Special Collection: Distinguished Australian Researchers

15 January 2024
16 April 2024

Australia is globally renowned for the excellence of its research, fostering international collaborations and investing significantly in its higher education system. Recent government initiatives have empowered universities to enhance their research capabilities. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, Australia achieves an impressive average research productivity score of 96 out of 100, ranking as the second highest globally. The country's universities excel in diverse specialized fields, with nearly 90 percent of research rated at or above world standard. Australia's research landscape is particularly distinguished in the realm of aggregate science, encompassing multidisciplinary research across nano, micro, meso, and macro scales. This covers a spectrum of entities, including particles, polymers, dots, clusters, frameworks, hybrids, composites, proteins, cells, and more. This special collection spotlights some of Australia's eminent researchers contributing to the dynamic landscape of aggregate science, showcasing the nation's pivotal role in advancing knowledge and innovation.


Guest Editors

Yuning Hong

Yuning Hong, La Trobe University, Australia


Youhong Tang

Youhong Tang, Flinders University, Australia


The Editorial Office expresses sincere gratitude to Prof. Yuning Hong and Prof. Youhong Tang for their tremendous support, to the reviewers for their careful review, as well as to the authors for their outstanding contributions to this special collection. Further accepted articles will be collected in this special collection on a regular basis. Stay tuned!

Table of Contents

Open Access

Fire-retardant and high-strength polymeric materials enabled by supramolecular aggregates: Special Collection: Distinguished Australian Researchers

Fire-retardant and high-strength polymeric materials enabled by supramolecular aggregates

This work provides an overview of fire-retardant and high-strength polymer materials based on supramolecular structures and interactions of aggregates, including their conceptual design, characterization, modification principles, performances, applications, mechanisms, challenges, and future perspectives.

Open Access

A review of metal nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection

A review of metal nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection

The rapid, simple, and accurate detection of coronavirus disease is clearly a priority for society. This review highlights the efforts to detect the virus using gold and silver nanoparticles as the platform for detection using surface-enhanced Raman scattering. There is great promise for testing based on this approach to minimise the impact of the disease.

Open Access

Thin-film flow technology in controlling the organization of materials and their properties

Thin-film flow technology in controlling the organization of materials and their properties

The versatile thin film microfluidic vortex fluidic device (VFD) has high shear submicron topological fluid flows with large surface areas for micro-mixing as well as rapid mass and heat transfer which can be harnessed for regulating molecular and macromolecular chemical reactivity, self-organization phenomena, and the synthesis of novel materials.

Open Access

Aggregation-induced emission polymers via reversible-deactivation radical polymerization

  • First Published: 06 September 2023
Aggregation-induced emission polymers via reversible-deactivation radical polymerization

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active polymers have a wide range of practical applications, and one of the important methods for the design and synthesis of AIE polymers is the use of reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) techniques. This review highlights some recent works on the design and synthesis of AIE polymers using typical RDRP such as RAFT, ATRP, and NMP. Importantly, possible applications and future directions of these AIE active polymers are also provided.

Open Access

Shape dependent protein-induced stabilization of gold nanoparticles: From a protein corona perspective

  • First Published: 22 February 2023
Shape dependent protein-induced stabilization of gold nanoparticles: From a protein corona perspective

Gold nanoparticles demonstrate unique, shape-dependent protein interactions. The protein layers strongly adsorb onto the surface of the nanoparticles, which increases their stability. Protein does not entirely cover the surface of gold nanostars, but it provides stability with a protein layer around the core. These findings will support the creation of new nanostructures with enhanced sensing and targeting capabilities.

Open Access

Phase separation-induced nanoprecipitation for making polymer nanoparticles with high drug loading

Phase separation-induced nanoprecipitation for making polymer nanoparticles with high drug loading

This study reports a simple and efficient salt screening method for making polymer nanoparticles with exceptionally high drug loading (up to 66.5 wt%). Upon addition of salt, phase separation occurs in a miscible solvent-water solution delaying the precipitation time of drugs and polymers to different extents, facilitating their co-precipitation and thus the formation of high drug-loading nanoparticles. This technology is versatile and easy to be adapted to various hydrophobic drugs, polymers, and solvents.