Paul Mulvaney

Paul Mulvaney is Laureate Professor of Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, affiliated with the Bio21 Institute. He serves as Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science. Mulvaney earned his PhD from the University of Melbourne in 1989, working on electron transfer kinetics under Professor Franz Grieser. His career has focused on advancing nanoscience and related fields within the Faculty of Science.

Mulvaney's research centers on nanoscience, quantum dots, plasmonics, and solar energy, with a particular emphasis on excitons generated by light absorption for future energy applications. He pioneered surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPS), utilizing the unique colors of metal nanocrystals to monitor surface chemical reactions. Through SPS, he achieved the first measurements of electron transfer rates to metal nanocrystals, tracked the nucleation and growth of silver from individual atoms to bulk material, and enabled optical detection of electrons in metal nanostructures. These innovations have facilitated applications in single molecule sensing, biolabelling, and the emerging field of plasmonics. His highly cited publications include 'Surface plasmon spectroscopy of nanosized metal particles' (1996), 'Gold nanorods: synthesis, characterization and applications' (2004), 'Calibration of rectangular atomic force microscope cantilevers' (1999), 'Shape control in gold nanoparticle synthesis' (2009), and 'Synthesis of nanosized gold−silica core−shell particles' (1996). Mulvaney is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in the discipline of Chemical Sciences, specifically Physical Chemistry including Colloid and Surface Chemistry. As an ARC Laureate Fellow, his work has significantly influenced materials science and nanotechnology.

Professional Email: mulvaney@unimelb.edu.au