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JST Press Release

19th December 2012
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
5-3, Yonbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8666
URL http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/index.html

Discovery of ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity in imidazoles,
building blocks in biological system such as vitamin B12

Benzimidazoles exhibit above-room-temperature ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity with a high electric polarization. The discovery in members of a ubiquitous family of organic molecules reveals the possibility of novel low-cost electronic applications of lead-and rare-metal-free ferroelectrics.

Researcher Information

JST CREST Research Area “Creation of Innovative Functions of Intelligent Materials on the Basis of Element Strategy”, Research Theme : “Creation of Materials Science for Advanced Ferroelectrics of Organic Compounds”

Journal Information

Published in “Nature Communications”, online-only multidisciplinary scientific journal of Nature Publishing Group
Sachio Horiuchi, Fumitaka Kagawa, Kensuke Hatahara, Kensuke Kobayashi, Reiji Kumai, Youichi Murakami and Yoshinori Tokura “Above-room-temperature ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity in benzimidazoles” Nature Communications 2012
doi: 10.1038/ncomms2322

Contact

[About Research]
Sachio HORIUCHI Ph D.
Team Leader, Flexible Electronics Research Center, Flexible Organic Semiconductor Team, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
E-mail:
HP: http://unit.aist.go.jp/flec/fos/english/index.html

Reiji KUMAI Ph D.
Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization
E-mail:
HP: http://cmrc.kek.jp/english/index_eng.html

[About Program]
Masashi FURUKAWA,
Green Innovation Group, Department of Innovation Research, Japan Science and Technology Agency
E-mail:

Japanese


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