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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Solid-phase fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy of soil, fulvic acid fractions, and clay mineral complexes: Evidence from red shift of fluorescence maxima associated with aggregation
Most of the analysis of natural organic matter (humic substances) in soil is carried out in a solution state by an alkali extraction operation. However, this approach addresses concerns regarding the potential alteration of humic substances during alkaline extraction, which may cause these substances to lose their original structure. In this study, as a non-extraction and non-destructive method, solid-phase fluorescence (excitation-emission matrix) spectroscopy (SPF-EEM) was applied for the first time to a standard humic substance and its complex with clay. It was found that the excitation-emission wavelength could shift according to the state of solution, complex, aggregate, etc.
Yuki Nakaya, Takashi Hirose, Ryuichi Tamori, Nobuhide Fujitake, Satoru Nakashima, Hiroshi Yamamura, and Hisashi Satoh
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Effect of flow residence time on the flame-retardant performance of fluorine-based flame retardant: Comparison of blowoff limits of CH₂F₂ and CH₄
The article investigates the combustion characteristics of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrocarbon (HC) fuels to understand the increased flammability of fluoropolymers like ETFE under microgravity. Key findings: CH₂F₂ exhibits minimal sensitivity of blowoff limit to oxygen, unlike CH₄. CH₂F₂ flames have lower temperatures and suppressed H and OH radical formation, due to dominant HF-producing pathways inhibiting radical chain reactions. Despite susceptibility to blowoff, CH₂F₂ maintains high adiabatic flame temperature, allowing combustion at low oxygen if sufficient residence time is provided.
Yusuke Konno, Ayuto Ota, Nozomu Hashimoto, and Osamu Fujita
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Impact-echo for different level cracks detection in concrete with artificial intelligence based on un/supervised deep learning
Aging concrete infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels requires effective inspection to ensure safety and durability, particularly for detecting invisible internal cracks subjected to structural integrity. Impact-echo, which is one of non-destructive testing methods, is widely used but costly and time-consuming with relying on skilled and experienced analysis. This study integrates AI with impact-echo data to improve crack detection. Supervised deep learning using FFT-transformed signals enables accurate classification of multiple crack levels, including intact condition of concrete. However, data labeling for each existing structures is impractical, so an unsupervised approach using an auto-encoder is proposed to identify internal crack levels through anomaly-based indices without labeled data.
Jeero Pandum, Katsufumi Hashimoto, Takafumi Sugiyama, Wanchai Yodsudjai
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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