Dr Ali Jalili
Senior Lecturer
Science
School of Chemistry
Dr Ali R. Jalili is an ARC Future Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemistry at UNSW Sydney, where he founded and heads the PlasmaTech Lab. His research focuses on the development of materials, reactions and reactor technologies for electrified chemical manufacturing, with particular emphasis on sustainable nitrogen chemistry, plasma catalysis, electrochemistry, and the production of fertilisers and other essential chemicals using renewable electricity.
His research combines AI-assisted discovery of nanomaterials, high-entropy alloys and catalysts with experimental synthesis, plasma chemistry, electrochemistry and reactor engineering. Techno-economic and life-cycle analyses are incorporated from the outset to guide research from laboratory proof-of-concept through bench and pilot scale, accelerate technology readiness, and support the development of practical net-zero chemical manufacturing technologies.
Jalili pioneered hybrid plasma-electrocatalytic approaches for sustainable ammonia production and has since led research into ammonia synthesis, nitrate and NOx conversion, urea synthesis, and decentralised fertiliser production. Earlier in his career, he developed expertise in graphene and liquid crystals of two-dimensional materials, scalable fibres and three-dimensional architectures, functional nanomaterials, and bioelectronic systems.
His research has generated four patent families and contributed to the translation of technologies across advanced materials, bioelectronics and sustainable chemical manufacturing. He is also the founder of NOxZora, a UNSW spin-out developing decentralised fertiliser technologies using air, electricity and minerals. He works closely with academic, industry and government partners to move discoveries from the laboratory towards practical deployment.
E-mail
Location
Room 130, F12 Dalton Building, UNSW Sydney
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2025: UNSW-SJTU Collaboration Research Program, Hybrid Plasmatic-Electrochemical Reaction for Green Ammonia Synthesis, $10,000
- 2024: Clean Technology R&D Grants, On-Demand Green Ammonia Production, $1,588,959
- 2023: ARC Future Fellowship Award, High productivity of hybrid plasma electrocatalytic fertiliser production, $842,080
- 2022: ARC Discovery, Plasma-driven Electrochemical Synthesis of Urea, $422,103
- 2019: UNSW Sydney Startup Fund, $215,576
- 2018: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award,Nature-inspired electrochemical conversion of nitrogen to ammonia, $368,446
- 2017: Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow Award, RMIT University, $326,000
- 2015: The Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) Collaborative Grant, $20,000
- 2014: The Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) for Gold Grant, $12,000
ARC Future Fellowship (2023)
ARC DECRA (2017)
Travel award from Australia Academy of Sciences (2016).
Best poster award from the Fiber Society (2013).
My research focuses on electrified chemical manufacturing, meaning the use of renewable electricity, advanced materials and intensified reaction systems to rethink the way in which fertilisers and other essential chemicals are made. A key aspect of this work is setting practical research objectives around energy efficiency, techno-economics, life-cycle performance and technology readiness, so that discoveries are evaluated against the requirements for eventual deployment rather than solely on their performance in the laboratory.
An important part of my research is helping shape the direction of emerging fields. I have led roadmap and perspective studies aimed at establishing the scientific, engineering, techno-economic and life-cycle targets required for electrified nitrogen and plasma-enabled chemical technologies to progress from laboratory discovery to practical implementation. This agenda-setting work supports our experimental research by helping identify where the field should focus its efforts and which advances are most likely to deliver meaningful real-world impact.
The use of electricity in the production of nitrogen compounds and fertilisers is a key area of our research. We investigate plasma, electrochemical and combined plasma-electrocatalytic routes for ammonia synthesis, nitrate and NOx conversion, urea synthesis and fertiliser production, spanning fundamental reaction chemistry, catalyst development, reactor engineering, process integration and scale-up. This research is closely linked to our broader objective of developing decentralised, renewable-electricity-powered approaches to chemical manufacturing.
A further major area is AI-assisted materials discovery and the development of advanced catalysts. By combining computational and data-driven approaches with high-throughput experimentation, we discover and optimise nanomaterials, atomically thin and two-dimensional materials, high-entropy alloys and catalysts, as well as functional interfaces for plasma and electrochemical reactions. We also create self-ordered and three-dimensional catalytic structures using solution processing, liquid-crystalline assembly and additive manufacturing.
We also design non-thermal plasma reactors and integrated process systems, incorporating plasma catalysis, reactor engineering, diagnostics, model-assisted optimisation and 3D-printed functional structures. Across these projects, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment and technology-readiness targets guide research from laboratory discovery through to bench and pilot scale, with the objective of accelerating the development of practical technologies for net-zero chemical manufacturing.
Engagement
I connect academia, industry, government and the broader community, with a focus on turning research into technologies that can be tested, scaled and used in practice. My experience spans academic research, industrial R&D and commercialisation, which helps me build partnerships in sustainable chemical manufacturing, advanced materials and net-zero technologies.
I have worked closely with industry in research, technology development and commercialisation. I founded NOxZora, a UNSW spin-out focused on decentralised fertiliser technologies. I also work with academic and industry partners on intellectual property, prototype development, techno-economic and life-cycle assessment, scale-up and research funding. Where possible, I encourage collaborations to go beyond publication and progress towards IP creation, industry partnership, entrepreneurship and commercialisation.
I am also involved in research leadership and outreach. At UNSW Chemistry, I contribute to industry-focused activities and research events, and I have led laboratory engagement sessions for high-school students. I serve on the scientific and organising committee of the Symposium on Ammonia Energy and collaborate internationally on sustainable nitrogen, plasma technologies and electrified chemical manufacturing.
I welcome engagement with industry, government, researchers and community organisations interested in sustainable fertilisers, plasma and electrochemical technologies, advanced materials, technology translation and net-zero chemical manufacturing.