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第431回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー The Shapes of the Living

日時
2025年6月16日(月)10:30-12:00
場所
5号館52号講義室
講演題目 The Shapes of the Living
講演者 Prof. Fabrizio CLERI
IEMN, CNRS-University of Lille
(Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology)
LIMMS CNRS-UTokyo
(Laboratories for International Research on Multi-disciplinary Micro
Systems,学際融合マイクロシステム国際連携研究機構)

Biography:
Prof. Fabrizio CLERI is currently the Director of the Physics Division, at the CNRS Institute of Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN) in Lille, and Distinguished Professor at the Department of Physics, University of Lille. He obtained the title of Doctor in Physics cum laude from the University of Perugia (Italy) in 1984, and the Habilitation in Physics (HDR) from the University “Louis Pasteur” of Strasbourg in 2005. After his research at ENEA, Rome (Italy) and University of Chicago (USA), he moved to Lille and became a professor in the Physics department, where he created the Master School in Biophysics and Medical Physics (2010) for which I am still the acting Director. He was an Editor of “Applied Physics Letters” for 8 years (two terms) until March 2016; since 2012 he is on the editorial board of the European Physical Journal E: Soft Matter and Biological Physics, and in 2018 he also joined the team of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology. He was a visiting professor at the Institute of Industrial Sciences of the Tokyo University, for several terms between 2007 and now.
概要 Abstract:
I explore the relationship between form and function in living things highlighting the key role of physics, namely volume vs. surface forces, and their scaling with size. Surface tension emerges as another key player, in contrast to the effects of gravity, in providing shapes and sizes to animals and plants. Chemical gradients and synchronized oscillators are two other key players in this story. The apparent regularities of many natural patterns and forms, the role of geometric transformations and their relationship to the evolution of species, provide an excuse to describe a range of natural shapes, also allowing for interesting connections with paleontology and the fossil remains of ancient life on Earth.

Link to the book:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Fabrizio-Cleri/dp/3319306456/
世話人 酒井康行(内線27751)

第430回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Durability of Hydrogen Systems, Status and Bottlenecks. Where is the research heading?

日時
2025年6月4日(水)15:30-17:00
場所
工学部2号館211講義室
講演題目 Durability of Hydrogen Systems, Status and Bottlenecks. Where is the research heading?
講演者 Prof. Nadia YOUSFI STEINER
Université Marie & Louis Pasteur, France
The International University of Rabat, Morocco

Biography and expertise
• Nadia Yousfi Steiner received a master’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in Fluidics and Energetics in 2006. She obtained a PhD in Engineering Science in collaboration between the University of Franche-Comté and the European Institute for Energy Research in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2009.
• From 2009 to 2014, she worked as R&D Project Manager in charge of collaborative projects on Hydrogen in Karlsruhe in Germany. Her research interest deals with fuel cell and electrolysers systems characterization diagnostics, prognostics, testing protocoles and Fault Tolerant Control. She is currently Full Professor at the University of Franche-Comté and held a 6-years research Chair of excellence within the Energy department in Belfort, France.
• She was the head of the Cursus Master of Engineering Hydrogen Energy and Energy efficiency H3E (First 5years education programme about hydrogen in France) between 2019 and 2023. This Master has been awarded by the “Trophée de l’Hydrogénie”, best project in the category of “Sensibilisation, Formation et Education” in 2022. In 2021, she set an international master’s programmes in electrical engineering and Hydrogen (Gradute School EUR EIPHI, Master ENERGY) that she directed until 2023. Since 2024, she is director of the master’s programme and Hydrogen Energy at the International University of Rabat, Morocco
• Nadia Yousfi Steiner has been recently awarded with the CNRS Bronze Medal (2019) for her research and the Blondel Medal for Research and Engineering activities (2023).
• Since August 2024, she has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University, USA and since February 2025, she has been nominated as an associated member of the Moroccan Academy of Science & Technology.
概要 Abstract:
Durability of Hydrogen Systems, Status and Bottlenecks. Where is the research heading?

Hydrogen and fuel cell systems are very promising solutions for the storage of intermittent energies and its utilization, either directly as green gas or as a direct (re)electrification into green and decentralized electricity, a major asset for the territories.
While direct electrification alone cannot ensure the decarbonization of the economy, hydrogen as a decarbonized gas has a major role to play in decarbonizing other sectors such as industry and mobility, and more particularly heavy mobility. It is thus the link between three major sectors of the economy: mobility, industry, and energy.
However, for a large-scale deployment of these technologies, it is necessary to bring to market reliable systems with competitive costs and lifespans. To this end, solutions to lower costs and extend durability such as fault tolerance and resistance to degradation must be put in place.
This presentation will address part of the research on solutions of interest integrated into the system and based mainly on analytical redundancy. These AI-based solutions use the system's own resources, reducing thus additional instrumentation costs and limiting the volume of embedded systems: Hence, the fuel cell is used as its own sensor. The different solutions developed include monitoring, diagnosis, prognosis, decision, and control. The developed system has the properties of resilient system.
世話人 高鍋和広(内線21195)

第429回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Advances in regionalized life cycle assessment of industrial manufacturing with a focus on energy and chemicals

日時
2025年5月19日(月)9:00-10:30
場所
工学部3号館大会議室2(6C06号室)
講演題目 Advances in regionalized life cycle assessment of industrial manufacturing with a focus on energy and chemicals
講演者 Dr. Christopher Oberschelp
ETH Zurich
概要 Current industrial activities pose a multitude of environmental challenges. While some of them are well understood, this does not hold true for others, and any advances towards a more sustainable future are at risk of shifting environmental burdens from one domain to another or even amplifying overall impacts. Against this backdrop, this presentation will focus on advances in the life cycle assessment (LCA) for industrial activities, with a particular emphasis on the chemicals and energy sectors as well as air pollution impacts. A core aspect involves quantifying the environmental impacts of supply and demand across industrial sectors by integrating energy and mass balances into highly regionalized global manufacturing inventories. Special attention is given to identifying environmental hotspots and exploring realistic mid-term technological improvement potentials. Addressing the challenges of large, complex datasets, the presentation shows examples of how to adapt fundamental engineering principles to be compatible with large-scale LCA frameworks while preserving essential system mechanics. That allows to break down causes of environmental impacts and to tailor improvement strategies. A significant area of focus lies in the chemical sector, where data limitations due to the diversity of substances and lack of public disclosure pose ongoing challenges for the knowledge about environmental hotspots. These are tackled through systematic gap-filling strategies for improving data coverage and model robustness. An outlook into the current work at UTokyo is shown, where work will aim at strengthening the linkage between regional energy supply, hydrogen production technologies and hydrogen demand by leveraging region-specific LCA and technology scenario analysis to inform sustainable industrial transitions.
世話人 Sara Badr

第428回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Theoretical approaches in catalysis and materials design

日時
2025年4月30日(水)13:00-15:00
場所
工学部5号館53講義室
講演題目 Theoretical approaches in catalysis and materials design
講演者 Dr. Andrey Lyalin
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Hokkaido University
概要 The development of efficient and sustainable energy technologies is critically dependent on the discovery of low-cost, high-performance catalysts. Traditionally, the design of new materials has been driven by experimental efforts, with theoretical studies playing a supporting role. However, advances in computational power and modeling techniques have transformed theory into a powerful predictive tool for rational materials design.

In this presentation, I will demonstrate how theoretical modeling, when deeply integrated with experimental efforts, can accelerate the discovery of novel catalytic materials for energy conversion processes involving the hydrogen/oxygen cycle, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)—key processes for renewable energy technologies. Particular emphasis will be placed on the theoretical prediction and design of functional materials derived from catalytically inert or weakly active systems. I will show how atomic-level tuning of support effects, doping, structural morphology, dielectric environment, and reaction mechanisms enables the activation of non-precious materials and enhances their electrocatalytic properties. Examples will include catalysis on free and supported atomic clusters, two-dimensional materials, and their heterostructures. Finally, I will discuss theoretical modeling of several systems beyond conventional catalysis—such as the formation of unique two-dimensional structures and molecular rotors in molecular crystals—where theory and high-performance computations play a crucial role in uncovering fundamental processes and guiding materials design.
世話人 杉山 弘和(内線27227)

第427回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Fracture at the Two-Dimensional Limit

日時
2025年3月10日(月)15:00-16:30
場所
工学部5号館53講義室
講演題目 Fracture at the Two-Dimensional Limit
講演者 Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering
Rice University

Short Bio:
Jun Lou is a professor of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University and directs the Nanomaterials, Nanomechanics, and Nanodevices Lab (N 3 L). He has extensive experience in the synthesis and design of 2D materials beyond Graphene and other nanomaterials; nanomechanical and multi-physics characterization, and fabrication of advanced material systems and devices. He has published more than 330 peer-reviewed papers, including ones published in high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, etc., with ~ 59,000 Google Scholar citations and an h- index of 111. He has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2018. Lou is a recipient of the AFOSR Young Investigator Award, the Brimacombe Medal from TMS, the Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, the Research Plus Teaching Excellence Award, the Outstanding Faculty Research Award, and the inaugural Provost’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Achievement from Rice. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). He is the Editor-in-Chief of Materials Today, the Elsevier flagship journal covering original research and reviews in the broader materials science community. He currently serves as the site director for the NSF industry-university collaborative research center (IUCRC) of Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC), exploring potential applications of 2D materials in different industries with commercial partners.
概要 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as Graphene, hBN and MoS 2 , are promising candidates in a number of advanced functional and structural applications, owing to their exceptional electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. Understanding mechanical properties of 2D materials is critically important for their reliable integration into future electronic, composite and energy storage applications. In this talk, we will report our efforts to study fracture behaviours of 2D materials. Our combined experiment and modelling efforts verify the applicability of the classic Griffith theory of brittle fracture to graphene [1]. Strategies on how to improve the fracture resistance in graphene, including a nanocomposite approach, and the implications of the effects of defects on mechanical properties of other 2D atomic layers will be discussed [2, 3]. More interestingly, stable crack propagation in monolayer 2D h-BN is observed and the corresponding crack resistance curve is obtained for the first time in 2D crystals [4]. Inspired by the asymmetric lattice structure of h-BN, an intrinsic toughening mechanism without loss of high strength is validated based on theoretical efforts. The crack deflection and branching occur repeatedly due to asymmetric edge elastic properties at the crack tip and edge swapping during crack propagation, which toughens h-BN tremendously and enables stable crack propagation not seen in graphene. Finally, we will also review some of our recent efforts in evaluating the mechanical properties of 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) [5, 6].

References: [1] P. Zhang, L. Ma, F. Fan, Z. Zeng, C. Peng, P.E. Loya, Z. Liu, Y. Gong, J. Zhang, X. Zhang, P.M. Ajayan, T. Zhu, and J. Lou, Fracture Toughness of Graphene, Nature Communications, Vol. 5, article number 3782, 2014. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4782 [2] E. Hacopian, Y. Yang, B. Ni, Y. Li, X. Li, Q. Chen, H. Guo, J.M. Tour, H. Gao, J. Lou, Toughening Graphene by Integrating Carbon Nanotubes, ACS Nano, Vol. 12(8), 7901-7910, 2018. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b02311 [3] B. Shin, B. Ni, C. Toh, D. Steinbach, Z. Yang, L. Sassi, Q. Ai, K. Niu, J. Lin, K. Suenaga, Y. Han, M.J. Buehler, B. Ozyilmaz and J. Lou, Intrinsic Toughening in Monolayer Amorphous Carbon Nanocomposite, Matter, accepted. [4] Y. Yang, Z. Song, G. Lu, Q. Zhang, B. Zhang, B. Ni, C. Wang, X. Li, L. Gu, X. Xie, H. Gao, J. Lou, Intrinsic Toughening and Stable Crack Propagation in Hexagonal Boron Nitride, Nature, Vol. 594(7861), 57-61, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03488-1 [5] Q. Fang, C. Sui, C. Wang, T. Zhai, J. Zhang, J. Liang, H. Guo, E. Sandoz-Rosado, J. Lou, Strong and Flaw-insensitive Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks, Matter, Vol. 4(3), 1017-1028, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2021.01.001 [6] Q. Fang, Z. Pang, Q. Ai, Y. Liu, T. Zhai, D. Steinbach, G. Gao, Y. Zhu, T. Li, J. Lou, Superior Mechanical Properties of Multilayer Covalent-Organic Frameworks Enabled by Rationally Tuning Molecular Interlayer Interactions, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Vol. 120, 15, e2208676120, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2208676120
世話人 Vincent Tung(内線28752)

第426回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Selective conversion of hydrocarbon molecules with zeolite-confined subnanometer metal catalysts

日時
2025年2月18日(火)16:30-18:00
場所
工学部5号館51講義室
講演題目 Selective conversion of hydrocarbon molecules with zeolite-confined subnanometer metal catalysts
講演者 Lichen Liu
Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Biograph:
Lichen Liu is currently an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University. He obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from Nanjing University in 2012, and M.S. (2014) as well as Ph.D. (2018) in Sustainable Chemistry from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) with Prof. Avelino Corma. After working with Prof. Avelino Corma at Instituto de Tecnología Química (CSIC-UPV) in Valencia (Spain) as a postdoctoral researcher (2018-2020), he joined Tsinghua University in January 2021. He has published >80 peer-reviewed papers with >10,000 citations (according to Google Scholar) and one of his patents has been licensed to industry. His current research interest is focused on precise synthesis of zeolite-confined metal catalysts, structural characterizations of the nature of the metal active sites in confined space and exploration of these materials for selective conversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks into value-added chemicals.
概要 Selective conversions of hydrocarbon molecules (alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics) into value-added products are essential processes in the chemical industry and one of the major goals of heterogeneous catalysis research activities lies in developing efficient catalysts and processes for these catalytic transformations. In this talk, I will introduce our recent progress on general methodology for the generation and stabilization of subnanometer metal active sites (Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir etc.) into a variety of zeolite topological structures (MFI, MWW, MEL, CHA, *BEA etc.). Furthermore, I will show the applications of these zeolite-confined subnanometer metal catalysts for selective conversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks into value-added chemicals through selective oxidation, hydroformylation and dehydrogenation reactions.
世話人 脇原徹・高鍋和広

第425回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Tailoring lattice oxygen activities of oxygen carriers for chemical looping applications

日時
2024年12月27日(金)11:00-12:30
場所
工学部3号館大会議室1(6C07号室)
講演題目 Tailoring lattice oxygen activities of oxygen carriers for chemical looping applications
講演者 A/Prof Wen (Paul) Liu
School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB)
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
概要 Chemical looping technology has emerged as a promising approach for clean energy production and CO2 capture, leveraging the cyclic redox properties of oxygen carriers (OCs) to facilitate fuel oxidation and regeneration. The performance of OCs critically depends on their lattice oxygen activity, which governs their ability to transfer oxygen between fuel and air. However, achieving optimal lattice oxygen activity remains a challenge due to the trade-offs between reactivity, stability, and oxygen transport properties. In this talk, we present a variety of strategies to control and enhance the lattice oxygen activity of OCs by tuning their structural and compositional properties, e.g. forming solid solutions,1 ternary mixed oxides,2 nanostructured materials and high-entropy oxides,3 thereby optimizing oxygen transport kinetics, and redox behavior.4 In situ and ex situ characterization techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), could be employed to elucidate the relationship between lattice structure, oxygen vacancy concentration, and oxygen mobility. These characterization techniques demonstrates inseparable correlations between chemical composition, lattice deformation, structural defects and the lattice oxygen activity of OCs. Additionally, surface engineering with nanostructured coatings could effectively mitigate sintering and phase degradation during high-temperature cycling, ensuring long-term stability.5 These findings advance the understanding of lattice oxygen activity control and provides a foundation for the development of next-generation oxygen carriers with enhanced performance for chemical looping applications.
References
1. Fan. Q., Huang., C., Xi, S., Yan, Y., Huang, J., Saqline, S., Tao, L., Dai, Y., Borgna, A., Wang, X., Liu, W.. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2022, 10, 7242-7452.
2. Fan, Q., Li, H., Saqline, S., Donat, F., Tan, M., Tao, L., Müller, C.R., Xu, Z.J., Liu, W. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2024, 26, 20511.
3. Shao, Y., Wu, C., Xi, S., Tan, P., Wu, X., Saqline, S., Liu, W. Appl Catal. B. 2024. 355, 124191.
4. Liu, W., React Chem Eng. 2021, 6, 1527-1537.
5. Fan, Q., Tan, M, Yao, B., Saqline, S., Tao, L., He, Q., Liu, W. Appl Catal. B. 2024. 350, 123935.
世話人 高鍋 和広(内線21195)

第424回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Microporous inorganic material-based membrane/adsorption/catalyst

日時
2025年1月9日(木)15:00-17:00
場所
工学部3号館大会議室1(6C07号室)
講演題目 Microporous inorganic material-based membrane/adsorption/catalyst
講演者 Professor Jungkyu Choi
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Korea
概要 He would like to start this presentation by briefly introducing the zeolite-based adsorption/catalyst widely used in applications, for which the chemical engineering principles are mainly adopted. Specifically, he would like to present a zeolite-based internal combustion engine hydrocarbon trap and the production of some useful chemical from methane. In addition, he would like to talk about a method of upgrading carbon dioxide using zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) emerging as a new type of microporous material. After that, he will focus on manufacturing zeolite as a molecular sieving membrane. In particular, he would like to introduce the academic and industrial efforts for zeolite membrane-based applications. Finally, a recent attempt for the realization of membrane reactors will be addressed.
世話人 大久保達也 (27348)

第423回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー Rate Theories and Computational Methods for Quantum Transitions and Dynamics of Molecular Excitons

日時
2025年1月17日(金)15:00-16:30
場所
工学部3号館大会議室3(6B04号室)
講演題目 Rate Theories and Computational Methods for Quantum Transitions and Dynamics of Molecular Excitons
講演者 Professor Seogjoo (Suggy) J. Jang
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College, City
University of New York
概要 Great advances have been made during the past two decades in characterization of molecular excitons and their quantum transitions in complex molecular environments. To this end, depending on the nature of systems and environments, the dynamics of excitons can be characterized by rates or more complete quantum dynamical description. For the calculation of rates of exciton transfer and decay, Fermi’s golden rule (FGR) has been widely and successfully used for various molecular systems. However, in its applications to complex molecular systems, there are some ambiguities and issues requiring further refinement and development of FGR. I will provide a short summary of our FGR-based theories of resonance energy transfer and nonradiative energy gap law behavior that can account for new quantum effects that were missing in previously established theories. Applications of some of these to light harvesting complexes and organic molecular aggregates are demonstrated as well. For transitions that go beyond simple rate description, (quantum) master equation has been successful in many cases. I will provide a general overview of these quantum approaches we have been pursuing such as polaron transformed quantum master equation. For driven quantum dynamical processes involving excitons such as in quantum control and quantum sensing, accurate dynamics calculation of quantum systems driven by time dependent Hamiltonian is essential. However, efficient implementations of such calculations are in general challenging and may incur artifacts if not done correctly. Magnus expansion provides a formally superior starting point in this respect since any finite truncation approximation remains unitary. I will present simple and straightforward general quantum propagators based on the Magnus expansion we have recently developed, and their applications for quantum dynamics calculations of driven exciton systems.
世話人 中山哲(内線27270)

第422回化学システム工学専攻公開セミナー 生物学的視点からの医療材料開発へのアプローチ

日時
2024年11月14日(木)13:00-15:00
場所
工学部3号館大会議室3(6B04号室)
講演題目 生物学的視点からの医療材料開発へのアプローチ
講演者 稲垣 奈都子
(東京大学大学院工学系研究科化学システム工学専攻伊藤研究室 助教)
概要 肝疾患における死亡原因第一位の肝がんの罹患者数・死亡者数は増加傾向であり、世界人口の増加に伴い、今後20 年間で新規肝がん患者は55%増加すると予測されている。我が国においても、メタボリックシンドロームを背景素因とするMASH(Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis)の増加により、原発性肝がん患者数が再度増加に転じる可能性が指摘されている。また近年、生活様式の欧米化に伴い、大腸がんからの転移性肝がんの患者数も増加傾向である。高い頻度で再発をきたす原発性肝がんの治療には、再発をきたすたびに外科的切除を繰り返し行う、いわゆる「繰り返し肝切除」が生存期間の延長や根治を期待しうる治療法として広く施行されている。また転移性肝がんの治療法としても「繰り返し肝切除」の有効性が認められている。しかしながら、繰り返し肝切除には、解決しなければならない「術後癒着」と「残存肝の肝再生能の低下」の二つの問題がある。これらの解決策として、中皮細胞による次世代マルチファンクショナル術後癒着防止材を開発し、その臨床応用実現化を試みてきたので紹介する。併せて、本講演では、生体膜リン脂質を操作することによる肝疾患メカニズムの解明や、高分子材料を用いた医療材料の開発についても紹介する。
世話人 中山哲(内線27270)