No.3

Oct. 2009

Leader’s Voice……p. 2-3

Breaking organizational taboos——Hideo HOSONO
Asking Researchers……p. 4

Struggling to survive
in a global research environment——Kazuhito TSUKAGOSHI
Progress of MANA……p. 5

Fostering new human resources—MANA Independent Scientists

MANA’ s Research Outcome……p. 6-7• Infrared plasmons in atom- and nano-scale one-dimensional objects —— Tadaaki NAGAO• Atom probe tomography of insulator ceramics using ultraviolet laser pulses——Kazuhiro HONO
• Tough nanotube circuits using metal clamps——Dmitri GOLBERG• Mesoporous carbon-based materials and their multiple functions——Ajayan VINU
News & Topics……p. 8• Nanotech summer school• MOU with U. Cologne• Visit by US government delegation• Past and upcoming events• Workshop with U. Cambridge

LEADER’SVOICE

L

2Superconducting iron is
no mystery.

）——Professor, have you enjoyed science since your childhood?
Were you interested in any special field?
Even at home I made simple devices myself and did experiments. I foundthe electrolysis of water particularly fascinating – I was astonished to seethat gas was generated from a liquid by passing electricity through water.
What’s more, hydrogen burns. I never expected that something generated
from water could burn, as water is used to extinguish fire. It opened myeyes, and is the most impressive experiment ever.
——Did the lesson learned from the experiment with water lead toyour works in later years?
I found that it is not surprising that water and hydrogen, or simply, acompound and its constituent elements, have completely different properties. This is a most interesting aspect of materials. For example, iron is
attracted to a magnet and does not become a superconductor. And yetiron compounds do not inherit the properties of iron in principle, and sohave the potential to become superconductors. In fact, the iron-based
superconductors we developed are not magnetic. Today, iron-based superconductors are attracting global attention, but I was not surprised at
all and have never thought it was an amazing study.
I was far more impressed when I saw electricity flowing throughcement — in fact, the excitement was incomparable. Electricity flowing
through a mixture of calcium oxide, lime, and alumina, imagine! The astonishment is even bigger to people who understand materials better.

Hideo HOSONO

細野 秀雄

Completed the doctoral course at Engineering of Tokyo Metropolitan University in
1982. Has served as a professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology since 1999 and also at
the Frontier Research Center of the university since 2004. Currently the generalmanager of the JST ERATO-SORST project on functional oxides (2004 to 2010). His
paper on iron-based high-temperature superconductors was the most cited paper inthe world in 2008. Specializes in inorganic materials science, transparent
semiconducting oxides, and magnetic resonance.

——Still, the world is excited over iron-based superconductors.
Do you think that’s because they are anticipating the applications?
No. It’s because they have never thought that iron-based superconductors could possibly exist. It is certainly interesting that they exhibit superconductivity at higher temperature. But more than that, the responses ofpeople are similar to those when the world suddenly hyped up “nano”
even though nanotechnologies have been around and studied for a longtime. The excitement led to higher budgets for nanotechnology studies
and has promoted research, so it is significant that it became a scienceand technology policy.

Modern technology without profit isa pastime of the elite.

）

Breaking
organizationaltaboos——Was it necessary to declare “Nanotechnology research is a national project?”
It was crucial. Free-thinking scientists are absolutely necessary, but
without such a declaration, studies on modern technologies diverge too
randomly and do not converge. As long as studies are funded by taxes,

Impacts of MANA are on forerunningreforms and experimental systems.

eProf. Hideo Hosono has published ground-breaking results many times, including the creation of amorphous materials such as transparent semiconducting oxides,
electrically conductive concrete, and the discovery of new iron-based high-temperature superconductors, and attracts worldwide attention as a result.
We asked him what he expects from MANA and what its roles are. He replied by making an incisive analysis of the present state of materials sciences.
❖ Interviewer: Akio Etori, NIMS publishing adviser

CONVERGENCE Vol. 3 October 2009

LEADER’SVOICE
policies are needed to respond to social needs.
Another point is, do people really want a technology that cannot solve any of today’s social issues?
No. We should not pursue merely profit; technologies should be useful somewhere, and particularlymaterials. Otherwise, modern research is merely
the pastime of a lucky few. Such games may be necessary, but should not consume large taxes.
——Emphasis in NIMS has been switching frombasic studies to benefiting society.
It is difficult to see how a study might be useful.
For example, in mathematics and particle physics,
things that were thought to be completely uselessled to the development of nuclear power, so theissue is not clear-cut. Declaring “studies that areuseless for the time being” is good, but they should
be conducted by distinguished people. Basic studies should be entrusted to particularly capable scientists who can perform outstanding work, otherwise it will be a waste of taxes.
In universities, education and research are
inseparable. Universities can somehow fulfill theirroles without conducting research but cannot do
so without education. Pioneering people are cultivated via pioneering research. The ultimate valueof universities is education. And to educate people,
pioneering research is absolutely essential.
——When you teach students, does pioneering
mean being original?
First, I think about educational guidance, but try
not to be too conscious about it. University professors have much to learn from their students. Unlike
professors who are busy outside the laboratory, students are always in the laboratory and have energy.
Professors and students keep discussing the same
themes. This constant exchange of place between
professors and students leads to education.
In any university, laboratories that produce excellent results have excellent students without exception. Good results cannot come without excellent
students, even if the professor is excellent. This is abasic fact.
——Was there any professor who greatly influenced you?
Yes, there were many, including Professor Hiroshi Kawazoe (Tokyo Institute of Technology in later
years), who was my advisor when I was a student,
and Professor Yoshihiro Abe, who was a professor
when I first became an assistant professor at the
Nagoya Institute of Technology. Today, transparent
amorphous oxide semiconductors are enjoying aboom, following that of amorphous silicon, andfull-scale development of displays has started. I was
inspired by a speech of Dr. Kazunobu Tanaka (thena member of the National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology, which I heard
when I was a student. I still clearly remember his

passionate speech on amorphous semiconductors,
and I was highly impressed because I was young
and impressionable. All professors were very original in their studies, and key ideas came spilling out
in just a few words. I am very grateful to them.

The need to alter thesystem dramatically）——What do you think the roles of MANA are?
It is good to have a core institute for materials
like MANA in Japan. Japan has led the world inmaterials sciences in the last 10 years or so but
is being caught up by China and other countries
in some fields. Overall, Japan is still leading, but
its top groups are not. Because it is impossible tostrengthen all institutes in Japan, the prominent
ones should drive the research forward. And oneof those is MANA, so MANA should not be satisfied
merely with being the top institute in Japan.
The important point is whether MANA can attract
excellent researchers from around the world or not,and the fact is, it is not attracting many. Responsibility does not lie with MANA alone but also with thesystem in Japan. When an overseas researcher seeks
his or her next position, there is no position, or particularly permanent position, available in Japan, so
they have no incentive to learn Japanese. For them,Japan is merely a stepping stone before going to
the US.
In the US, researchers can expect to gain tenure
by working on a tenure track for less than 5 years.
Japan has no such system. Overseas researchers will
not stay in Japan if there are no such criteria. This
problem of MANA is a problem of Japanese society,and cannot be resolved by a single institute.

However, language is not a big problem whenwriting papers and communicating. As I explained,
overseas researchers are not attracted to Japan notbecause of the language but because of the lack ofpositions, which is a serious issue.
——What do you expect from MANA?
MANA has many researchers who are invited tointernational conferences as speakers. But MANA
should have more researchers who can give plenary
speeches. There should be not only those who score
4 in the 5 grade system but also those who score 10
in the 10 grade system. Instead of being an institutein which everybody is equal, it should be a highly
flexible institute in which everything changes whena project ends. Universities cannot easily be overhauled completely because they have to educate,but MANA is a core research center. I hope it will
create a system that cannot be mimicked by otherorganizations. I want it to clarify what areas it will attempt, and then challenge them with courage. It is
not easy to do.
——Do you mean cultivating top stars by testing such a system?
Cultivating top stars may not be a major
goal of MANA. But, creating such a system isabsolutely vital. For example, it could suddenly
triple pay. This is a vulgar example, but MANA
should challenge issues that are deemed tabooin Japan. We are monitoring what taboos MANA
takes on.
——Please watch us! Thank you very much.

——How about the problem of language?
MANA is trying to use English as the common
language.
Put it this way. For example in Taiwan, there arecal words
no Taiwanese technicaluctors. On
related to superconductors.
ple cannott
the other hand, people
create new ideas withoutbooks inreading original textbooks
e. Thattheir native language.
means they have to bee bilinaiwangual in English and Taiwanese. Also in Japan, Japandisnese textbooks are indispensable, and thus weneed two languages.

This photograph was taken with Prof. Kawazoe
at a meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan at Kinki University,
which Prof. Hosono attended to present a graduation study.

CONVERGENCE Vol.
Vol 3 Octoberer 2009

3

4

ASKINGRESEARCHER

Struggling to survive
in a global research
environment

Kazuhito TSUKAGOSHI• Principal investigator, MANA
(Leader of the Pi-Electron Electronics Group,
Nano-Systems Field)• Specialty: Nanoelectronics• Academic degree: Ph.D., Osaka University (1995)

Cultivating a relationship withcolleagues in foreign countries

Basic studies contributing to society
are requisites——Dr. Tsukagoshi, you are the youngest principal investigator at
MANA. You’ re only 42 years old, but have achieved a number of
excellent results. What is the secret to your success?
I have diverse experience working in private companies and research
institutes in and outside Japan. If I am any different from others my age,
it is probably due to this experience. Also, I adopted a positive attitude
when faced with several extremely difficult challenges, which definitelychanged me.
For example, I had taken a position at Hitachi Laboratory because
I wanted to know how semiconductors could be useful to people. However, the research group that was I scheduled to join was dissolved when
the bubble economy burst. So, I resigned and returned to graduate
school, but in the second year, the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake struck, andour experimental systems were destroyed. I took it as an opportunity toreview the data collected thus far and organized it into a doctoral thesis.
Afterwards, I was invited by a researcher at the Cavendish Laboratoryof the University of Cambridge, whom I had met at a conference, and I
worked feverishly in the UK for three and a half years, constantly awarethat there would be no place to go if I did not produce results there. I
was a postdoctoral fellow, with no money, no position in Japan, and basically, no roots. The only thing I could do was to absorb myself in experiments day and night. I even worked on Christmas, which invited morethan a few frowns. However, as I continued to work diligently, there wasa gradual shift in the response from others. By the third year, I was recognized not merely as a visitor but as a colleague able to participate in collaborative work and deep discussions.
Then I found a position at the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, but
could not continue with experiments at ultra-low temperatures due tothe slowdown in the semiconductor industry. As a last resort, I started
studying nanomaterials. It was a big turnabout of study topics, but I
found a new development by fusing my old studies with new materials.
I have always felt driven to produce results, but my research successis the fruit of challenging struggles made as a researcher to respond to
every type of situation.

——What sense of purpose or mission do you have as a researcher?
In any form, research must contribute to society. Then it can contribute to the development of Japanese industry and culture. What I can dois to reveal, among the many unknown physical phenomena in electronics, why organic transistors work, why electricity flows, and so on. Studies, even those on phenomena that cannot be understood by today’s
concepts, will be advanced by elucidating such mechanisms. The significance of conducting basic studies at NIMS, MANA and Japan lies there.
I am not a genius. I do not have the power to do extraordinary work.
As a person of ordinary ability, I have persistently combined daily experiments, thinking deeply and thoroughly until I am convinced, and then I
have accomplished what everyone believed to be impossible. For that, I
use every ounce of energy and time, which I believe is the most honest
way for me to do my research.

——What studies are you planning to undertake at MANA?
Will they be an extension of your former studies, or something new?
First, I must do my best to develop “high-speed organic transistors
by means of nanointerfaces and control of electrical conditions,” which
was adopted as a CREST project*.
Also, I’ll be studying whether or not field-effect transistors that far
exceed the conventional semiconductor transistors can be actualized
by using the electrical conditions of single- or double-layer graphenefilm, which is a nanocarbon material. I want to know how we can incorporate new materials into electronics in 20 or 30 years. For me, all mythemes are on the same line. I have encountered them naturally by digesting what I’ve studied, observing the relationship with society, andinvestigating the direction of development.

——How would you express your wishes as a promising young
principal investigator?
The point is how to promote the study results. If there is someone who
highly evaluates the studies and invites us to give lectures, the opportunities to present the studies will increase. But, we should also expand discussions through mutual exchange by visiting laboratories and holding
seminars. When I was in Cambridge, people were rushing about having
discussions and acquiring skills for promoting themselves. MANA encourages us to venture outside.
There is another important point. As long as technology is humanaction, we must earn people’s trust not only in our technical skills andknowledge but also in our personal qualities. In order to publish technological accomplishments produced in Japan to the rest of the world, it isindispensable to deepen personal communication. From my experiencein Cambridge, it takes about three years to build a trusting relationshipthat allows us to express our true feelings and engage in thorough discussions. This time is necessary for learning the history of the researcher’s
success, and we should
expand the opportunities
for conducting studies on
an international scale, promote our skills to the international world, and makewise use of our time.

*CREST project: Team-based study project for producing seeds of innovation that have a large impact
toward achieving a strategic goal presented by the national government.

CONVERGENCE Vol. 3 October 2009

PROGRESSOFMANA

Fostering new
human resources— MANA Independent Scientists

Discovering young, capable researchers and fostering their development is vital for MANA’s goal of becoming a core global research center.
The MANA Independent Scientists system provides the optimum environment for this purpose.

Providing opportunities to step out intoa wider world
One of the most stimulating experiences for promising researchers
is meeting world-leading scientists and hearing their stories first-hand.
If the experience is personal, the impact is even more profound. For
Japanese researchers, who tend to stay in their own small world, it isessential to actively communicate with people from other countries
and fields, broaden the range of vision, and gain insight into not only
research matters but personal matters as well.

What are MANA Independent Scientists?
Most MANA Independent Scientists are young researchers in theirthirties. Diverse recruiting strategies are used to secure excellent
researchers, the majority of which have been involved in PRESTO
programs** of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
There are currently 13 independent scientists, including 3 fromabroad. They are full-time researchers at NIMS but are engaged in
independent studies at MANA.

Distinctive 3D system of MANA
Among the systems enjoyed by independent scientists, the most distinctive is the 3D system. “3D” stands for Double mentor, Double discipline and Double affiliation. The objective is to cultivate independence
in research by allowing these scientists to obtain advice from two or
more mentors, enhance interdisciplinary ability by requiring the studyof two or more themes, and strengthen the spirit of independence byhaving them working at two or more organizations. Satellite institutes
and overseas cooperating institutes are fully used for this purpose.

Cosmopolitan environment
MANA has made utmost effort to create a successful cosmopolitan environment worthy of a world-leading core research center. The majorityof researchers (55%) are from abroad, and all matters, including administrative policies, can be communicated in English. During break times, researchers of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds enjoy lively discussions about their studies and home towns and ask the office staff about
Japanese culture.
This environment is aptly referred to as a melting pot, and innovative
results are expected from the mixing and melting together of a wide
range of ideas and knowledge.

Experience of Dr. Fukata
Naoki Fukata, a MANA Independent Scientist, is 38 years old and currently studying semiconductor nanostructures.
“It was fascinating to be able to visit one of the world’s top scientists,a “courtier” for us. I was not acquainted with Prof. Zhong Lin Wang, but
I submitted a proposal on energy conversion because I was interested
in this topic. He accepted me immediately, and I spent five weeks in hislaboratory. No one, including the Professor himself, went ahead with thework unless they were absolutely convinced of its validity. So we spenthours and hours discussing every aspect. Everyone had a strong senseof being a true professional. I learned much from the visit, including thispoint.”“Today, I conduct studies as an independent scientist with sole responsibility for the studies, including identifying the study themes, setting up
the experimental devices, doing the experiments, advising the students
from a joint research institute, and raising the necessary funds. My goal
is to become a world-leading scientist whose name is the first one thatcomes to mind in this field of study.”

Opinion of Dr. Nagao
Tadaaki Nagao, in his forties, is the oldest of the independent scientists.
His specialty is nanoanalysis of surfaces, and he is confident that he isnear the top in this field.
“I went to see Prof. Narayanamurti at Harvard University. While wetalked, I discovered that we had much in common, and he helped mewhen I started new studies. Visiting with him did not produce direct
results, but finding out that we had things in common had a strong
impact. I feel that he is a colleague rather than a mentor.
I am satisfied with the present research environment. I will be visiting
Spain, Germany and the US and I intend to be a world-class scientist in
my field.”
We can expect that the world’s top researchers will emerge from
MANA Independent Scientists.
(Akio Etori)**PRESTO Program: PRESTO is a proposal-oriented research promotion program based onnational strategic goals and aims at cultivating the seeds of future
innovation. The mean age of researchers at assignment is 35.8 years.

Dr. Fukata (center) talking with Prof. Wang (right) at the Georgia Institute of Technology

CONVERGENCE Vol. 3 October 2009
Prof. Narayanamurti (left) and Dr. Nagao

5

6

RESEARCHOUTCOME

Infrared plasmons in atom- andnano-scale one-dimensional objects
Tadaaki NAGAO
長尾 忠昭

MANA
Independent Scintiest

The technology for amplifying, confining, andscattering the light in nanoscale objects is strongly
desired as a key technology for future optical communication and sensing. By hybridizing the plasma
oscillation with the electromagnetic field near the
metal surface we can manipulate the light at amuch shorter wavelength than that in free space.
Such hybridized waves of contracted wavelength
are called plasmon polaritons. Because the electromagnetic waves are strongly damped in metals,
one has to avoid this damping effect, probably byminimizing the metal part in optical devices. For the
first time in the world, we discovered that plasmon
propagate through atomic wires and atomic sheets
by low-energy electron scattering and we havesystematically investigated their fundamental properties. For example, we found an infrared plasmon,
which is similar to sound waves and is well-known
as in the theory of Shin-ichiro Tomonaga. We also
found a plasmon that disappears and reappears as
a function of temperature, a plasmonic excitation inmaterial development method that can extractspin-polarized electrons in atom chains, and so on.
the potential capacities of metal materials. In the reIn metal nanomaterials, the average spacing
search environment of MANA, where international
between electrons is almost the size of an atom,
cooperation and support are readily available, I planand thus, the properties of plasmons change
to develop our studies on physical properties into
sharply with nanometric changes in shape and size.
the full-scale application of materials, possibly in
We are now conducting investigations to designconcert with researchers in Europe, North America,
the forms of metal nanorods and metal nanosheets
China and other countries.
and to control and use the properties of confinedplasmons. Recently, we developed a material thatemits infrared absorption
SEM image of nanoscale one-dimensional
nanoantenna of gold prepared by electron
signals at a level of sensitiv- Atomic-scale structure of a self-assembled
one-dimensional atom chain
lithography (SEM photo)
ity several thousand foldhigher than that of a flat
metal film surface and weAu
are now investigating measuring methods that can 19Å
detect a single moleculeAu
and attomoles (10-18) of
molecules.
Studies on infrared
plasmons have just started,but have already attracted
the attention of researchers
Plasmons of the infrared region are generated in both the one-dimensional atomabroad as a promisingchain and one-dimensional nanoantenna.

Atom probe tomography of insulator
ceramics using ultraviolet laser pulses
Kazuhiro HONO
宝野 和博

MANA
Principal Investigator (PI)Nano-Materials Field

Contrary to the popular belief that bulk insulators
cannot be analyzed by the atom probe technique,we have demonstrated that it is possible by using
ultraviolet (UV) femtosecond pulse laser to assist
field evaporation of atoms. 3D tomography ofnano/micro-structures of materials can be easily
obtained by transmission electron microscopy, but
it has neither atomic spatial resolution nor atomic
sensitively. Unlike other tomography techniques,
the atom probe tomography can map out 3D
distributions of atoms with an atomic resolution.
The limitation of the atom probe technique was its
applicability to only electrical conductive materials.
The present work has demonstrated that atom
probe tomography can be obtained even from insulating ceramics by employing UV laser assisted 3D
atom probe.
In the atom probe technique, atoms are ionizedby applying a high electrical field of 1010 V/m to aneedle-like specimen. In this research, a needle-likespecimen with a tip radius of approximately 50

CONVERGENCE Vol. 3 October 2009nm was prepared from an yttoria-stabilized t-ZO2MgAl2O4 nano-composite using the focused ion
beam (FIB) technique, which was then put onto
a tungsten needle. A high voltage was applied tothe ceramic tip on the tungsten needle, and the tip
was irradiated with femtosecond laser pulses with awavelength of 330 nm. The ionization of atoms was
confirmed to occur in synchronization with the laser
pulses. Using this laser assisted field evaporation
phenomenon, the positions of the individual atoms
and their time-of-flights were measured, and 3D
atom tomography was successfully reconstructed.
In the past, the 3DAP technique has been believed to be applicable to only electrical conductive
materials like metals and semiconductors. Unlike
the conventional belief, the work has demonstrated
that the 3D atom probe technique can be employed
to obtain 3D atom tomography of even bulk insulating ceramics. This work will expand the application
areas of the 3DAP technique in nanoscale analysesof a wider variety of inorganic materials.
http://www.nims.go.jp/apfim/exhibition/ZrOMgAlO.html

Atom probe tomography of aluminum, zirconium
and oxygen atoms in an yttoria-stabilized
tetragonal-ZrO2/MgAl2O4 nano-composite ceramics.
Individual dots correspond to atoms.

RESEARCHOUTCOME

Tough nanotube circuits
using metal clamps
Dmitri GOLBERG
ドミトリ・ゴルバーグ

MANA
Principal Investigator (PI)Nano-Materials Field

Joining the nanotubes in circuits is an essential
process as far as their real electrical/mechanicalapplications are concerned. The reliable techniqueto weld the nanotubes has not been available tillrecently. We found that carbon nanotubes can betightly soldered using Co nanoparticles as ultimate
clamps.
Under 300 kV TEM electron irradiation ofcobalt-filled carbon nanotubes along with their
Joule heating in a dedicated Scanning Electron Microscope (STM)- Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM) holder we achieved a unique structural rearrangement; that is Co/C intra-diffusion resulted inreliable welding the tubes through cobalt particles.
It is suggested that strong covalent bonding
between a metal and carbon (in a manner peculiar
to metal carbides) is behind the observed phenomenon.
The formation process involves a current flow
and electron irradiation of tube areas where a metal
particle is located at the overlapping region of two C

nanotubes. In situ TEM measurements show that thejunctions are electrically conductive and have low
resistances of only several 10 kΩ. After the junctions
were formed using the STM-TEM setup they were
gently transferred to a holder of an Atomic ForceMicroscope (AFM) and TEM for direct tensile testing.
And they were found to be mechanically robust. An
ultimately high tensile strength of 0.6-1.4 GPa wasmeasured. This value is comparable to the ultimate
strength of stainless steel 0.8 GPa, spider silk 1.2 GPa,

TEM image of a cobalt clamp.

or tungsten 1.5 GPa. The extension of this techniquetowards creating more complicated circuits, suchas junctions with more terminals or with branches
spanning in many directions, is straightforward andonly requires a positioning of the starting C tubes ina pre-defined network.

Model of three branched C nanotubes
using a cobalt clamp.

Force-displacement plot under pullingthe junction apart inside the electron
microscope.

Mesoporous carbon based materials
and their multiple functions
Ajayan VINU
アジャヤン・ヴィヌ

MANA
Independent Scintiest

Silica molecular sieves are typically prepared using
surfactant mediated self-assembly of suitable silica precursors. These materials exhibit very high specific surface
area, specific pore volume, tunable pore size and controllable morphology which enable them to function aspromising candidates for a large spectrum of applications
including selective adsorption, separation and catalysis.
Unfortunately, mesoporous materials with a silica wall
structure possess poor water, thermal, and mechanicalstability which limit their use for commercial applications.
Thus, it is highly critical to explore the synthesis of mesoporous materials other than silica which must be highly
stable both thermally and mechanically. As carbon is
one of the interesting materials which possesses a highthermal and mechanical stability, we are exploring thesynthesis of various mesoporous carbon materials withdifferent structure and pore diameter by both the softand hard templating approach in MANA. In the hard templating approach, well-ordered mesoporous silica withthree dimensional structure is employed as the sacrificial
template and sucrose as the carbon source. Mesoporous

carbons such as carbon nanocage, carbon nanocoops,
and glucocarbons have been successfully fabricatedusing the above approach. These materials possess a wellordered pore structure, a very high specific pore volume,a specific surface area and tunable pore diameter. They
have also no charge on their surface and are highly tolerant in aqueous environment compared with silica materials and have successfully been employed as the catalytic
support for the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.
The anodic performance of the platinum loaded mesoporous carbon materials fabricated in MANA is much higher
as compared to that of the commercially available carbon
black support.
The function of the mesoporous materials can also betuned by altering the chemical composition of its wall
structure with different elements. Carbon nitride (CN) isa well known and fascinating material that has attracted
worldwide attention because the incorporation of nitrogen atoms in the carbon nanostructure can enhance
the mechanical, conducting, field emission, and energy
storage properties. Owing to its unique properties, CN
is regarded as a promising material which could find potential applications in many fields. CN materials with noporous structure can be prepared either from molecularor chemical precursors at very high temperatures so far.
By constructing CN materials with porous structure, many
novel applications could emerge: from catalysis, to separation and adsorption of very bulky molecules, and to thefabrication of low dielectric devices. In MANA, we tried to
explore the possibility of introducing the mesoporosity
in the CN materials. We successfully fabricated the twodimensional mesoporous carbon nitride (MCN) with tunable pore diameters, using SBA-15 materials with different
pore diameters as template through a simple polymerization reaction between ethylenediamine and carbon tetrachloride. The pore diameter of the MCN materials canbe easily tuned from 4.2 to 6.4 nm by simply changing thepore diameter of the template. The catalytic activity ofthe materials has been tested in the Freidel-Crafts acylation of benzene using hexanoyl chloride as the acylating
agent. The materials are highly active and show a highconversion and 100% selectivity to caprophenone.

Mesoporous carbon nitride for the synthesis of
caprophenone via Freidel-Crafts acylation of benzene
with hexanoyl chloride.

CONVERGENCE Vol. 3 October 20097

6th Japan-UK-USA Nanotechnology Summer School
The 6th MANA-NSC-CNSI Nanotechnology Students’ Summer School was held at the University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles (UCLA), from July 27–31,
2009. The summer school was organized throughthe collaboration of the NIMS (Japan), the Nanoscience Center (University of Cambridge, UK), and theCalifornia NanoSystems Institute (UCLA, USA).
The 29 participating students from Japan, the UK
and the USA cultivated friendships and enjoyed cultural exchange through Japan-UK-USA beach volleyball games, and a festival sponsored by UCLA students.

The 7th summer school will be held at the Nanoscience Center, University of Cambridge, in thesummer of 2010.

News&Topics
Foreign researchers take up
the challenge of Japanese culture

At the California NanoSystems Institute (UCLA)MANA has various programs aimed at helping
foreign researchers enjoy Japanese culture. Thissummer, researchers took up the challenge ofsummer kimono and Japanese traditional drums.

Viisit by US government
delegation
Japan-US research collaboration on
renewable energy technology
A team from the US Department of Energy(DOD) and Department of Defense(DOD) visited
MANA on July 14, 2009 to investigate the possibility of Japan-US collaborative research on
renewable energy technology.

The investigation team from the US and members of MANA

MOU with University of
Cologne, Germany
On May 28, 2009, MANA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Instituteof Inorganic Chemistry, University of Cologne,
Germany, for research on the fabrication andapplication of advanced nanomaterials.
Signing ceremony (from left to right): Prof. Schmalz(Universitiy of Cologne), Prof. Mathur (University of Cologne),
and Prof. Bando (MANA COO)

Joint workshop with
University of Cambridge
Research collaboration with MANA
satellite instituteThe 1st MANA-NSC Joint Workshop was heldon July 3, 2009 at the University of Cambridge.
The University of Cambridge is one of the overseas satellite institutes of MANA.

Participants in joint workshop with University of Cambridge

A study by MANA Independent Scientist Dr. Yusuke
Yamauchi and colleagues on platinum nanoparticles
with an ultra-fine candy-ball-likestructure was featured in two reports.
—Asahi Shimbun, June 24, 2009
—Kagaku Shinbun ,July 10, 20092009 MOU with University of Cologne, Germany

Jun 15–17, 2009 Japan-France Workshop on Nanomaterials3,

Jul 14,2009 Joint workshop with University of Cambridge
2009 Visit by US government delegation

Jul 27–31, 2009 Japan-UK-USA nanotechnology summer school
Sep 20–22, 2009 Joint workshop with Xi’an Jiaotong University
Oct 9,

2009 Nobel laureate Prof. Kroto visits MANA

Oct 13,2009 Joint workshop at University of Rome Tor Vergata

CONVERGENCE No. 3, Eng. Ed., issued on October, 2009
Japan-France Workshop on Nanomaterials

Oct 13–14, 2009 Joint workshop with CEMES, CNRS (France)
Oct 23,2009 Symposium on Frontiers in Nanotechnology and Materials
2009 Joint workshop with Osaka University

Jan 14,2010 Joint workshop with Waseda University

International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA)
c/o National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044 Japan
Phone: +81-29-860-4709
Email: mana-pr@ml.nims.go.jp
URL: http://www.nims.go.jp/mana/“ Convergence ” is the keyword used to symbolicallydescribe the entire project of MANA, where outstanding
researchers from around the world assemble andconverge in the “melting pot” research environment tobring together key technologies into nanoarchitechtonics for the creation and innovation of new functional
materials.

Nov 12–13, 2009 Joint workshop between NIMS, WUT (Poland), and EMPA (Switzerland)
Dec 10,

Dr. Ajayan Vinu appeared in an article on the MANA
environment for foreign researchers.
—Yomiuri Shimbun, April 12, 2009
Two principal investigators at MANA, Dr. Liyuan Han
and Dr. Jinhua Ye, were featured in a report on the
lives of researchers.
—Asahi Shimbun, April 15, 2009

Feb 25–27, 2009 MANA International Symposium 2009

Jul

The MANA International Symposium2010 will be held from March 3‒5,2010 at Epochal Tsukuba, Japan.

Press Release

Past and upcoming events
May 28,MANA International
Symposium 2010

Mar 3– 5, 2010 MANA International Symposium 2010
Prof. Kroto© All rights reserved. No part, including articles, figures, and tables herein,
may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from.