UQ researcher to tackle looming energy crisis

University of Queensland researcher Dr Paul Meredith has been awarded a Smart State Senior Fellowship to develop new technologies to combat the world’s looming energy crisis.

Dr Meredith, from UQ’s School of Physical Sciences and head of the Soft Condensed Matter Physics Group, said new functional materials were developed for use in the next generation of energy creation.

“Even the most ardent environmentalist would conceded that we cannot merely stop using fossil fuels to create our energy,” Dr Meredith said.

“We must solve out energy problems , and mitigate global warming, by a progressive transition from fossil fuels to alternative, sustainable energy sources.

“This research is motivated by those imperatives.”

Dr Meredith said his work would focus on materials that have a low environmental impact such as nanostructured silica coatings, organic bio-materials and organic-inorganic nanocomposites.

“All these systems can be produced using cheap, environmentally friendly methods with applications will for bio-sensors and solar cells,” he said.

Dr Meredith said the research will be supported by Queensland company XeroCoat, a high-tech start-up company formed by Dr Meredith and research partner Dr Michael Harvey to commercialise a new type of anti-fogging coating technology they developed.

The Fellowship is worth $100,000 a year for three years and was announced by
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation Anna Bligh today.

The Smart State Senior Fellowships are awarded through the Queensland Government’s Innovation Skills Fund and aims to build a critical mass of internationally recognised researchers undertaking cutting-edge research in the Queensland.

Media inquiries: Dr Paul Meredith (07 3365 7050) or Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (07 3365 2802 or 0433 364 181).