Laboratory for Molecular Space Engineering

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Laboratory Overview

Laboratory Objectives

The development of fundamental technologies for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important step toward the realization of a carbon neutral (carbon circulation) society. In this key laboratory, we will conduct fundamental and applied research towards materials that contribute to carbon neutrality, focusing on molecular space, whose structure is precisely controlled at the molecular level, and "space engineering," which utilizes molecular space.

Research Direction and Future Prospects

Based on the research seeds of "synthesis technology and functional evaluation methods for porous crystals with CO2 adsorption capacity," this key laboratory will advance research towards and development of both fundamental and applied perspectives on social implementation.

We will focus on the following three main themes:

1. Creation of new porous crystals based on our unique gas adsorption function analysis;
2. Development of mass production technology for social implementation;
3. Generalization and standardization of the method for evaluation of gas-adsorption functionality

Through these activities, we aim to create new porous crystalline materials whose performance exceeds that of existing gas adsorption and separation materials; and to develop mass-production technologies for providing these fundamental materials that can contribute to carbon neutrality.
Furthermore, we will consider establishing a startup (in collaboration with researchers both within and outside the university) for the development of mass-production technologies and applications.
Through this series of efforts, we aim to further deepen our "molecular space engineering" fundamental academic research by means of our unique material synthesis methods and functional analysis, while at the same time integrating our materials into society.