ACHIVEMENTS

Achievements and human resource development

Achievement of utilization results/development of human resources

Outstanding achievements using our headquarters

Research results using the nanotechnology platform, the predecessor of this center (University of Tokyo Domen Special Department) won first place in an international competition for artificial photosynthesis.

Name: “Fuel from the Sun: Artificial Photosynthesis”
 Hosted by: European Innovation Council (EIC), an EU institution  
 Recipient: Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process Technology Research Association (ARPChem)
 Award ceremony: December 2022, 12 Prize money: 5 million euros 
 Purpose: To promote the development of artificial photosynthesis technology, which is expected to be an innovative fuel production technology for achieving carbon neutrality.
 Competition content: Build a functional artificial photosynthesis prototype device using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide as raw materials, operate it outdoors for three days, and synthesize usable fuel with a small engine.It is evaluated based on the novelty and completeness of the production system, the amount of fuel produced and production efficiency, the quality suitable for engine use, and the commercialization potential of the system.

Center Photo: Mr. Taro Yamada, Senior Researcher, Special Department of Domen, University of Tokyo
Mr. Yamada is using ARIM equipment such as STEM/XRD.

Presentation of outstanding achievements

Continuing from the nanotechnology platform, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) gives awards as "outstanding results of utilization" to particularly excellent utilization results from among the utilization results of materials advanced research infrastructure.We have received several "outstanding results of utilization" from among the utilization projects of the Microstructural Analysis Department of the University of Tokyo.

  • 3 [Excellence Award] Nanostructure by in vivo molecular mechanical chaperonin GroELThe University of Tokyoa・Tokyo Institute of Technologyb・RIKENc
    Daiki Kashiwagi a, Hao Shen a, Tatsuya Niwa b, Hideki Taguchi b, Takuzo Aida a, c
    Supporter: Ayumi Kimura (Nanotechnology Platform Advanced Professional Engineer)

    We have succeeded in synthesizing and isolating Janus GroEL (AGroELB), whose precursor is the biomolecular machine chaperonin GroEL and which is modified with different DNA strands at both ends. As an application of Janus GroEL to supramolecular copolymerization, we attempted ternary supramolecular copolymerization with two different DNA comonomers.Structural analysis of the supramolecular assembly and visualization of comonomer arrangement with double periodicity Organic materials High-contrast transmission electron microscope JEM-1400 (JEOL) and cryo-transmission electron microscope JEM-2100F (JEOL) (Figures 1 and 2b)
    The results were published in Daiki Kashiwagi et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 142, 13310 (2020), and were awarded as "outstanding utilization results" in FY3.
  • 2 [Excellence Award] One-dimensional hetero-nanotube structure analysis by non-destructive TEM observationThe University of Tokyoa・JEOL Ltd.b
    Sung Sung a, Akihito Kumamoto b, Shigeo Maruyama a
    Supporters: Hiroyuki Oshikawa, Yuichi Ikuhara

    Using a Si/SiO2 TEM grid fabricated by MEMS processing as a substrate for CNT synthesis, we clarified the structure of Co-WC catalyst nanoparticles capable of chirality-selective growth of single-walled CNTs on a silicon oxide film by non-destructive TEM observation. .This research method has accelerated the development of novel nanomaterials that require both synthesis and microstructural analysis, and has led to the creation of one-dimensional heteronanotubes.By applying non-destructive TEM observation, we succeeded in synthesizing a heterostructure consisting of three types of nanotubes: the innermost layer is a single-walled CNT, the outer multiple layers are boron nitride nanotubes, and MoS2 is synthesized around them.Since such one-dimensional structures have unique curvature effects and quantum confinement effects, they are expected to be developed in basic research as new materials.The results of this research were commended as “outstanding utilization results” in FY3.
    H. An, et al., Sci. Adv. 5, eaat9459 (2019).
    R. Xiang, et al., Science 367, 537 (2020).


Technical assistants with high technical level

This project is supported by technical support staff with a high technical level.The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) gives various awards to particularly excellent support services for users.In the advanced materials research infrastructure, we are improving the technical level of our support organizations year by year through the continuation of stable business.At the University of Tokyo, many technical supporters have received awards since the nanotechnology platform era.

  • 4 [Technical Support Contribution Award] "Support for high-resolution elemental distribution analysis using NanoSIMS" Miyuki Takeuchi
  • 3 [Technical Support Contribution Award] "Technical support for better XRD measurement" Kazuhiro Fukawa

In addition, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology assigns three types of occupational titles to engineers who perform support work, depending on their technical proficiency: expert, highly specialized engineer, and specialized engineer.By 3, 4 people will be given the title of expert, and 6 people will be given the title of highly specialized engineer.These high-level technical supporters allow users to concentrate on their own research and produce high-quality research results.