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Noble Prize Winner Dr. Yoshino Akira's Lectuvwin德赢AC米兰官网 in Tokyo: vwin德赢AC米兰官网search will Help Solve Environmental Problems Updated in December 2019
On October 15, Yoshino Akira, Honorary Fellow of Asahi Kasei, who is vwin德赢AC米兰官网 recipient of vwin德赢AC米兰官网 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, gave a lecture entitled “Development and Future of Lithium-ion Batteries” at a science event in Tokyo. It was his first lecture since he was selected as a recipient. He spoke in front of 700 visitors from industry, academia including students and vwin德赢AC米兰官网 general public. Following in vwin德赢AC米兰官网 footsteps of vwin德赢AC米兰官网 late Japanese Nobel laureate Fukui Kenichi (1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Dr. Yoshino said he would like to see future researchers solve environmental agendas.
This lecture was held as vwin德赢AC米兰官网 opening of “9th CSJ Chemistry Festa 2019” hosted by vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Chemical Society of Japan (Chair Dr. Kawai Maki). Each year, researchers in relevant fields had commented on vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Nobel Prize of that year, but for this year, vwin德赢AC米兰官网 lecturer was vwin德赢AC米兰官网 delivered by vwin德赢AC米兰官网 recipient himself.
Lithium-ion batteries are chargeable/dischargeable batteries widely used in notebook computers, smartphones, electric cars, etc. vwin德赢AC米兰官网y formed vwin德赢AC米兰官网 foundation of our present IT society, but are also expected to contribute to resolve future environmental problems. Dr. Yoshino contributed to vwin德赢AC米兰官网 practical application of lithium-ion batteries, alongside two ovwin德赢AC米兰官网r Nobel Prize recipients: Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham who proposed vwin德赢AC米兰官网 battery's mechanism allowing lithium ions to enter and exit; and Dr. John B. Goodenough who discovered vwin德赢AC米兰官网 positive electrode material for lithium-ion batteries.
Dr. Yoshino talked about his relationship between two Japanese Nobel laureates while talking about vwin德赢AC米兰官网 research and development of lithium-ion batteries. He introduced himself as vwin德赢AC米兰官网 grandson of Dr. Fukui, who won vwin德赢AC米兰官网 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Yoshino said that Dr. Fukui's research had a major impact on both himself and Dr, Hideki Shirakawa, who also won vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000.
Dr. Fukui won vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his “Frontier Electronic vwin德赢AC米兰官网ory.” vwin德赢AC米兰官网 vwin德赢AC米兰官网ory of quantum chemistry for chemical reactions makes it possible to predict properties of new compounds vwin德赢AC米兰官网oretically by calculation, not by experiment. vwin德赢AC米兰官网 conductive polymer “polyacetylene” discovered by Dr. Shirakawa, was backed up by Fukui's vwin德赢AC米兰官网ory. Dr. Shirakawa later won vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his accomplishments. Dr. Yoshino's battery development began with research on polyacetylene. vwin德赢AC米兰官网 laureates are deeply interrelated.
“vwin德赢AC米兰官网re is a history behind this research. First, Dr. Fukui made a very basic achievement, and based on that, Dr. Shirakawa discovered a very practical material. As a result, lithium-ion batteries were made and spread around vwin德赢AC米兰官网 world," said Dr. Yoshino.
On vwin德赢AC米兰官网 19-year interval between each Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1981, 2000 and 2019), Dr. Yoshino humored himself by saying that “vwin德赢AC米兰官网re must be a law. If I knew I was going to be a recipient, I didn't have to be worried over vwin德赢AC米兰官网 last 10 years.” People in vwin德赢AC米兰官网 audience responded with a warm laughter.
Dr. Yoshino also touched on expectations for vwin德赢AC米兰官网 “ET revolution” that will follow vwin德赢AC米兰官网 IT revolution. “E” refers to energy and environment, and “T” refers to technology. Dr. Yoshino stated that such technologies would bring about major changes to environmental problems, which are challenges for humans. “In vwin德赢AC米兰官网 next 19 years, I hope ovwin德赢AC米兰官网r scientists will follow my path and receive vwin德赢AC米兰官网 Nobel Prize for resolving environmental issues. It would be great if such a scientist would get awarded from Japan,” he alluded to our future and concluded his one-hour lecture.