Project title
Controlled Synthesis and Characterization of Self-Supporting Covalent Organic Framework Membranes
Supervisory Team
Principal supervisor: A/Prof. Jennifer MacLeod
Co-supervisor: Prof. Steven Bottle
Project description
Engineered porous materials with tailorable and atomically precise structures are excellent candidates for a wide range of applications such as catalysis, molecular storage, filtration, and electronics. Under the same conceptual foundation as metal organic frameworks and zeolites, covalent organic frameworks are covalently bonded structures that boasts control over the frameworks’ chemical and physical properties and ultimately, their function. Although these materials are generally synthesised as bulk powders, more attention is placed in fabrication as thin films or thick membranes, making them an attractive alternative to polymer-based membranes. I aim to create a supporting functional covalent organic framework membrane with measurable chemical and physical stability, and a standardised experimental protocol to efficiently tailor these frameworks with various functionalities and complexities.
Short Biography
Nikka received her BSc in Finance, BSc in Physics/Geology, and Masters in Physics from QUT, Australia. Following this, she began her PhD under the supervision of Aspro Jennifer MacLeod and Prof. Steven Bottle. Her research interests are porous frameworks, composite materials, and fluid dynamics. In the general research community, she is passionate about fostering a healthy and collaborative research environment for young and early researchers. She is currently the QUT Guild Postgraduate Officer, and recently received the Higher Degree Researcher Award for Excellence by the Centre for Materials Science.
Selected Publications
“Self-supporting covalent organic framework membranes synthesized through two different processes: solvothermal annealing and solvent vapor annealing” Turangan, N.; Xu, Y.; Spratt, H.; Rintoul, L.; Bottle. S.; MacLeod, J. Nanotechnology 2020, 32, 075604.