Shigenori Fujikawa

Project Manager

Professor
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research(I²CNER)
Director
Research Center for Negative Emissions Technologies (K-NETs)
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Membrane separation, Nanomaterial chemistry

【Research Activity】
My current interest is to create nanomaterials with new functions by controlling the nanostructure of the interface. In particular, since nanomaterials have a larger surface area than the bulk phase, the properties and characteristics of the surface dominate the functionality of the entire nanomaterial. Taking advantage of this, I use a chemical approach to realize various nanostructures with unique molecular separation and optical functions over large areas.

【Development Overview】
We are developing new separation nanomembranes for selective CO₂ capture directly from the atmosphere under mild conditions. We found that the surface of the separation membrane plays an important role in the separation of nanomembranes. Thus, we are particularly focusing on the development of high-performance CO₂ separation membranes by controlling the molecular structure of the membrane surfaces.

Miho Yamauchi

Unit Leader

Professor
Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Solid state chemistry, Nano Science, Catalysis

【Research Activity】
We are developing new catalysts, magnet materials, gas storage, and ion conductor that will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. We select the most suitable constituent elements, control the morphology, size, shape of the material at the "nanometer" level, and produce high-performance inorganic nanomaterials.

【Development Overview】
We will develop catalysts and devices for producing useful substances that can be used as raw materials and fuels from CO₂ mixed gas collected and concentrated by DAC using water and electric power.

Toyoki Kunitake

Special Advisor to Project Manager

University Professor of Institute for Advanced Study, Kyushu University
Nano Membrane Technology, Ltd. CEO

【Research Interest】
Polymer Chemistry, Chemistry at Interface, Molecular Organization

【Research Activity】
My research career started in polymer synthesis including ionic polymerization and cyclopolymerization, and it expanded to biofunctional chemistry, especially design of enzyme models. Such experience led me to discovery of synthetic bilayer membrane, which was then extended to the study of broader molecular organizations and nanometer-thick membranes. Exploration of designed organic/inorganic nanolayers and specific interfacial molecular recognition were also included.

【Development Overview】
On the basis of the above-mentioned membrane development, our technical target at NanoMembrane Technologies is set as development of nanomembranes for practical CO₂ recovery. Membrane organization of nanometer precision and permselective membrane of physical/chemical robustness are required for this purpose.

Atsushi Takahara

Special Advisor to Project Manager

Project Professor
Research Center for Negative Emissions Technologies (K-NETs)
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Polymer Science, Surface Material Science

【Research Activity】
On the basis of chemistry, I have been engaged in the research of structure-properties relationships of polymers.
1) Analysis of fatigue behavior of polymeric materials based on in situ nonlinear viscoelastic measurements.
2) Surface molecular aggregation state and surface molecular motion of polymeric solids.
3) Precise design and physical properties of polyelectrolyte brushes.
4) (Organic/inorganic) nano hybrids on the basis of precise interfacial design of natural inorganic nano fibers.
5) Surface structure and properties of fluoropolymers.
6) Analysis of structure and properties of polymers by quantum beam.
7) Polymer degradation and stability

【Development Overview】
Reveal interaction between gas molecules and gas separation membrane on the basis of X-ray emission spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy.

Kimihiro Matsukawa

Assistant to Project Manager (Research)　

Project Professor
Material Innovation Lab.
Kyoto Institute of Technology
President of RadTech Japan

【Research Interest】
Hybrid materials, Functional polymer, Photopolymer

【Research Activity】
I had researched on the development of functional materials based on silicon polymers, organic-inorganic hybrids, and photopolymers at Osaka Municipal Technical Research Institute ((currently, Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology).After leaving the institute, I have been promoting the joint research in industry-academia collaboration as a specially appointed professor and senior fellow at Kyoto Institute of Technology. And as a program manager of JST ACCEL, I supported the project for the practical use of polymer brushes and related materials.

【Development Overview】
At MOZES project, I will assist the project manager by my experience from ACCEL. I will support the practical goal of a novel DAC-U system creating from the research of each unit.

Hiroshi Tsubouchi

Assistant to Project Manager (IP)　　

Patent Attorney
Head of UniBridge IP Firm

【Research Interest】
Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer

【Research Activity】
I had been engaged in IP management practice for 12 years at Kyushu University, and in charge of invention evaluation, patent application,
group leader of tech-transfer ,and so on. I established UniBridge IP
Firm in 2016 and provide IP-related services to universities, SMEs, and
start-up companies as an expert in IP and industry-academia partnership.

【Development Overview】
I assist the project manager with a perspective on strategic creation and utilization of IP. I am striving to construct IP infrastructure to popularize an innovative DAC-U system, and supporting MOZES from the IP side.

Masashi Kunitake

Unit Leader

Professor
Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials
Kumamoto University

【Research Interest】
Polymer chemistry, Colloid and Surface Chemistry, Electrochemistry

【Research Activity】
We have developed necklace-shaped siloxane polymers in which bifunctional rigid POSS (cage-type silsesquioxane) and relatively short and flexible chain-like methylsiloxane (DMS) are alternately connected. The synthetic methodology to produce the series of polymers with systematic and hierarchical structural diversity was achieved. The necklace structure with a bulky POSS in the main chain realized an amorphous structure without POSS agglomeration. We found several unique characteristics derived from a hierarchically designable primary structure. In addition, network polymers by cross-linking the polymer ends are also possible.

【Development Overview】
Among the separation membranes, we are particularly focusing on the development of supporting nanomembranes.We will develop nano-films that maintain high selectivity, maximize gas permeability, and ensure the mechanical strength of the membranes.

Ken Kojio

Unit Leader

Associate Professor
Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Polymer Science and Engineering

【Research Activity】
We have been working on chemistry and physics of polymer materials and performing polymer synthesis and investigation of structure and properties relationship of polymers. The evaluations has been done using X-ray, infrared and visible light under stimuli like stretching, heating, exposure under a certain gas.

【Development Overview】
We are going to contribute to make polymer films with high transmittance and selectivity based on interaction between CO₂ and polymer and aggregation state of polymer under transmission of CO₂.

Andrew Chapman

Unit Leader

PI, Associate Professor
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER)
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Social Engineering

【Research Activity】
Using Energy Analysis as a basis, we have evaluated energy technologies and enabling technologies according to their level of sustainability (i.e. economic, environmental and social aspects). We are particularly focused on the social impacts of the introduction of individual energy technologies which can engender or contribute toward carbon neutrality.

【Development Overview】
We are responsible for the DAC-U Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and evaluate the environmental impacts of its deployment to society. We measure the ability of the device to capture CO₂ from the air, convert it into a convenient fuel source, and its overall contribution toward societal carbon management and the reduction of CO₂ as a negative emission technology.

Shin-ichiro Noro

Professor
Graduate School of Env.Science
Faculty of Env.Earth Science
Hokkaido University

【Research Interest】
Coordination chemistry, Porous materials chemistry

【Research Activity】
In order to solve environmental and energy problems, we are developing new porous materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous coordination polymers (PCPs), showing separation, storage, and slow release properties. MOFs/PCPs have high structural tunability and diversity and are useful for practical applications in adsorption separation of global warming gases and aqueous contaminants and purification of hydrocarbon gases.

【Development Overview】
We are developing novel nanofilms to separate low-concentrated carbon dioxide in air. In order to enhance the selectivity for carbon dioxide, we are trying to fabricate selective nanofilms based on metal complexes.

Yoshiro Kaneko

Associate Professor
Research Field in Engineering
Science and Engineering Area
Research and Education Assembly
Kagoshima University

【Research Interest】
Polymer chemistry; Hybrid material chemistry; Silicon chemistry

【Research Activity】
We are performing basic and applied research on the preparation, properties, functionalization, and hybridization of organic-inorganic hybrid compounds at the elemental level, such as silsesquioxanes and cyclic siloxanes, which have regular molecular structures.

【Development Overview】
We are developing new separation membranes for selectively recovering CO₂ from the atmosphere. In particular, we will developCO₂ selective layers that can be coated on the film surfaces.

Tomoyasu Hirai

Associate Professor
Department of Applied Chemistry
Osaka Institute of Technology

【Research Interest】
Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Surface and interface

【Research Activity】
Our research aim is to understand relation between polymer interface and its functional properties. It is widely accepted that polymer with well-controlled stereoregularity shows different properties compared with atactic one. To reach the goal, we prepare functional polymeric materials with well-controlled stereoregularity, which forms specific secondary structure.

【Development Overview】
We will develop novel separation membrane, which enable to collect CO₂ under mild conditions through the "Moon Shot" . To understand relation between interfacial structure in the polymeric materials and gas permeability, we have to use polymeric materials with well-controlled nanostructure. We will contribute “precise synthesis of novel polymeric materials and characterization of its nanostructure”.

Kenichi Shimizu

Director
Institute for Catalysis
Hokkaido University

【Research Interest】
Heterogeneous catalysis

【Research Activity】
For solving environmental and energy problems, we have studied heterogeneous catalysis for conversion of hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide and environmental purification. In addition to the research on catalyst structure and mechanism using in situ spectroscopy, we are trying to construct new methodologies for catalyst research using computational science and data science.

【Development Overview】
We will develop a chemical loop type catalytic process that synthesizes fuel (CH₄) and intermediates (CO) from H₂ and CO₂/air mixture prepared by DAC.

Susumu Okazaki

Project Professor
Graduate School of Nanobioscience
Yokohama City University

【Research Interest】
Theoretical Chemistry, Computational Science, Physical Chemistry

【Research Activity】
Structure and dynamics of materials in condensed phase have been investigated based on molecular dynamics calculation. Recently, we have been engaged in polymers involving polymer separation membranes,
mechanical and thermal properties of non-crystalline polymers, and polymer electrolytes. Particularly, we are interested in mass transfer in the polymer electrolytes, polymer membranes, and carbons. We have
also been investigating surfactants, lipid bilayers, proteins, and viruses, where particular structures are formed in water and solutions by weak interactions such as hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond. Based on the collective structures, the system shows certain chemical and biological functions. Their molecular mechanism is of great interest, too.
Our distinctive activity is large-scale all-atom molecular dynamic calculations for real systems. Not only universal properties of materials but also a diversity of properties coming from their chemical details are of great interest, including its molecular mechanism.

【Development Overview】
We are planning to unveil a molecular mechanism of CO₂ separation by PDMS polymer films, focusing on a role of its surface and intermolecular interactions on it.

Aleksandar Staykov

PI, Associate Professor
International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER)
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Computational materials science , Theoretical chemistry

【Research Activity】
I am using computational chemistry to investigate chemical and electrochemical processes at the surfaces and interfaces of complex oxides, carbon nanomaterials and metal nanoparticles. First-principle simulations are employed to understand electronic structures and structural properties and associate them with catalytic activity and electron / ion transport.

【Development Overview】
I study the interaction of CO₂ with various polymers which are part of nanometer-scale membranes using density functional theory. Our efforts are focussed on the fundamental understanding of the CO₂ absorption mechanism and bonding to membranes. Theoretical design will lead to novel materials for enhanced CO₂ separation. We also plan to design machine learning algorithms to automatically discover new polymers for application in membranes.

Daisuke Kawaguchi

Project Professor
Graduate School of Engineering
The University of Tokyo

【Research Interest】
Polymer Thin Films, Interfacial Engineering

【Research Activity】
Our research interests are the physical properties of polymer thin films, surface and interfaces. We study the aggregation states and thermal molecular motion of polymers at surface and interfaces or in thin films using various interface-sensitive spectroscopy. The relationship among the structure-property-function in polymer thin film devices has been discussed.

【Development Overview】
To obtain a better understanding of the interaction between gaseous molecules and the film surface, we will examine the local conformation of polymers at surface of a film. Also, the CO₂ sorption behavior in a film will be examined under CO₂ environment.

Shunsuke Managi

Kyushu University, Technology and Policy (Distinguished Professor)
Kyushu University, Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (Professor)
Urban Institute (Director)

【Research Interest】
Urban Engineering・Environmental Economics

【Research Activity】
I am conducting empirical research on a wide range of complex problems facing cities, such as energy depletion, environmental pollution, population decline, and disasters, using multifaceted and interdisciplinary approaches including urban engineering and economics.

【Development Overview】
I am responsible for assessing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of systems through the supply chain and promoting technological improvements.

Alexander Ryota Keeley

Associate Professor
Urban and Transportation Engineering Lab Faculty of Engineering, Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering
Kyushu University

【Research Interest】
Urban Engineering, Energy Economics, Environmental Economics

【Research Activity】
I am conducting empirical research on a wide range of complex problems facing cities, such as energy depletion, environmental pollution, population decline, and disasters, using multifaceted and interdisciplinary approaches including urban engineering and economics with special focus on energy issues.

【Development Overview】
I am in charge of conducting assessments of the environmental, social and economic impacts of the systems to be developed and for promoting technological improvements.