Better batteries earn global award for young researcher

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 UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, 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.

“My current focus is on carbon-based nanomaterials for use in high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries,” he said.

“These are rechargeable batteries which are light-weight, store a large amount of energy, and are made from a cheap and readily available material.”

The Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Awards 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’s 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’s research has resulted in “substantial advances” and provided “fundamental new insights” into nanocarbon materials.

“His 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,” 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