Collaborative work by Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials has been recognised with two 2026 Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prizes.
The Horizon Prizes celebrates groups, teams and collaborations that are making “discoveries and innovations that push the boundaries of science”.
The Environment, Sustainability and Energy Horizon Prize for the “discovery of thermal energy storage materials that integrate phase change, thermochemical and sensible heat storage modes” was awarded to the Thermal Energy Storage Team.
Deakin Professor Jenny Pingle is part of the team, led by Monash University, that discovered a mixture of two commonly used biodegradable acids – found in household and food products – that can rapidly store and release heat, while remaining stable over thousands of cycles. The material has the potential to be a low-cost option for large-scale renewable energy storage.
The Materials Chemistry Horizon Prize, which recognises “significant recent novel discoveries or advances made in the area of materials chemistry”, went to the “Industrially Viable Solid State Lithium Metal Batteries” Project.
The project, a collaboration between Deakin University, PETRONAS Research and the University of Manchester, aimed to develop fire-safe, longer-lasting and commercially viable solid-state lithium battery chemistries to replace flammable liquid electrolytes.
Deakin Associate Professor Robert Kerr and Adjunct Professor Maria Forsyth are part of the team.
Read more about the Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prizes.
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