Masaki Azuma

Development of functional perovskite and related compounds utilizing amorphous precursors

Research Director

Masaki Azuma

Collaborator

Keigo Kamata	Professor Institute of Innovative Research Tokyo Institute of Technology
Yu Kumagai	Professor Institute for Materials Research Tohoku University
Takumi Nishikubo	Researcher Eco-materials for next-generation semiconductors group Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology

Outline

The need for new materials and substances in the energy and environmental fields is increasing for the construction of a sustainable society. In this research, we target negative thermal expansion materials and selective oxidation catalyst materials, both of which are highly desired in industry, and explore new materials by a new method of combined high-throughput synthesis of multi-element compounds from amorphous precursors and machine learning.

Hitoshi Tabata

Creation of Oxide Materials with Innovative Functions Aided by Environmental Fluctuation

Research Director

Hitoshi Tabata

Collaborator

Tamio Oguchi	Specially Appointed Professor Graduate School of Engineering Science Osaka University
Iwao Kawayama	Associate Professor Graduate School of Energy Science Kyoto University
Munetoshi Seki	Associate Professor Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo

Outline

We are creating sensor, memory, and computation materials utilizing dipole and spin coupling due to flexoelectricity induced by strain gradient lattice distortion, taking advantage of the versatile physical properties of functional oxides and high crystal structural tolerance due to ionic bonding properties. Aiming to create new functions for oxide materials, we are inspired by biological functionality and actively utilize “thermal fluctuation,” which has usually been considered a “noise,” by using it as an energy source in the environment. We will design and develop innovative low-power-consumption and/or high-sensing materials based on the “stochastic resonance” principle.

Ryuji Tamura

Phason engineering: Materials innovation via modification of atomic tiling

Research Director

Ryuji Tamura

Collaborator

Keiichi Edagawa	Professor Institute of Industrial Science The University of Tokyo
Satoshi Kameoka	Professor Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials Tohoku University
Ryo Yoshida	Professor The Institute of Statistical Mathematics Inter-University Research Institute Corporation Research Organization of Information and Systems

Outline

We propose and establish new materials design concept “Phason engineering”, which enables us to introduce local and global tiling deformation into materials through the phason degree of freedom, in addition to conventional materials design methodology. The target materials are 3D metallic and 2D van der Waals quasicrystals(QCs) and approximants(ACs) which are expected to exhibit superior properties impossible for ordinary crystals. In this project, we elucidate the influence of the local/global modification of atomic tiling on the materials properties, and pursue novel and peculiar magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties in the above QCs and ACs.

Taro Hitosugi

Development of Molecular-Crystal Solid-State Batteries

Research Director

Taro Hitosugi

Collaborator

Yoshitaka Tateyama	Professor Institute of Innovative Research Tokyo Institute of Technology
Makoto Moriya	Associate Professor Academic Institute Shizuoka University

Outline

Focusing on molecular crystals, we develop high-performance all-solid-state batteries. We work on the following three projects by combining automated material exploration technologies and theoretical calculations. 1) Development of molecular crystal composites showing high ionic conductivity, 2) Investigating the superionic conductivity mechanism at the molecular crystals and filler interfaces, 3) Demonstrating a self-healing all-solid-state battery, and 3) Demonstrating a self-healing all-solid-state battery.

Teppei Yamada

Creation of phase-transition nanofluids toward high-efficiency thermoelectric conversion

Research Director

Teppei Yamada

Collaborator

Yoichi Murakami	Professor Institute of Innovative Research Tokyo Institute of Technology
Hirofumi Yoshikawa	Professor School of Engineering Kwansei Gakuin University

Outline

Dispersions of nanoparticles that can undergo a phase transition upon electrochemical stimulation are referred to here as ”phase-transition nanofluids”. The phase-transition nanofluids have fluidity and the ability to transfer electrons in response to temperature and are expected to become new thermoelectric material. In the project, we build up the basic science of the material and thermoelectrics.