Dr Hayne completed his PhD (2015) in inorganic/bioinorganic chemistry at the University of Melbourne under Professor Paul Donnelly’s supervision. David’s PhD research focused on developing technetium-based radiotracers for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. In 2016, David commenced working with Professor Paul Francis (Deakin University) and created new water-soluble iridium complexes for applications involving their light emission via electrochemiluminescence. This work also extended to exploring real-time monitoring and mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions.

In 2018, David commenced work in the surface modification of carbon fibre as a Research Fellow within the Henderson Research Group (Institute for Frontier Materials). His research during this time has focused on the installation of functional Groups onto the surface of carbon fibre that are activated using metal-based catalysts. This research aims to develop synergistic chemistries between a selected polymer and carbon fibre in materials known collectively as carbon fibre reinforced plastics.