Research Support
SPIRITS

Creation of Bio-Inspired, Non-Biological Mesoscale Hybrid Materials

Project Gist

Creation of bio-inspired, non-biological mesoscale hybrid materials that would exceed natural biological functions

Keywords

Biomimetic, Mesoscale, Hybrid material, Photoinduced charge separation, Wide bandgap semiconductors

Background and Purpose

The purpose of this project is to start the international challenging collaboration between material chemists at Kyoto University (Imahori, Kimura, Tanaka) and device physicists in Europe, focusing on creation of bio-inspired, non-biological mesoscale hybrid materials that would exceed natural biological functions. Experts on functional molecular assemblies including photoinduced charge separation molecules and on inorganic mesostructures including wide bandgap semiconductors will participate in the international team, exploiting a new research area by integrating their different fields and promoting the research achievements internationally.

Project Achievements

Through organization of two international symposia and exchange of students and young researchers we have successfully established international heterogeneous network focusing on creation of bio-inspired, non-biological mesoscale hybrid materials that would exceed natural biological functions.

Future Prospects

We will further develop the international heterogeneous team to control physical properties of various independent complex systems. In particular, we will focus on the integration of organic materials derived or inspired from biological systems with functional inorganic materials that have been utilized in physics.

Figure

Second SPIRITS international symposium, February 23, 2016, WPI-iCeMS, Kyoto University
General lecture given by Prof. Eickhoff to participants in Winter School, February 23, 2016, WPI-iCeMS, Kyoto University

Principal Investigator

IMAHORI Hiroshi

・IMAHORI Hiroshi
・Graduate School of Engineering
・A challenge for solar energy conversion! Photoinduced electron transfer is one of the most fundamental processes in physics, chemistry, and biology. We have been working towards elucidation of the underlying fundamental principles, which could be very useful for the rational design of highly efficient artificial photosynthesis and solar energy conversion.
http://www.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~moleng_05/index_e.html