HORIBA, Ltd. has selected the winners of the 2022 Masao Horiba Awards for promotion of research in analytical and measurement technologies from among scientists and engineers at universities and public research institutes worldwide. Launched in 2003, the 18th Masao Horiba Awards this year received 26 entries from scientists and engineers worldwide for their work emphasizing the Analytical and measurement technologies that contribute to the use of hydrogen for a decarbonized society theme. The screening committee composed of seven judges including prestigious scientists and engineers in the field selected three winners and two honorable mention after evaluating each entry with focus on the promise, originality, and potential as a unique measurement instrument.
It was announced the award ceremony would be held at the Shirankaikan Hall of Kyoto University at the time of the Masao Horiba Award application call, however, the venue has been changed to the Symposium Hall of Kyoto University. The ceremony will be held after thoroughly implementing infection prevention measures of the new coronavirus.
Award Winners and Their Award-Winning Research
【Masao Horiba Awards】
Dr. Katsutoshi Sato
Designated Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
“Design of novel nitrogen reduction site led by atomic resolution electron microscopy analysis”
Dr. Takashi Nakamura
Associate Professor
Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University
“Development of electrochemical techniques for defect engineering on advanced energy materials”
Dr. Yasufumi Takahashi
Professor
Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
“Development of scanning electrochemical cell microscopy for real space catalytic imaging”
【Masao Horiba Awards -Honorable Mention-】
Dr. Helge Soeren Stein
Tenure Track Professor
Institute for Physical Chemistry (IPC) & Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
“Data driven acceleration of materials discovery and upscaling through correlative spectroscopy and lab-scale manufacturing”
Dr. Yukina Takahashi
Associate Professor
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University
“Development of Highly Efficient Hydrogen Generation System by Plasmon-Induced Charge Separation Using Sunlight as Energy Source”
About Masao Horiba Awards
HORIBA, Ltd. established the Masao Horiba Awards in 2003 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. This award aims to support up-and-coming scientists and engineers both in Japan and overseas who are involved in research and development expected to bring about innovative analytical and measurement technologies, while helping further elevate the standing of measurement technologies in the science and technology field. The Masao Horiba Awards spotlight unique research and development of which results and future potential have global appeal by selecting specific themes within the analytical and measurement technologies field each year centered upon the principles and elemental technologies cultivated by the HORIBA Group.
Screening Committee for the 2022 Masao Horiba Awards
(Listed in no particular order)
Chairperson | Prof. Kenji Yamaji President, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE), Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo, Green Innovation Strategy Meeting |
Judges | Prof. Scott Samuelsen Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine |
Judges | Prof. Osamu Ishitani School of Science, Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology Judges |
Judges | Prof. Tatsumi Ishihara Deputy Director, International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy, Kyushu University, Principal Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering Department of Bioengineering |
Judges | Prof. Shigeo Satokawa Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University |
Judges | Yusuke Mizuno Department Manager, Alternative Energy Conversion Department, Business Incubation Division, HORIBA, Ltd. |
Judges | Yasunari Hanaki Manager, New Energy Technology, Alternative Energy Conversion Center, Business Incubation Division, HORIBA, Ltd. |
Award Director | Atsushi Horiba Chairman & Group CEO, HORIBA, Ltd. |
Chief of the Organizing Committee | Masayuki Adachi President & COO, HORIBA, Ltd. |
Vice Chief of the Organizing Committee | Hiroshi Nakamura Corporate Officer, HORIBA, Ltd. |
About the Award Ceremony
The Masao Horiba Awards ceremony will be held this year taking thorough measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date : Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Venue : Kyoto University
2022 Masao Horiba Awards Ceremony Program (Tentative)
1st Session: Commemorative Seminar (Starting at 2:30 p.m.）
・Winner presentations : 3 winners and 2 honorable mention
・Special presentation : Dr. Kazunari Sasaki (Professor, Vice President, Kyushu University)
2nd Session: Award Ceremony (Starting at 4:30 p.m.)
・Introduction of award-winning research
・Presentation of a certificate and prize
・Greeting from Award Director Atsushi Horiba (Chairman & Group CEO, HORIBA, Ltd.)
Eligible Fields and Background of the 2022 Masao Horiba Awards
Fossil-derived petroleum, coal, and natural gas have supported the growth of the global economy and continue to play a major role in the development of mankind. Today, we are entering a new phase. One which aspires towards carbon neutrality. Renewable energy and CO2 reduction technologies are paramount in order to achieve both high living standards and environmental preservation.
To achieve, and even exceed, a carbon neutral target, there needs to be a paradigm shift. One which proactively shifts the industrial activities and economic focus.
Significant efforts are being directed toward a low carbon future by the world’s major economies. Europe has proposed a "Green Recovery" policy that combines climate change targets as well as support for economic recovery. Not only does this policy address issues relating to climate change and enhancing biodiversity; but it also supports the expansion of the economy. Other nations are adopting similar economic stimulus measures that are conscious of the environmental impact. Japan has a target for decarbonization of a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared to a benchmark 2013 and the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve these goals, decarbonization in the power generation is a must. Hydrogen is expected to play a pivotal role.
An efficient distribution network is necessary to support the adoption of hydrogen. It’s required not only to be a source for the energy industry but also the industries in which Hydrogen is used as an input material.
Until now, hydrogen has been mainly used as an industrial gas, such as for hydrodesulfurization in the petroleum refining process. Hydrogen is expected however, to be used in wider applications in the future. In addition to producing chemical raw materials and steelmaking for example, it is forecast to be used as an alternative source of energy to substitute petroleum. Research is taking place around the world to accelerate its adoption as a energy vector.
Key challenges for the implementation of hydrogen are diverse: They can be summarized as:
Establishment of production and carrier technologies which can supply large quantities of hydrogen in a stable and low cost manner
- Expansion of the use of hydrogen into new applications
- Building international hydrogen supply chains
- Optimal solutions are required for various problems faced in each of the above challenges.
To address these it will be necessary to:
- Improve the efficiency of water electrolyzers
- Efficient use of natural gas
- Adopt new hydrogen production technologies such as artificial photosynthesis
- Create technologies to simplify reactions with hydrogen carriers (organic hydrides, ammonia, and so on)
Furthermore, technological innovations in the catalytic reaction processes are required for broader use of hydrogen, with a view to converting it to methanol, ethanol, and other core materials. In addition, attention to reaction modeling and the estimation of variables that are difficult to measure is needed.
The 2022 Masao Horiba Award targets advanced analytical and measurement technologies that contribute to such technological innovation, and we have decided to shed light on research that will lead to the development of technologies to achieve carbon neutrality.
Winners and their award-winning research
【Masao Horiba Awards】
Dr. Katsutoshi Sato
Designated Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
“Design of novel nitrogen reduction site led by atomic resolution electron microscopy analysis”
The synthesis catalysts and process of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier with excellent storage and transport properties for hydrogen have attracted attention as a means of effective use of renewable energy. In order to develop highly active catalysts, it is necessary to analyze the structure and chemical state of the active site and lead to a new design.
Dr. Sato established a method to directly analyze the active site of catalysts at the atomic level by combining observation and analysis techniques using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopes and various spectroscopic detectors which require to be used without exposure to air in the development of catalysts. His research is extremely important as analytical and measurement techniques that lead to technological innovation in catalytic reaction processes. This method clarifies the structure and mechanism of nitrogen reduction sites (active site) required for highly active ammonia synthesis catalysts. Further it has achieved high activation and non-precious metallization, and developed world-class practical catalysts.
The analytical methods developed will also be applied to actual catalyst development (design), which will contribute to the establishment of a carbon-neutral society by expanding the use of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and the construction of a hydrogen distribution network.
Dr. Takashi Nakamura
Associate Professor
Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University
“Development of electrochemical techniques for defect engineering on advanced energy materials”
Highly efficient energy storage and conversion technologies, such as next-generation batteries and fuel cells, are essential for realizing carbon neutrality. In energy materials, lattice defects* are regarded as a source of their functionalities, and therefore, understanding the true role of defect species is important. By applying coulometric titration* with an electrochemical cell* with a solid electrolyte, Dr. Nakamura established a methodology to evaluate the defect formation mechanism, and clarified how defect species are created and how they affect the functionality.
Furthermore, he has developed a defect control technique based on the above-mentioned technology to utilize defects actively in material development. For instance, he succeeded to dramatically mitigate the energy density degradation upon charge/discharge cycles by the introduction of oxygen defects into energy storage materials. The technique has great potential for the establishment of a new concept for the development of energy materials and innovations in energy storage and conversion technologies.
*Lattice defects: Disturbance of atomic arrangement in crystalline materials. Typical examples include vacancies, substituted ions, and interstitial ions.
*Coulometric titration: A method to evaluate a target substance by generating ions through electrolysis and measuring the amount of electric quantity required to complete the reaction between the generated ions and the target substance.
*Electrochemical cell: An apparatus for electrochemical measurements consisting of an electrolyte, a cathode, an anode, and others.
Dr. Yasufumi Takahashi
Professor
Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
“Development of scanning electrochemical cell microscopy for real space catalytic imaging”
With increasing demand for hydrogen in recent years, catalysts have been developed to efficiently produce hydrogen instead of expensive precious metals such as platinum. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which is noted as one of the catalysts, is known to be an excellent catalyst for hydrogen generation by making it a nanosheet for one layer of atoms. Further enhancement of the catalytic capacity of MoS2 requires understanding of what structure of the catalyst contributes to its activity, but the limitations of resolution in conventional Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy have not led to a detailed understanding of the principles that improve the catalytic capacity.
Dr. Takahashi has succeeded in developing the Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy (SECCM), which has greatly improved the resolution from the previous tens of μm to 20 to 50 nm: the world's highest resolution, as an ideal evaluation device for understanding phenomena. In addition, the structure of MoS2 has been elucidated by visualizing (electrochemical imaging) the catalytic active site using SECCM.
Since the SECCM can also be used to modify the catalyst, identify degraded sites, and evaluate catalysts other than the hydrogen generation reaction, it can be applied to various research projects such as photocatalysts and power storage materials, and will contribute to energy-related research in the future.
【Masao Horiba Awards -Honorable Mention-】
Dr. Helge Soeren Stein
Tenure Track Professor
Institute for Physical Chemistry (IPC) & Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
“Data driven acceleration of materials discovery and upscaling through correlative spectroscopy and lab-scale manufacturing”
Dr. Stein aims to accelerate the development process of reliable and efficient materials used in batteries and electrolyte devices/apparatuses so that we can develop the technology necessary for a carbon-free energy infrastructure. Materials development requires exhaustive measurements, data correlation and experiment preparations to test hundreds of material combinations, leading to months-long material discovery times. Acceleration of the material discovery process is an important challenge. Dr. Stein has realized material research automation in the Platform for Accelerated Electrochemical Storage Research (PLACES/R). This platform uses data science to automate the material evaluation stage through the interconnection of analyzers (XRF, Raman, FTIR, XPS among others), data processing systems and robots. Artificial Intelligence (AI) adjusts testing parameters and objectives, while the researcher focuses on complex research planning and data interpretation.
The automation of materials discovery experiments achieved by Prof. Stein will opens up a new dimension to research of energy materials for the decarbonization across energy sectors.
Dr. Yukina Takahashi
Associate Professor
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University
“Development of Highly Efficient Hydrogen Generation System by Plasmon-Induced Charge Separation Using Sunlight as Energy Source”
Dr. Takahashi is establishing a system using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS). LSPR increases the density of solar energy. PICS occurs when metal nanoparticles and semiconductors are combined. The semiconductors need p-type semiconductors instead of conventional n-type semiconductors, which can improve stability and charge separation efficiency, and also improve the reaction selectivity by controlling the type of metals and crystal planes that make up the metal nanoparticles.
This research can contribute to solving the energy problems by converting light energy into various types such as electricity, power, and heat in a high efficiency and stable manner.
* Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) :
A phenomenon in which nanosized metal harvests the photoenergy of incident light in its nanospace on the surface beyond the diffraction limit. In theory, it can enhance the optical energy of incident light by tens to millions of times.
*Plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS): A phenomenon in which the charge of plasmonic metal nanoparticles is transferred to semiconductors under light irradiation at resonance wavelengths.
*n-type semiconductor: A semiconductor in which electrical conduction occurs by the movement of free electrons.
*p-type semiconductor: A semiconductor in which electrical conduction occurs by the transfer of holes.
