant
Timeframe: 2021 - 2023
Halloysite-based materials for carbon capture and conversion
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu (lead investigator)
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti
Dr Kavitha Ramadass
Dr Thava Palanisami
Associate Professor Ashish Malik
Funding bodies: Andromeda Metals Ltd and Minotaur Exploration Pty Ltd
Timeframe: 2021 - 2025
Novel bioplastic products from biomass: development, testing and validation
Project Team
Dr Thava Palanisami (lead investigator)
Professor Ajayan Vinu
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti
Associate Professor Ian Grainge
Funding body: Innovationclub Pty Ltd
Timeframe: 2021- 2023
Halloysite-derived nanomaterials for environmental applications
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu (lead investigator)
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti
Funding body: Natural Nanotech Pty Ltd
Timeframe: 2020–2022
A platform for probing nanoscale magnetic states under multiple actuations
Project Team
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Team from UNSW
Funding body: Australian Research Council (ARC) LIEF
Timeframe: 2021
The development of advanced nanocarbon materials from coconut shell for energy and environmental applications
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu (lead investigator)
Associate Professor Jiabao Yi
Associate Professor Ajay Karakoti
Dr Gurwinder Singh
Dr Thava Palanisami
Associate Professor Ashish Malik
Funding body: Carbonova India Private Limited
Timeframe: 2020–2024
Synthesis of 3-dimensional mesoporous silica-based nanomaterial (SBA1) for carbon capture and conversion
Research team:
Professor Ajayan Vinu (lead investigator)
Mr Ahmad Ahmad Tabish
Funding body: The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
Timeframe: 2021-2023
Janus nanosheets for the capture of CO2 and its conversion into clean fuels
Project Team
Professor Ajayan Vinu (lead investigator)
Ms Sujanya Jesus Maria Ruban
Funding body: Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA
Timeframe: 2021-2022
Plastics and microplastics: source control and mitigation
Project Team
Dr Thava Palanisami
Funding body: Victoria EPA
Timeframe: 2021-2021
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.