Selected Articles
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The Detail Matters: Unveiling Overlooked Parameters in the Mechanochemical Synthesis of Solid Electrolytes
“Simply mixing the reagents by hand for a short time in a mortar and pestle before mechanochemical synthesis dramatically improves the performance of the solid electrolyte.
Hand mixing changes the crystallization behavior, improving the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte by up to an order of magnitude.
This discovery will accelerate the search for efficient and logical new electrolyte materials, and ultimately the development of all-solid-state batteries.”Abdulkadir Kızılaslan, Mustafa Çelik, Yuta Fujii, Zheng Huang, Chikako Moriyoshi, Shogo Kawaguchi, Satoshi Hiroi, Koji Ohara, Mariko Ando, Kiyoharu Tadanaga, Saneyuki Ohno, and Akira Miura
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Mechanochemical activation of metallic lithium for the generation and application of organolithium compounds in air
Here we report a mechanochemical method for the direct generation of organolithium reagents from readily available organic halides and unactivated lithium metal (lithium wire) under bulk-solvent-free conditions. These reactions rapidly generate a diverse array of organolithium compounds at room temperature without special precautions against moisture and without temperature control.
Kondo Keisuke, Koji Kubota, and Hajime Ito
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Carbon Fiber-reinforced Plastic Surface Modification by Al Electroplating in AlCl₃–EmImCl Ionic Liquids
To improve the wear resistance of the CFRP surface, Al electroplating was formed on the surface in an ionic liquid and anodizing was also performed. The hardness of the anodized surface is improved to about seven times that of the substrate CFRP.
Naoki Kishi, Hisayoshi Matsushima, and Mikito Ueda
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Data-driven inverse mix design for sustainable alkali-activated materials
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are promising alternatives to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), but standardized mix design approaches are limited. This study introduces a machine learning-based framework for inverse mix design of AAMs, predicting optimal mixes based on target properties and sustainability. The model considers eight key factors, including precursor reactivity, activator properties, and liquid-to-binder ratio.
K. Kong, Kiyofumi Kurumisawa, Chiharu Tokoro, Zhanzhao Li, and S. H. Chu
Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, Vol.13, pp.1857-1878
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CO₂ electrochemical reduction by Zn-based layered double hydroxides: The role of structural trivalent metal ions
Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction (CO2ER) has attracted attention because of its potential to convert CO₂ into valuable chemical materials using renewable energy. In this study, we evaluated the electrocatalytic activity of Zn-Cr, Zn-Ga, and Zn-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) for CO2ER. We found that these LDHs exhibited CO2ER activity for CO evolution, and the type of M³⁺ in the Zn-based LDHs affected their CO2ER performance. This research was a collaboration with the University of Antwerp, Belgium, and the Institute of Ceramics and Glass, CSIC, Spain
Ryosuke Nakazato, Keeko Matsumoto, Matthias Quintelier, Joke Hadermann, Nataly Carolina Rosero-Navarro, Akira Miura, and Kiyoharu Tadanaga
Open Ceramics, 22, 100788 (2025)
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Achieving Chiral Crystallization through Tailored Silyl-Substituted Dipolar Molecular Designs
This study highlights the importance of introducing appropriate bulky shielding sites and interactive sites to achieve chiral crystallization and provides valuable guidance for designing chiral assemblies from achiral dipolar molecules.
Natsumi Hammyo, Takeharu Yonezawa, Hajime Ito, and Mingoo Jin.
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Solid-state aromatic nucleophilic fluorination: a rapid, practical, and environmentally friendly route to N-heteroaryl fluorides
A simple mechanochemical protocol for solid-state aromatic nucleophilic fluorination using potassium fluoride (KF) and quaternary ammonium salts was developed. This solid-state fluorination is fast and a variety of N-heteroaryl halides can be efficiently fluorinated within 1 h.
Koji Kubota, Tetsu Makino, Keisuke Kondo, Tamae Seo, Mingoo Jin, and Hajime Ito
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Understanding the active catalyst surface structure on Ru-doped Ni/CeO₂ catalysts for CO₂ methanation
Converting CO₂ into valuable compounds using renewable hydrogen is a promising strategy for achieving a decarbonized society. We previously demonstrated that Ni-based catalysts efficiently convert CO₂ into methane, the main component of city gas. In this study, we combined expertise in chemical engineering, computational chemistry, and physics to uncover the surface structure of the developed catalyst. These structural insights pave the way for improving catalyst performance and for designing advanced CO₂ conversion systems that contribute to a decarbonized future.
Shohei Tada, Shunsuke Ogata, So Nishikawa, Harune Yamaguchi, Yamato Nakashima, Tetsuo Honma, Hirotsugu Hiramatsu, Masahiko Nishijima, Tatsuya Joutsuka, and Ryuji Kikuchi
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Lack of Oscillatory Motion of Superfluid ⁴He During its Dripping from a Needle
Although pendant droplets commonly exist in our daily lives, their dynamics are not fully understood. To obtain further understanding of its physics, we observed superfluid helium dripping from a thin needle by a high-speed camera. Superfluidity is an inviscid liquid state only happening in helium at low temperatures. The present study where we used a thin needle to eliminate the droplet’s remnant volume clearly demonstrated that the dissipation-less large oscillation observed in the previous experiments was crucial for the discretization of the dripping period which is novel phenomenon reflecting the anomalous fluid properties of superfluid helium.
Tomoyuki Tani, Keigo Sawada, Keito Miyake, Shota Takamatsu, Ryota Yamane, Yuri Ishimoto, Ryuta Matsukawa, Yuki Aoki, and Ryuji Nomura