Ion man receives Alfred Deakin Medal

The potential of one of the new “wonder substances” of the 21st century - ionic liquid - was one of the key motivating forces for Dr Anthony Somers during his PhD research. His efforts have paid off, gaining him an Alfred Deakin Medal in the latest round of graduations.

Working within Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM), Dr Somers is one of only two Alfred Deakin Medallists for PhD research this semester. Recipients are assessed across a range of research criteria, such as international recognition, impact (in terms of actual and potential adoption), and acknowledgement from within the profession.

Ionic liquids are salts consisting of large molecules that don’t form a solid. Their potential has only been realised over the past decade, with a wide range of applications being explored in areas such as corrosion prevention and in products such as batteries, “green” solvents, biodegradable engine oil and production of high tech automotive parts.

Dr Somers said he “felt honoured to receive the award and was fortunate to be supervised by two of Australia’s leading experts in ionic liquids, Professor Maria Forsyth and Associate Professor Patrick Howlett.”

“Ionic liquids are a relatively new class of materials that are extremely stable and can be tailored to suit specific requirements,” he explained.

“My PhD research centred around using ionic liquid to lubricate the connection between steel and aluminium. The two metals don’t usually work well together, with steel causing damage and distortion of the aluminium. I found that certain ionic liquids can reduce this effect and could be used in lubricating automotive engines, for instance, where an aluminium block currently needs to be lined to protect it from contact with steel.”

Dr Somers is now employed as a Research Fellow in the IFM and is extending his work to focus on the potential of ionic liquids to improve combinations of steel.