Professor Doug MacFarlane

The Head of the School of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science at Monash University is Professor Doug MacFarlane. His current area of research, published in the August 2008 edition of the Journal, ‘Science’, focuses on the design of a novel fuel cell with an air electrode. This fuel cell outlasts the platinum cell and is as effective, more economical, and is more easily sourced.

His work has been conducted in the Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science (ACES), an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence, for which Professor MacFarlane is the chief investigator. The breakthrough, where expensive platinum in the fuel cell is replaced by the cheaper but just as efficient air-electrode, will have a huge impact on the next generation of hybrid cars.

Monash’s Dr Bjorn Winther-Jensen invented a technique whereby a conductive plastic layer can be deposited on the Goretex membrane from which the air-electrode is constructed. This highly conductive plastic acts as the electrode and the catalyst in the fuel cell. The new design fuel cell has undergone rigorous testing for periods up to 1500 hours. There is no sign of deterioration or wear and tear. The tests also confirmed that O₂ conversion rates are comparable with platinum–catalysed electrodes of the same geometry.

“The reliance of traditional fuel cells on platinum was making the concept of using them in everyday passenger cars increasingly improbable because of its high cost and scarcity. Current annual production of platinum would be sufficient for only three million 100kW vehicles; that is, one-fifth of the current annual production globally. The cost of the platinum component of current fuel cells for a small car with a 100kW engine has become substantially greater than the total cost of an entire 100kW gasoline engine.”

One of Professor MacFarlane’s collaborators, the ACES Director Professor Maria Forsyth, enlarges on this. She confirms it is significant that the electrodes are not poisoned by carbon monoxide the way platinum is. Professor MacFarlane believes that the discovery is possibly the most important development in fuel cell technology in the last 20 years. He remains committed to developing ‘green’ energy technologies to lower<

In his work at the ACES Professor MacFarlane has established close links with the University of Wollongong, with the CSIRO, the Defence, Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and several industries.

Professor MacFarlane’s broader interests are in the development and use of ionic liquids in a number of applications in electrochemistry, green chemistry, solar cells and batteries. A Federation Fellowship has allowed investigation into a family of liquids in biotechnology, including protein stabilization and biopreservation, for use in the treatment of diseases such as haemophilia and in the management of diabetes.

Publications

Protein Solubilising and Stabilising Ionic Liquids. K.Fujita, D.R. MacFarlane, M. Forsyth, Chem.Commun.2005,4804–4806.
This paper demonstrated for the first time that certain purpose-designed ILs can act as very powerful stabilizing solvents for proteins.

Lithium-Doped Plastic Crystal Electrolytes Exhibiting Fast Ion Conduction for Secondary Batteries. D.R. MacFarlane, J. Huang and M. Forsyth,Nature 1999, 402, 792-794.
This paper describes a completely new family of materials in which fast, solid-state ion conduction is present.

Use of Ionic Liquids For π-Conjugated Polymer Electrochemical Devices. W. Lu, A.G. Fadeev,B.Qi, B.R. Mattes, G. Wallace, J. Ding, G. Spinks, J. Mazurkiewicz, D.R.MacFarlane, S. Forsyth and M. Forsyth,Science 2002, 297, 983-987.
This paper shows how ionic liquids provids superb, breakthrough-level cycle stability in devices based on conducting polymers.

The Zwitterion Effect in High-conductivity Polyelectrolyte Materials. C. Tiyapiboonchaiya, J.M. Pringle, J. Sun, N. Byrne, P.C. Howlett, D.R. MacFarlane, M. Forsyth,Nature Materials 2004, 3, 29-32.
Discovery and description of the “zwitterion effect,” which has now been shown to be strongly operative in ionic liquids also.

Ambient Temperature Plastic Crystal Electrolyte for Efficient, All-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell. P. Wang, Q. Dai; S.M. Zakeeruddin, M. Forsyth, D.R. MacFarlane, M. Graetzel,J.Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 13590-13591.
The first demonstration of a plastic crystalline based all-solid-state dye sensitised solar cell.

Pyrrolidinium Imides: A New Family of Molten Salts and Conductive Plastic Crystal Phases. D.R. MacFarlane, P. Meakin, J. Sun, N. Amini, M. Forsyth,J Phys Chem. 1999, 103, 4164-4170.
This paper was the first report of the immensely stable pyrrolidinium (CF₃SO₂)₂N^-- family of salts which have gone on to be used by many in electrochemical applications. It is also the first description of pyrrolidinium family of cations for use in ionic liquids.

Low Viscosity Ionic Liquids Based on Organic Salts of the Dicyanamide Anion. D.R. MacFarlane, J. Golding, S. Forsyth, M. Forsyth and G.B. Deacon, Chem. Commun. 2001, 1430-1431.  
This paper was the first report of the dicyanamide family of ionic liquids.