BEDFORD RESEARCH GROUP
Welcome to the website for the Bedford Research Group. Here you will find information on all the group’s research activities, publications and various musings. The group is always looking for talented, enthusiastic, and passionate students eager to develop scientific principles for the generation of new materials with interesting/improved properties. Our group is highly collaborative as well, so feel free to contact us if you would be interested in working together!

BEDFORD RESEARCH GROUP
Welcome to the website for the Bedford Research Group. Here you will find information on all the group’s research activities, publications and various musings. The group is always looking for talented, enthusiastic, and passionate students eager to develop scientific principles for the generation of new materials with interesting/improved properties. Our group is highly collaborative as well, so feel free to contact us if you would be interested in working together ?

Interested in joining our team?
Our team
Click here to learn more about our crew and information to join the team
Research
We make really interesting materials. Then we shoot X-rays at them to figure out how they work and how to make better materials. Click here to learn more.
Publications
Dissemination of new research is vital to the progress of technology. Click here to see what the team has published.
WHAT WE DO
Our group is interested in two things: 1) Uncovering the fundamental structural science behind what gives materials the properties that they exhibit and 2) using this information to make new materials with emergent properties. We strive to accomplish both of these interests through creative thinking coupled with the rigorous study of fundamental science. Many of our students work in very collaborative projects across campus, Australia, and beyond and work in areas including catalysis, advanced ceramic materials, biosensors, and rare earth materials.
New paper out in JACS 📓🇺🇸🧪🎩!! Lead by our most esteemed colleagues at John’s Hopkins University 👩🏫🧑🏫👨🏫 and in collabs with researchers at UMass Lowell ☃️, this effort reports on a the use of CuBIF MOFs 🪅 to generate urea from waste materials CO2 and NO3 🏭🌾 driven by electrochemistry ⚡️🦸♂️, representing key findings to generate useful molecules in a sustainable fashion. Importantly, the mechanism of this reaction is thoroughly studied using DFT 💾 and in-situ 👀XAS measurements, the layer of which was enabled by the killer staff and facilities at the MR-CAT 😸 beamlines. Great work by all.. read 🤓the paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c08359# #copper #mof #sustainability #urea #xas #dft #upcycling #synchrotronscience #synchrotron #collabos #dataordie

New paper out in JACS 📓🇺🇸🧪🎩!! Lead by our most esteemed colleagues at John’s Hopkins University 👩🏫🧑🏫👨🏫 and in collabs with researchers at UMass Lowell ☃️, this effort reports on a the use of CuBIF MOFs 🪅 to generate urea from waste materials CO2 and NO3 🏭🌾 driven by electrochemistry ⚡️🦸♂️, representing key findings to generate useful molecules in a sustainable fashion. Importantly, the mechanism of this reaction is thoroughly studied using DFT 💾 and in-situ 👀XAS measurements, the layer of which was enabled by the killer staff and facilities at the MR-CAT 😸 beamlines. Great work by all.. read 🤓the paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c08359# #copper #mof #sustainability #urea #xas #dft #upcycling #synchrotronscience #synchrotron #collabos #dataordie
@steeephch, @tarencataldo and Jhair just completed experiment at the new MEX-2 beamline 🆕 at the Aussitron 🦘 ⭕️ 👍💪. This new beamline enables XAS measurements for tricky K-edges, such as P and S, and second row transition metal L-edges, such as Mo, and Zr. Data looks great 💽📈, good job all! #xas #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #synchrotronlight #phd #phlife #phosphorous #zirconium #molybdenum #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie

@steeephch, @tarencataldo and Jhair just completed experiment at the new MEX-2 beamline 🆕 at the Aussitron 🦘 ⭕️ 👍💪. This new beamline enables XAS measurements for tricky K-edges, such as P and S, and second row transition metal L-edges, such as Mo, and Zr. Data looks great 💽📈, good job all! #xas #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #synchrotronlight #phd #phlife #phosphorous #zirconium #molybdenum #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie
Congrats to everyone for passing their APRs this term 🎉🥳🍾🍾🙌🎉🪅🧗♀️📈…Jhair, @gug_rj @haihackbarth @tarencataldo @yuweii77vv … well done by all! 🫡#polymerderivedceramics #mofs #biosensors #nuclearfuelcycle #electrocatalysis #ontothenextone #phd #phdlife #dataordie

Congrats to everyone for passing their APRs this term 🎉🥳🍾🍾🙌🎉🪅🧗♀️📈…Jhair, @gug_rj @haihackbarth @tarencataldo @yuweii77vv … well done by all! 🫡#polymerderivedceramics #mofs #biosensors #nuclearfuelcycle #electrocatalysis #ontothenextone #phd #phdlife #dataordie
New paper in the Journal of the European Ceramic Society 📓🇪🇺🧱🕺🫡👍. In collabos with the legends at AFRL 🛫👩🔬🧑🔬👨🔬🛬, we sought out to understand the structure of polymer derived ceramics 🥽➡️🧱including the important roles polymer chemistry and pyrolysis temperature impact atomic scale structure. PDCs have been identified as potentially transformational material given there ability to be processed in a range of ways (including 3D printing 🖨️), but the lack of fundamental insights in these materials has been lacking. Congrats to @haihackbarth for getting her first paper, and @yuweii77vv and others for their contributions. Read the paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955221923009020. #ceramics #polymerderivedceramics #sic #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronradiation #dataordie

New paper in the Journal of the European Ceramic Society 📓🇪🇺🧱🕺🫡👍. In collabos with the legends at AFRL 🛫👩🔬🧑🔬👨🔬🛬, we sought out to understand the structure of polymer derived ceramics 🥽➡️🧱including the important roles polymer chemistry and pyrolysis temperature impact atomic scale structure. PDCs have been identified as potentially transformational material given there ability to be processed in a range of ways (including 3D printing 🖨️), but the lack of fundamental insights in these materials has been lacking. Congrats to @haihackbarth for getting her first paper, and @yuweii77vv and others for their contributions. Read the paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955221923009020. #ceramics #polymerderivedceramics #sic #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronradiation #dataordie
New paper in ACS Nano 🇺🇸🧪🤴🔬!! In collabos with our DoE friends at Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, our team developed a methodology for creating high entropy alloys 😵💫 using peptides 💪 as capping agents. We are able to incorporate a range of different metals (up to 7️⃣) including mixes of precious 🏆 and non-precious 🪨 metal combinations. The really exciting thing is that we may be able to control where the atoms are located by exploiting biotic/abiotic interactions, as reveal through a range of synchrotron ⭕️ methods and associated modeling efforts 🎰. And these things are great for methanol electrooxidation! Work was led by @bijilsubhash with contributions from @will_hadi and others. Read the paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.3c03884 #highentropyalloy #nano #gold #platinum #palladium #cobalt #tin #cerium #copper #methanol #alcoholfuelcell #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #reversemontecarlo #dataordie

New paper in ACS Nano 🇺🇸🧪🤴🔬!! In collabos with our DoE friends at Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, our team developed a methodology for creating high entropy alloys 😵💫 using peptides 💪 as capping agents. We are able to incorporate a range of different metals (up to 7️⃣) including mixes of precious 🏆 and non-precious 🪨 metal combinations. The really exciting thing is that we may be able to control where the atoms are located by exploiting biotic/abiotic interactions, as reveal through a range of synchrotron ⭕️ methods and associated modeling efforts 🎰. And these things are great for methanol electrooxidation! Work was led by @bijilsubhash with contributions from @will_hadi and others. Read the paper here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.3c03884 #highentropyalloy #nano #gold #platinum #palladium #cobalt #tin #cerium #copper #methanol #alcoholfuelcell #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #reversemontecarlo #dataordie
The crew (and an interloper 🦹♂️) just got back from the Aussitron 🦘⭕️to perform in-situ electrocatalytic XAS ⚡️🧪. We examined a range of transition metal catalysts and also did Ce K-edge measurements apparently 🤯🙀🧮. Great job team (@yuweii77vv) 👍👏🫡! #nzsg #hibing #sustainability #biomass #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #openscience #userfacility #stopblockingscience #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie

The crew (and an interloper 🦹♂️) just got back from the Aussitron 🦘⭕️to perform in-situ electrocatalytic XAS ⚡️🧪. We examined a range of transition metal catalysts and also did Ce K-edge measurements apparently 🤯🙀🧮. Great job team (@yuweii77vv) 👍👏🫡! #nzsg #hibing #sustainability #biomass #synchrotron #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #openscience #userfacility #stopblockingscience #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie
New paper out in Rare Metals 👽🎸. Lead by our mates at SCUT and HKUST 🌏, Au 🔱 clusters are anchored on NiFe 👩🏭🧑🏭👨🏭catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction 🫧. Here the Au surface ligand influences reactivity, studied with thorough echem ⚡️🧪and DFT 💾studies. Good stuff… read the paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12598-023-02438-2 #goldclusters #nife #watersplitting #oer #whodidthis #sustainability #wheresthexrays #dataordie

New paper out in Rare Metals 👽🎸. Lead by our mates at SCUT and HKUST 🌏, Au 🔱 clusters are anchored on NiFe 👩🏭🧑🏭👨🏭catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction 🫧. Here the Au surface ligand influences reactivity, studied with thorough echem ⚡️🧪and DFT 💾studies. Good stuff… read the paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12598-023-02438-2 #goldclusters #nife #watersplitting #oer #whodidthis #sustainability #wheresthexrays #dataordie
Another set of beamtime successfully completed ✅🥼⚡️💪🧠🥇. Jhair, @gug_rj , and @tarencataldo performed soft X-ray spectroscopy 🛌❎🌈experiments at the Aussitron 🦘⭕️🇦🇺, examining a range of materials, including biosensors, actinide sorbents, ceramics, and catalysts 🫨🤑🤖🎃. They even got a tour behind the wall.. 🧙♀️🧙♂️🧙😬😵💫… Great job yall 👍🫶. #materialsscience #biosensors #sorbents #catalyst #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #synchrotronlife #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie

Another set of beamtime successfully completed ✅🥼⚡️💪🧠🥇. Jhair, @gug_rj , and @tarencataldo performed soft X-ray spectroscopy 🛌❎🌈experiments at the Aussitron 🦘⭕️🇦🇺, examining a range of materials, including biosensors, actinide sorbents, ceramics, and catalysts 🫨🤑🤖🎃. They even got a tour behind the wall.. 🧙♀️🧙♂️🧙😬😵💫… Great job yall 👍🫶. #materialsscience #biosensors #sorbents #catalyst #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #synchrotronlife #theycantstopwontstop #dataordie
Just wrapped up at the Human Performance 🏋️♂️🧠 and Biosystems 🪰🦗🦟 AFOSR ✈️🧪🥼program review in DC 🏛️. It was great to see everyone again and to see all the really invigorating and exciting talks by everyone in the program, and I really thrilled to be part of this program. See y’all next year 🫡 #programreview #humanperformance #biosystems #bioticabioticinterfaces #cantstopwontstop #comingfromthemountains #dataordie

Just wrapped up at the Human Performance 🏋️♂️🧠 and Biosystems 🪰🦗🦟 AFOSR ✈️🧪🥼program review in DC 🏛️. It was great to see everyone again and to see all the really invigorating and exciting talks by everyone in the program, and I really thrilled to be part of this program. See y’all next year 🫡 #programreview #humanperformance #biosystems #bioticabioticinterfaces #cantstopwontstop #comingfromthemountains #dataordie
The Cosmos just put out a nice article 📰🗞️on our work on U extraction ☢️from seawater 🌊. Cool stuff 😎…great working with everyone at ANSTO (especially @jessi.velcar ) and great job @zuby57 for leading the charge on the effort. Read the article here: https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/uranium-seawater-extraction/ #cosmosaustralia #uranium #seawater #resourcemanagement #ldh #undergradresearch #synchrotronscience #synchrotron #newsflash #dataordie

The Cosmos just put out a nice article 📰🗞️on our work on U extraction ☢️from seawater 🌊. Cool stuff 😎…great working with everyone at ANSTO (especially @jessi.velcar ) and great job @zuby57 for leading the charge on the effort. Read the article here: https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/uranium-seawater-extraction/ #cosmosaustralia #uranium #seawater #resourcemanagement #ldh #undergradresearch #synchrotronscience #synchrotron #newsflash #dataordie
New paper out… in Advanced Materials 📡🧱🫠😎💪💥🔊🎆🧨! In this effort, our team, lead by the wickedly talented @yuweii77vv , created 2D catalysts ✌️with very high reactivity 💥 and selectivity 🙅♀️ toward electrooxidation of 5-HMF, a future biomass substrate 🌲for fuels ⛽️and bio-derived polymers ♻️. Defect engineering is the piece of the puzzle 🧩 that needs to be solved, which we characterized using a range of in-situ synchrotron techniques 🔦TEM 🔬, AFM 👇and DFT simulations 💾. Synchrotron facilites in three different countries 🇺🇸 🇩🇪 🇦🇺 were used, along with the incredible TEM facilities at the mighty mighty @oakridgelab . Even our friends from DEVCOM lended a hand 👍. And… I turned 💯with this paper!! 🧙♂️🧝♂️🧛♂️👴😜… Read the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202305573 #advancedmaterials #2dmaterials #catalyst #electrocatalysis #5hmf #sustainability #synchrotronlife #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #nanomaterials #dataordie

New paper out… in Advanced Materials 📡🧱🫠😎💪💥🔊🎆🧨! In this effort, our team, lead by the wickedly talented @yuweii77vv , created 2D catalysts ✌️with very high reactivity 💥 and selectivity 🙅♀️ toward electrooxidation of 5-HMF, a future biomass substrate 🌲for fuels ⛽️and bio-derived polymers ♻️. Defect engineering is the piece of the puzzle 🧩 that needs to be solved, which we characterized using a range of in-situ synchrotron techniques 🔦TEM 🔬, AFM 👇and DFT simulations 💾. Synchrotron facilites in three different countries 🇺🇸 🇩🇪 🇦🇺 were used, along with the incredible TEM facilities at the mighty mighty @oakridgelab . Even our friends from DEVCOM lended a hand 👍. And… I turned 💯with this paper!! 🧙♂️🧝♂️🧛♂️👴😜… Read the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.202305573 #advancedmaterials #2dmaterials #catalyst #electrocatalysis #5hmf #sustainability #synchrotronlife #synchrotronlife #synchrotronscience #nanomaterials #dataordie
Hot hot hot 🥵☀️🔥 off the press 🗞️📰, new paper in Advanced Science 🧮🧪. In collabos with the Boyer group and others at UNSW, SiOC materials were generated by light-induced 💡 3D printing 🖨️, wherein microstructure 🔬could be controlled using polymer chemistry ⚗️. These materials have potential applications in next gen ceramics 🧱for high temperature/mechanical property 🌡️🏋️♂️applications. Super neat stuff 😎👩🔬🧑🔬👨🔬. Read the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202304734 #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #ceramics #siliconoxycarbide #polymerchemistry #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #morefireplease #98 #dataordie

Hot hot hot 🥵☀️🔥 off the press 🗞️📰, new paper in Advanced Science 🧮🧪. In collabos with the Boyer group and others at UNSW, SiOC materials were generated by light-induced 💡 3D printing 🖨️, wherein microstructure 🔬could be controlled using polymer chemistry ⚗️. These materials have potential applications in next gen ceramics 🧱for high temperature/mechanical property 🌡️🏋️♂️applications. Super neat stuff 😎👩🔬🧑🔬👨🔬. Read the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202304734 #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #ceramics #siliconoxycarbide #polymerchemistry #synchrotron #synchrotronscience #morefireplease #98 #dataordie

University of New South Wales, 422 Hilmer Building, NSW 2052, Sydney
+61 (2) 9385 7518
bedfordresearchgroup@gmail.com