April 2015

2. Summary of Proposal(Compile in English within 3 pages.)
Host institution
Head of host institution

Kyushu University
Chiharu Kubo (President, Kyushu University)

Research center

International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER)

Center director

Prof. Petros Sofronis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Chief center-project officer(in December 2010)

Yukitaka Murakami (Trustee and Vice President, Kyushu University)

Project summary

I2CNER is an international project centered at Kyushu University with a
mission to contribute to the creation of a sustainable andenvironmentally-friendly society by undertaking fundamental research forthe advancement of low carbon emission and cost effective energy
systems, and improvement of energy efficiency. To reach this overarching
objective, I2CNER is conducting research of such phenomena as
adsorption, dissolution, diffusion, chemical reduction of species, andreaction and interaction of gases with matter in the framework of multiphasefluid and solid systems. These phenomena occur at the interface ofinteractions between materials and gases at all spatial and time scales,from the atomic to those for geological systems, and from nanoseconds to
decades. By way of example, the array of technologies that I2CNER’s
research aims to enable includes solid oxide fuel cells, polymer membrane
based fuel cells, biomimetic and other novel catalyst concepts, andproduction, storage, and utilization of hydrogen as a fuel. Our researchalso explores the underlying science of CO2 capture and storage
technology, and the creation of a CO2 conversion system for the productionof value-added chemicals or the storage of renewable-based electricity.
Individual I2CNER research efforts are advancing and intimately tied toscenarios of technology combinations for a carbon-neutral energy Japanthrough short-, mid-, and long-term milestones in roadmaps toward ultimate
research targets. I2CNER, in concert with the Satellite Institute at the
University of Illinois, has established a significant presence on the campusof Kyushu University, creating an environment that fosters the climate andculture for interdisciplinary research and education collaborations withleading researchers across the world.

I2CNER’s mission is to contribute to the creation of a sustainable andenvironmentally-friendly society by conducting fundamental research for theadvancement of low carbon emission and cost effective energy systems,
and improvement of energy efficiency. The array of technologies that
I2CNER’s research aims to enable includes Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Polymer
Membrane based fuel cells, biomimetic and other novel catalyst concepts,
Mission statement and/or
and production, storage, and utilization of hydrogen as a fuel. Our research
center’s identity
also explores the underlying science of CO2 capture and storage
technology, and the creation of a CO2 conversion system for the productionof value-added chemicals or the storage of renewable-based electricity.
Additionally, it is our mission to establish an international academic
environment that fosters innovation through collaboration andinterdisciplinary research (fusion).

Research fields

Research field:
Multi/Inter-disciplinary research that involves chemistry, physics, materials
science, mechanics, geo-science, biomimetics, life and computational
sciences, economics, and mathematics.
Significance of the proposed project:
The disasters caused by the Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake,tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear accident have brought to the fore serious
issues related to the energy infrastructure and future of Japan. Thereexists a vital need to develop sustainable sources of energy without CO2
emissions, and to establish safe and reliable carbon capture and storage(CCS) systems for the realization of a carbon-neutral energy Japan. The
importance of I2CNER is that it specifically focuses on the development ofscience-driven technological solutions to key challenges along the path
toward a carbon-neutral Japan. In fact, the I2CNER research roadmap
addresses fundamental science issues underlying a large number of thetechnologies envisioned in the Fourth Strategic Energy Plan of thegovernment of Japan announced in April 2014, such as the development ofnext generation power generation technologies, energy conservation,
distributed energy systems to raise efficiency, realization of the hydrogen
economy, next generation of automobiles, etc.

Research objectives

Our research efforts are addressing project objectives within thematic
research clusters (divisions). Within each project, research is carried out
along a roadmap, which is continuously updated as research progresses,with short-, mid-, and long-term milestones, and ultimate targets. The
research objectives toward a carbon-neutral energy society aresummarized as follows: Use of solar energy to produce hydrogen through organic photovoltaics(PV) driven high temperature electrolysis and photo-electrochemical
water splitting; and develop energy conservation devices: organic lightemitting diode and low friction bearings.
 Develop predictive performance models for materials subjected tohydrogen-affected fatigue, fracture, wear, and seizure that revolutionize
design and materials selection of components in hydrogen service.
 Development of more durable, efficient, and lower cost fuel cells,
including polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and solid oxide fuelcells (SOFCs).
 Expand material thermophysical property information and thermalscience and engineering to help enable the most effective use ofmaterials in carbon-neutral energy society technologies and to improvethe energy efficiency of thermal processes.
 Research and develop new carrier materials for enhanced mobile andstationary storage of hydrogen, as well as for hydrogen delivery.
 Develop (i) breakthrough novel biomimetic based catalysts andpathways for the carbon neutral production of power (fuel cells),
hydrogen, and hydrocarbon fuels based on solar energy resources; (ii)
new catalysis for fuel oxidation and regeneration, and novel materials toenable new carbon neutral fuel and energy cycles for electricity storageand energy distribution.
 Development of highly efficient materials for CO2 separation in power
generation and industrial processes, and creation of energy efficientand cost effective CO2 conversion system for (i) production ofvalue-added chemicals, such as a liquid fuel or their intermediates or(ii) the storage of renewable-based electricity.
 Identify and investigate key pore-scale processes that drive effective
residual, solubility, and mineral CO2 trapping in geologic formations
typical of Japan; Translate this understanding to the development ofmethods for accurate reservoir characterization to ensure safe andenhanced CO2 storage; Develop new effective methods for monitoring
injected/leaked CO2 in sub-seabed geologic formations, and identify
field-scale CO2 behavior.
 Provide carbon emission, energy efficiency, and cost analysis ofcurrent and emerging I2CNER and other energy processes, technology,
and infrastructure to help ensure I2CNER and global energy related
research is well targeted toward a carbon neutral society. Continuously
review and revise the Institute’s vision and roadmap toward acarbon-neutral society based on I2CNER and other energy system（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)2

analyses.

Outline of management

Researchers and othercenter staffs, satellites,
partner institutions○ I2CNER was established as an organization under the direct
management of the President of Kyushu University. The Institute
Director has direct access to the Office of the President and the Office of
the Executive Vice President in charge of Research and Industry
Collaboration. The Director is solely responsible for making decisions
regarding the planning and conducting of Institute research activities,
the formation and composition of the research program areas anddivisions, potential division reorganization and redirection of research
efforts in response to the feedback from the annual site visit review of
the Institute, the recruitment of postdocs and faculty, the establishmentof international collaborations and interactions with top researchInstitutions, the administration of the peer evaluation process of theInstitute’s research output, and budget implementation. On all of thesematters, the Director consults the Science Steering Committee (SSC),
which is headed by the Director. Its members (science advisors) are thedivision Lead Principal Investigators and any other additional membersthat the Director may deem appropriate.
○ A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee(EAC), which is composed of national and international leaders in thefield. This Committee is convened annually or, if deemed necessary
by the Director, more frequently. The Committee reviews all aspects of
the Institute, including its leadership and management, the research
progress being made in each activity, and its plans for any initiatives.
The Committee provides the Director with a written report of theirfindings and recommendations. The final decision regarding Instituteactivities is the responsibility of the Director. In addition, the Director isadvised by the Internal Programs Review Committee, which is
appointed by the Director and is tasked with reviewing individual
research efforts within I2CNER on a regular basis.
○ The Director is assisted by two Associate Directors, Prof. Ishihara(responsible for workshop organization, seminar series administration,
management of facilities and equipment) and Prof. Takata (responsible
for faculty recruitment, international and industrial collaborations, andhandling graduate student research matters). The role of the Science
Steering Committee and the two Associate Directors is strictly advisory.
The Director is solely responsible for making the final decisions.
○ The Office of the Director is supported by the Administrative Director,
the head of the Institute’s Administrative Office, whose purpose is toprovide administrative support to the operation of the Institute. The
official language of the Institute’s Administrative Office is English.
○ The Director of the Institute, Professor P. Sofronis, is a faculty member
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A Satellite Centerhas been established at Illinois to serve as the hub to advance student
and researcher exchanges, collaborations in the US, and strengtheninternational research activities. In the Director’s absence, theadministration of the Institute is governed by document “22.
Management and Administration.
I2CNER embarks on its second term as a permanent unit of KU. By
FY2019, there will be (10) tenured PIs organically in I2CNER. The
remainder of the 10-15 PI positions in I2CNER (out of the 20-25) will comefrom either: a) other units of KU through the Intra-University Transfer
System, b) through cross-appointments between I2CNER and other units of
KU, e.g. economics, sciences, mathematics, etc., or c) throughcross-appointments between I2CNER and its international partner institutes
and industry. The vision is that 3 to 4 PIs amongst those tenured will be
non-Japanese. As of April 1, 2015, I2CNER has a total of 2 full-professor（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)3

and 7 associate professor positions. Apart from the PI categories (a), (b),and (c) above, I2CNER will have Visiting Fellows (PI level) andcross-appointed PIs from overseas institutions and industry. Currently,
among the 24 PIs in I2CNER, 7 are from overseas. We plan to employ
about 16 full-time faculty members, 35 to 40 postdocs, about 30 technicalstaff members, and a number of visiting faculty and scholars fromacademia, industry, and government agencies.
An important component of I2CNER is the Satellite Institute at the University
of Illinois, which facilitates complimentary research activities and pioneers
student and researcher exchanges with the US. A Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) for all levels of interaction between Kyushu andIllinois, and a specific agreement for undergraduate student exchange are
now in place. The Satellite headquarters reside in a spacious suite in the
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, with office space
available for visitors from Japan. The Satellite plans to employ about 8
faculty members, 2 postdocs, 10 research assistants and 2 staff members.
Satellite faculty laboratories are available for use by counterpart
researchers from Kyushu. In addition, campus-level shared-use facilities
and laboratories at Illinois are available to all researchers for a usage fee.
The Office of Technology Management (OTM) of the University of Illinois
will work closely with the Industry-University- Government Collaboration
Management Center of Kyushu University (IMAQ) to advance IP
management and technology transfer, both nationally and internationally.
In addition, MoUs have been signed for research interaction andcollaboration between I2CNER and the National Fuel Cell Research Center(NFCRC) at the University of California, Irvine and NTNU/SINTEF of
Norway. A letter of understanding has been signed with the State ofCalifornia Air Resources Board (CARB).
In addition, there areapproximately 20 ongoing collaborative research activities between I2CNER
PIs, full time faculty, and postdocs, and faculty and researchers frompremier institutions worldwide. This list of institutions includes MIT, UC
Berkeley, Max-Planck, the University of Oxford, the Helmholtz-Zentrum
Geesthacht (HZG) in Germany, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics,
and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).
Administrative director

Outline of research
environmentProf. Yukio Fujiki, Kyushu University
I2CNER’s Building 1 and Building 2 (to be completed next month)accomplish an “all under one roof” concept by housing all PIs, full time
faculty, researcher offices, laboratories, and the Administrative Office.
These buildings represent the state-of-the-art in design of space for amodern research facility through their common-use laboratories to foster
interaction
and spacious lounges with electronic blackboards for
impromptu meetings.
I2CNER’s laboratories are equipped withstate-of-the-art equipment, such as the Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS)
and the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) for surface andinterface analysis. The Institute researchers are assisted by a competent
Administrative Office that directs the entire support infrastructure. To
foster interdisciplinary research and nurture young faculty and postdocs,
programs such as the Competitive Funding Program and Start-up Funds,
respectively, are in place. For all institute personnel compensationconsiderations, a special agreement between I2CNER and Kyushu
University allows the Institute to follow a special merit-based salary system
which deviates from the KU established salary ranges. Evaluation ofindividual faculty and researcher performance is carried out annually by the
Director and the two Associate Directors, or more frequently, if deemednecessary by the Director. Recruitment of well-qualified postdoctoral
researchers and faculty is directed by the Faculty Recruiting committee,
which includes key members of the Institute, and is supervised by theInstitute Director. The corresponding recruitment practices at the University
of Illinois are used in the hiring of all Institute research personnel.

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Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)4

English is the official language of I2CNER.

I2CNER is a mission-driven (Green Innovation) research center, but isfocused on basic science. As such, it can be evaluated on the basis of thefollowing metrics:
1) Relevance of the I2CNER research efforts and objectives to enable thegreen innovation initiative of the government of Japan; 2) Approach tocarrying out research. This can be evaluated by the quality of its
Outline of indicators for publications in high impact, discipline-oriented journals; 3) International
evaluating a center’s global awards and number of article citations the Institute’s work receives, asstanding
indicators of overall standing and visibility; 4) Degree of realization ofmilestones and targets in research roadmaps; 5) Level of collaboration withinternational research centers, and efforts and degree of researchinterdisciplinarity; 6) Number and quality of participating industrial partners;
7) Filing for patents; 8) Technology transfer events.
The overriding metric is that quality needs to pervade all I2CNER
operations.
The total amount of research funding acquired by I2CNER members
including main Japanese Principal Investigators in the past five years(FY2009-2013, JPY/USD=120), is over 19.5 million dollars per annum on
Securing research funding
average. In the coming years, the goal is to continue securing external
research funds at an even higher rate by aggressively pursuing externalsources as stated above.
Appropriations plan

FY

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Total

(Exchange Rate: JPY/USD=120)

Cost($ millions）

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

54.5

The university’s strategic vision is summarized by the following: “position
the university as a center of global research and education” and “promote
the development of new academic fields by pursuing multi/inter-disciplinary
research through fostering an academic environment that attracts excellent
researchers.” In this framework, Kyushu University will embrace andsupport the Institute with all its resources. More specifically, Kyushu
University will enthusiastically:2

 Ensure the success of I CNER as a permanent research institute, andthe world’s-leading carbon neutral energy research center; Provide the Director with full authority to enable him to implement andSummary of hostinstitution’s commitment

execute the WPI vision for Kyushu University;
 Pursue further engagement and interactions with the University of Illinois; Promote collaboration with industry, and advance IP management andtechnology transfer, both nationally and internationally; Invite leading researchers from overseas universities and research
institutes to I2CNER by utilizing new initiatives, such as I2CNER’s Fellows
Program and Kyushu University’s “Cross-Appointment System”;
 Assist in strengthening the Institute’s administrative structure forresearch and budget implementation;
 Work with departmental units to accommodate the participation ofresearchers in the Institute by utilizing personnel systems, such as the“Intra-University Faculty Transfer System”;
 Improve the internal system to make English a working language in
conducting international affairs;
 Re-examine the personnel compensation system (merit-based salarysystem).

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Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

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April 2015

3. Research Center Project
Host institution
Head of host institution(in English)

Kyushu University
・Name, position title

Chiharu Kubo, President, Kyushu University

Research center

International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER)

Center director

Prof. Petros Sofronis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Chief center-project
officer(inDecember2010)

・Name, affiliation, position title (in December 2010)

Yukitaka Murakami (Trustee and Vice President, Kyushu University)
・Briefly describe the general plan of the project.

<Center Project>

Project summary○ An international effort centered at Kyushu University has been mountedtocontributetothecreationofasustainable
andenvironmentally-friendly society by conducting fundamental research forthe advancement of low carbon emission and cost effective energy
systems, and improvement of energy efficiency. The research is
focused on the basic science underlying the technologies that holdpromise for the implementation of a carbon-neutral society (CNS) in
terms of a large reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions(70-80%) from 1990 levels by 2050. This grand challenge in scienceand engineering is addressed on the basis of two principles: efficiency
increase (EI) in energy conversion and use, and lowering of carbon
intensity (LCI) of fuel and electricity. There are many possiblecombinations of new EI and LCI technologies (scenarios) that can leadto the targeted GHG emissions reduction by 2050. The degree ofdevelopment and deployment timing of these technology options creates
the variability amongst scenarios. In close collaboration with thetechnical teams, the I2CNER Energy Analysis team is generating
scenarios utilizing the most promising new technology options.
I2CNER’s research efforts are intimately tied to these scenarios because
the short-, mid-, and long-term milestones of each of our research
project roadmaps are established in consideration of the development
and deployment timing of the various promising technology options inthe scenarios. These scenarios and the I2CNER Roadmaps, which arecontinuously evaluated and updated as I2CNER and global energy
research progress, help ensure the relevance of I2CNER’s research androadmaps to CNS. By way of example, the array of technologies that
I2CNER’s research aims to enable includes Solid Oxide Fuel Cells,
Polymer Membrane based fuel cells, biomimetic and other novel catalyst
concepts, and production, storage, and utilization of hydrogen as a fuel.
Our research also explores the underlying science of CO2 capture andstorage technology, and the creation of a CO2 conversion system for the
production of value-added chemicals or the storage of renewable-based
electricity.
○ There is no time more opportune for such an ongoing international
research project, if one considers the international energy landscape.
The joint centers/hubs for artificial photosynthesis (JCAP) and energy
storage (JSESR) in the US, the ongoing research and industrial
research efforts on advancing the science and implementation ofgeologic sequestration of carbon dioxide and photoelectrochemicalhydrogen production funded by the US Department of Energy are key
science and technology strategies for energy independence andsustainability. In fact, the I2CNER research roadmap addressesfundamental science issues underlying a large number of thetechnologies envisioned in the Fourth Strategic Energy Plan thegovernment of Japan announced in April 2014, such as the developmentof next generation power generation technologies, energy conservation,
distributed energy systems to raise efficiency, realization of thehydrogen economy, next generation of automobiles, etc. Thus, thefundamental science objectives of I2CNER serve as a platform forcoordinated research between Japanese and US institutions. We haveestablished the “International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy
Research (I2CNER)” as a permanent center of excellence in which
top-level researchers collaborate, cooperate, share knowledge andexchange ideas, and discuss and debate the science issues and theirimpact on society.
○ From a fundamental science viewpoint, a pervading theme in all areas of
I2CNER research is the lack of understanding of a range of phenomena
occurring at the interface between materials/rocks and gasses such ashydrogen, oxygen, and CO2. By way of example, we do not understandi) the mechanisms by which hydrogen is adsorbed in materials, making it
difficult to design alloys resistant to hydrogen degradation of mechanicalproperties or to design a light-weight on-board storage medium with thedesired hydrogenation/de-hydrogenation properties; ii) the properties
and behavior of hydrogen and CO2 under extreme pressures, iii) the
triple-phase rocks/water/CO2 interactions and the stability of geologicaltraps, and iv) the optimum combination of photocatalyst stability insolution under illumination and the efficient utilization of solar radiation
for hydrogen production. From this abbreviated list, it can readily besurmised that the phenomena we are addressing involve disparate
length and time scales, ranging from nanometers to thousands ofkilometers, and from nanoseconds to centuries.
The proposed
research addresses the issues as they pertain to all time and lengthscales, from atomic to the global scale, i.e., from the atom andmolecule, to meso/macro-scale crystalline materials, to devices, up togeological formations. The phenomena, although occurring at different
media and on disparate time and length scales, often evolve on thebasis of the same processes (e.g., species adsorption, absorption,
dissolution, diffusion, reaction, conduction) and are characterized bysimilar scientific principles. Thus, the Kyushu approach cross-cuts
disciplinary boundaries through a judicious integration of informationfrom atomistic/microscopic/macroscopic time and length scales forphenomena occurring at the interface of chemistry, physics, materials
science, mechanics, geo-science, and biomimetics.
○ The administration and management of our project involves a constantpeer evaluation and review of the research activities and outcomes interms of efficiency and feasibility of each individual research project
area, as well as their progress toward attaining the overall project
objectives, that is, the realization of a carbon-neutral energy Japan.
We have adopted a rigorous approach as we assess our research
progress that is predicated on how our science advances technology
development and how we impact the removal of roadblocks to acarbon-neutral energy society, such as the lack of a mechanism-based
understanding of fatigue of materials or the lack of understanding andcontrol over pore-scale processes and upscaling in CO2 storage.
Lastly, the I2CNER project pays serious attention to the disseminationof its research results and its scientific culture in the society on several
fronts. Tapping into the Illinois academic expertise, we may institutesocietal educational outreach programs. We leverage the expertise we
gained during the last four years in organizing international symposia toengage the scientific community of the industry and government throughspecialized workshops. Strategies are in place for I2CNER to informthe society at large about the benefits of a carbon-neutral society as our（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)2

research begins impacting technology. These strategies pave the wayfor enriching public understanding of scientific achievements and at thesame time, teaching our scientists necessary communication skills.
○ In summary, the I2CNER effort carries out research on fundamental
science issues underscoring the removal of roadblocks toward acarbon-neutral energy Japan.
<Research Organization>○ The research effort is organized around high profile research teams offaculty of Kyushu University and partnering institutions worldwide. The
Institute relies on top level domestic and internationally recognizedresearchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, materials science,mechanics, geo-science, and biomimetics. An important component of
the organization is the Satellite Institute at the University of Illinois, which
promulgates and administers the research activities in the US.

<Project Management>
One of the main goals of the Institute is the restructuring of research
management at Kyushu University. This new approach to researchadministration relies heavily on the management style, academic
experience, and scientific achievements of the Institute Director, Professor
Sofronis.
○ The Institute has been established as an organization under the direct
management of the President of Kyushu University. The Institute
Director has direct access to the Office of the President and the Officeof the Executive Vice President for Research. The Director is solely
responsible for making decisions regarding the planning and conduct of
research activities, the formation and composition of the research
program areas or divisions, potential division reorganization andredirection of research efforts in response to the feedback from theannual site visit reviews of the Institute, the recruitment of postdocs andfaculty, the establishment of international collaborations andinteractions with top research Institutions, the administration of the peer
evaluation process of the Institute’s research output, and budget
implementation. On all these matters, the Director consults the
Science Steering Committee (SSC), which is headed by the Director
and whose members (science advisors) include the division Lead
Principal Investigators and any other additional members that the
Director may deem appropriate.
○ A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee(EAC), which is composed of national and international leaders in thefield. This Committee is convened annually or, if deemed necessary
by the Director, more frequently. The Committee reviews all aspectsof the Institute, including its leadership and management, the research
progress being made in each activity, and its plans for any initiatives.
The Committee provides the Director with a written report on theirfindings and recommendations. The final decision regarding Instituteactivities is the responsibility of the Director.
○ Another important standing committee of the Institute is the Internal
Programs Review Committee (IPRC), which is called by the Director
whenever necessary to review individual programs within the Institute.
The members of the IPRC and the chair of the Committee areappointed by the Director.
○ The Director is assisted by two Associate Directors: Prof. Ishihara, who
is responsible for workshop organization, seminar seriesadministration, and management of facilities and equipment, and Prof.
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Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

3

Takata, who is in charge of faculty recruitment, international andindustrial collaborations, and graduate student research matters.
○ The role of the Science Steering Committee and the two Associate
Directors is strictly advisory. The Director is solely responsible formaking the final decisions.
○ The official language of the Institute is English.

<Collaborations with other institutions and researchers>○ To carry out its mission, the Institute established collaborations withinternationally recognized research centers, universities, and national
and international laboratories. These collaborations involve andpromote research interactions and exchanges, and visits between theinstitutions and researchers.
a) Satellite Institute (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)The Director of the WPI Institute, Professor P. Sofronis, is a faculty
member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and isan internationally recognized expert on the effects of hydrogen on
the mechanical properties of materials. The Illinois Satellite
faculty members are all internationally recognized researchers intheir respective areas of expertise. They were specifically invited tocomplement the I2CNER research activities at Kyushu. Therefore,a Satellite Office has been established at Illinois to facilitate
cooperative research activities and personnel exchanges. In
addition to conducting Institute related research, the Satellite
serves as the base for identifying and engaging key research
programs and faculty at universities and institutions nationally andinternationally. Director Sofronis also serves as the Director of
the Satellite Institute. In this latter capacity, he reports directly to
the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois.
An agreement for undergraduate student exchange and amemorandum of understanding between Kyushu and Illinois are inplace.

b) Collaborating Institutions and researchers
We are engaged in collaborative research with distinguished（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)4

scientists from internationally recognized institutions, such as the
National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) at the University ofCalifornia, Irvine, the California Air Resources Board (CARB),SINTEF/NTNU of Norway, and the Helmholtz Zentrum
Geesthacht (HZG) in Germany.
In addition, researchers
individually collaborate with their distinguished counterparts frominstitutions such as MIT, Max-Planck, Imperial College London,
the University of Oxford, etc.
These partnerships andcollaborations include site visits to facilitate research by leveraging
research capabilities. The set of these institutions is constantly
changing, depending upon how I2CNER’s research objectives are
attained and how research efforts are redirected or terminated.
Major changes from initial project plan:○ The Energy Analysis Division (EAD) was established to continuously
review and revise the Institute’s vision and roadmap toward acarbon-neutral society over time scales of short, middle, and longranges. The idea is that the Institute addresses the roadblocks for a
carbon-neutral energy society which are caused by the constraint ofprimary energy resources and availability on the basis of CO2
emissions, efficiency, cost, national security, and resilience. The
EAD’s goals are to: i) assess the relevance of the Institute’s research
activities vis-à-vis I2CNER’s roadmap for a carbon-neutral society and ii)
ensure that I2CNER’s research is informed of all relevant current andfuture energy options of Japan.
○ Whereas the original program was centered on Hydrogen and CO2, astime progressed, and with the introduction of the Energy Analysis
Division, we found that we can achieve a carbon-neutral energy society
by pursuing the current mission statement, which is listed below.
○ As part of the transition of I2CNER into a permanent unit within the
Kyushu University system, a Faculty Council was established on April 1
2013. The establishment of the Faculty Council helped to facilitate thetransfer of 9 PIs from the Faculty of Engineering.
・Briefly and clearly describe the mission statement and/or the project’s identity as WPIcenter.

I2CNER is a collaboration between Japan and the international community,
based at Kyushu University, with a Satellite Institute at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At I2CNER, our mission is to contribute to
the creation of a sustainable and environmentally-friendly society byconducting fundamental research for the advancement of low carbon
emission and cost effective energy systems, and improvement of energy
efficiency. The array of technologies that I2CNER’s research aims to
Mission statement
enable includes Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Polymer Membrane based fueland/or center’s identity
cells, biomimetic and other novel catalyst concepts, and production,
storage, and utilization of hydrogen as a fuel. Our research also explores
the underlying science of CO2 capture and storage technology, and thecreation of a CO2 conversion system for the production of value-added
chemicals or the storage of renewable-based electricity. Additionally, it is
our mission to establish an international academic environment that fosters
innovation through collaboration and interdisciplinary research (fusion).

(1) Research fields
・Specifying the inter-disciplinary field(s) to which the project may be closely related.
・Describe the importance of the proposed research, including domestic and international R&D trends in the field andJapan’s advantages.
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Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)5

・If centers in similar fields already exist in Japan or overseas, please list them.

Research fields:
Fundamental science for an economy based on carbon neutral energy.
Multi/inter-disciplinary science, integrating Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Mechanics,
Geoscience, and Biomimetics. We also plan to include additional disciplines in our research
portfolio, such as mathematics, computational science, economics, technology forecasting, and life
sciences.
Importance of the proposed research:○ The disasters caused by the Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima
nuclear accident have brought to the fore serious issues related to the energy infrastructure andfuture of Japan. There is a vital need to develop sustainable sources of energy without CO2
emissions, and to establish safe and reliable carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems for therealization of a carbon-neutral energy society.
○ From the viewpoint of limited fossil fuel resources, energy security, capital outflow, and theeconomic instability due to fluctuating and unpredictable oil prices, there is an urgent need for theestablishment of a flexible energy system which integrates a diverse range of energy sources.
○ In 2009, the G8 announced the commitment of an 80% GHG reduction in 2050 relative to the1990 level. The I2CNER Vision for a low carbon society for Japan is based on setting a long-termtarget of a large reduction (70-80%) of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This target is primarily
relevant to environmental concerns (climate mitigation), but is also relevant to energy security
concerns caused by Japan’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. To help achieve the target
through the development of new energy technologies, we also consider economic efficiency andsafety issues. As a whole, we consider 3E+S (Environment, Energy Security, Economy and
Safety) as basic view points for our approach.
○ The figure below shows the image and relationship between energy conversion and utilization
sectors, which are connected by energy pathways that are represented by secondary energy(electricity, hydrogen, and mixed low carbon fuels using bio fuel) in a low carbon society. Somefossil fuel will still be provided to energy conversion sectors and industry with CO2 capture andstorage (CCS). Some captured CO2 can be re-used as an energy carrier.

Energy Vision for Japan: Parameter Space of Technology Options○ I2CNER’s research program is based on two major principles: efficiency increase (EI) in energy（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)6

conversion and energy use, and lowering of carbon intensity (LCI) of fuel and electricity to adopt
and develop future technologies. EI is pursued in energy transformation systems as well as end
use systems and industrial processes. EI can be applied to existing systems, but is also achievedby replacing existing systems with new technology. LCI in electricity and fuel supply-use
pathways is achieved using either renewables or CCS. LCI tends to need new facilities or new
infrastructure or both. There are many possible combinations of new EI and LCI technologies
and deployment timing (scenarios) that can lead to the targeted GHG emissions reduction by
2050. I2CNER’s research efforts are intimately tied to these scenarios because the short-, mid-,and long-term milestones of each of our research project roadmaps are established inconsideration of the development and deployment timing of the various promising technology
options in the scenarios. Overall, our scenario analyses show that a large deployment of
renewables along with CCS can achieve low carbon intensity in the power and transportation
sectors, which, coupled with a large penetration of EI technologies across the sectors, results inas much as about 70% GHG emission reduction. The figure below shows a base scenario in
which the development of important EI technologies with balanced deployment of LCI
technologies and CCS can achieve a 71% reduction of CO2 emissions from their 1990 level by
2050.

CO2 reduction relative to 1990 levels by sector in a scenario which relies on development ofimportant EI technologies and balanced deployment of LCI technologies and CCS○ In addition, I2CNER is advancing green innovation, as demonstrated by the 18 submitted
applications for patents and the large number of industries, such as the automotive (TOYOTA,
Nissan, and HONDA), Kyocera, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, JX Nippon Oil and Energy, Air
Liquide, and the JFE Steel Corporation, that are benefiting from ongoing joint research projects
with I2CNER researchers. A technology transfer event has already taken place through TOKi
engineering on a new type of metal packing for high-pressure hydrogen.
○ Japan has been one of the world’s pioneers in the field of renewable/clean energy technologies,
such as fuel cells for residential application, fuel cell vehicles, and hydrogen stations, and ,Kyushu University has a strong research record and cutting-edge research facilities in thesefields. For example, Kyushu University is internationally recognized for its research activities
related to hydrogen energy, from fundamental science issues to the assessment and evaluationof actual fuel cells and hydrogen stations. Thus, the existing research foundations andaccomplishments of Kyushu University have provided a valuable and advantageous setting forour international effort. Although the research on carbon capture and storage has been
intensively undertaken worldwide, there are still a number of critical issues to be addressed, suchas understanding the role of pore-scale flow processes on the large-scale migration of CO2 before
accurate predictions of CO2 migration can be made. At I2CNER, i) we have performed thelargest numerical simulation of liquid/supercritical CO2 drainage and imbibition processes,（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

7

including precipitation, which is central to accounting for the “dynamic” nature of the pore spaceas CO2 is injected, and ii) we were the first to quantify the flow processes associated withliquid/supercritical CO2 drainage and imbibition in laboratory experiments and quantified dynamic
processes that drive CO2 migration and trapping, termed Haines jumps. Pore-scale models do
not account for such dynamics, yet we find that these intermittent events can greatly perturb
trapped CO2.
○

There are a number of energy centers worldwide, like the corresponding energy hubs in the U.S.,
that are targeting specific energy areas, such as storage or hydrogen production. However,I2CNER is a highly unique center, in that its mission is holistic—it targets the energy problem fromgeneration to utilization and aims to reduce emissions based on economy, efficiency, andsecurity. In this regard, there is no other center like I2CNER in the world.

(2) Research objectives
・Describe in a clear and easy-to-understand manner the research objectives that the project seeks to achieve by theend of the grant period. In describing the objectives, the following should be articulated in an easily understandable
manner: What kind of research do you plan to implement by fusing various fields within the environmental domain?
In the process, what world-level scientific issues are sought to be resolved? What is the expected impact of thescientific advances to be achieved on society in the future?
・Describe concretely the research plan to achieve these objectives.

○ We are conducting fundamental research for the advancement of low carbon emission and costeffective energy systems and improvement of energy efficiency. Our research efforts address
project objectives within thematic research clusters (divisions). Within each project, research iscarried out along a roadmap with short-, mid-, and long-term milestones and ultimate targets.
The roadmaps, which are continuously updated as our research progresses, are compatible withthe mission of I2CNER, as actualized by the energy scenarios developed by the EAD, in
collaboration with the technical divisions. To reach the roadmap targets, our approach involves
multiple disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, materials science, mechanics, geoscience, andbiomimetics, in order to investigate phenomena such as species diffusion taking place at theinterface of interactions between materials and hydrogen, oxygen, and CO2 at all scales, from theatomic to those for geological systems, and from nanoseconds to decades. We also aspire tocontribute to the societal debate by informing the public about the benefits of transitioning to acarbon-neutral energy society and providing sound scientific data on geological sequestration of
CO2. Below, an outline of the research objectives for each individual division is presented,
followed by a detailed description of the related research plans:

Production of Hydrogen without forming CO2. Use of solar energy to produce hydrogenthrough two pathways: high temperature electrolysis driven by organic photovoltaics (PV) andphotoelectrochemical water splitting; Development of energy conservation devices: organic
light emitting diode and low friction bearings.

Develop predictive performance models for materials subjected to hydrogen-affected fatigue,
fracture, wear, and seizure that revolutionize design and materials selection of components inhydrogen service.



Development of more durable, efficient, and lower cost fuel cells, including polymer electrolyte
fuel cells (PEFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in
the production of electricity and heat.



Expand material thermophysical property information and thermal science and engineering tohelp enable the most effective use of materials in carbon-neutral energy technologies and to
improve the energy efficiency of thermal processes.Research and develop new carriermaterials for enhanced hydrogen mobile and stationary storage, as well as for hydrogendelivery.



Develop breakthrough novel biomimetic based catalysts and pathways for the carbon neutral
production of power (fuel cells), hydrogen, and hydrocarbon fuels based on solar energy
resources. Develop new catalysis for fuel oxidation and regeneration, and novel materials toenable new carbon neutral fuel and energy cycles for electricity storage and energy
distribution.



Development of highly efficient materials for CO2 separation in power generation andindustrial processes, and creation of an energy efficient and cost effective CO2 conversion（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)8system for (i) production of value-added chemicals, such as a liquid fuel or their intermediatesor (ii) storage as renewable energy.
 Identify and investigate key pore-scale processes that drive effective residual, solubility, andmineral CO2 trapping in geologic formations typical of Japan; Translate this understanding to
the development of methods for accurate reservoir characterization to ensure safe andenhanced CO2 storage; Develop new effective methods for monitoring injected/leaked CO2 in
sub-seabed geologic formations, and identify field-scale CO2 behavior; Propose and realize
innovative CCS concepts suitable for geological formations typical of Japan.
 Provide carbon emission, energy efficiency, and cost analysis of current and emerging

I2CNER and other energy processes, technology, and infrastructure to help ensure I2CNER
and global energy related research is well-targeted towards a carbon neutral society.
Continuously review and revise the Institute’s vision and roadmap toward a carbon-neutral
society based on I2CNER and other energy system analyses.

Research Plan to achieve these objectives
In the following, the terms short-, mid-, and long-term refer to the corresponding timescales that are
applied to the milestones in the division roadmaps.
1) Hydrogen Production (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Ishihara)
The research in this division falls under the themes of energy production, conservation, andstorage. Energy production is based on the conversion of solar to electric energy, storage isachieved through hydrogen fuel, and conservation is achieved through enhanced lighting
efficiency based on high efficiency solid state lighting. Unique aspects are techniques for the
analysis of the interface structure of organic dye and inorganic semiconductors, experimental
materials synthesis, device fabrication and testing, and theory-based materials development.
Projects encompass novel inorganic and organic photocatalysts and electrodes, synthesis of novel
molecules for organic light emitters and photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic cells, and materials
for electrochemical and electrolytic water reduction. As a complement, organic light emitting
devices are being developed for high efficiency lighting for energy conservation. Selected resultsare:Photocatalytic water splitting
Artificial photosynthesis, specifically photocatalytic water splitting, is a promising approach forinnovative hydrogen production without CO2 generation. Current solar photocatalysts sufferfrom two critical problems: either their band gaps are too large for efficient utilization of solar
radiation, or they are unstable under illumination. We are pioneering a fresh approach to a newclass of extremely light-absorbent, stable materials. Our approach is based on ahighly-interdisciplinary coupling of ‘correlated metal oxides’ (playground materials for thecondensed matter physics community), with titanium dioxide (TiO2), the workhorse forphotocatalytic water splitting. Correlated metal oxides such as SrRuO3 are unique: they
display semiconductor-like optical absorption and metal-like conductivity. The coupling ofthese two materials (Fig. 1a) offers large optical absorption in the correlated metal oxide,
efficient charge transport of hot carriers from the oxide to the TiO2, and the desirable surface
chemistry of TiO2 for catalyzing chemical reactions [1]. We have demonstrated the generalityof this approach by showing that several correlated metal oxide – TiO2 systems (SrRuO3,
LiNiO3, SrVO3, LaSrMnO3, LaSrCoO3) exhibit dramatically enhanced photocatalytic activity [2].
This work addresses the Project 2 (photocatalytic water splitting) short-term milestone ofachieving energy conversion efficiency larger than 1%, as specified in Reference 2-1.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)9Fig. 1: a) Hot carrier injection enables the photoexcited carriers in SrRuO3 to quickly
transfer to the TiO2 [1,2]. b) Molecular complexes designed with first-principles forthermally-activated delayed fluorescence for high efficiency blue OLEDs [3,4].

Organic Light-emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been considered to be a promising approach tosolid-state, low power lighting. However, efficiencies remain low, while costs can beprohibitively high. The most common fluoresence scheme, light generation, is limited because
only 25% of the excited carriers (the singlets) can produce light. While the newer
phosphorescence schemes eliminate this limitation, allowing for nearly 100% luminescence,
widespread usage is constrained by the need to use expensive noble metals. In thisaccomplishment, we have demonstrated blue OLEDs that enable light generation from all
excited carriers, without the need for noble metals [3]. The approach is based onthermally-activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), a third-generation scheme developed by the
Adachi group [4]. It relies on thermally-activated charge-transfer: a thermally accessible gap
between the lowest singlet and the triplet excited states enables the harvesting of both singlets
and triplets. Quantum mechanical simulation was used to assess several candidate
molecules and identify those exhibiting the desired low energy difference between the
singlet-triplet state (Fig 1b). The system demonstrates an external quantum efficiency of
19.5%, comparable to the best phosphorescent OLEDs commonly used today. The
accomplishments described above address the Project 3-1 (OLEDs) short-term milestone ofachieving energy conversion efficiency larger than 100lm/W, as specified in Reference 2-1.
Future Directions
At present, complete water splitting has not been achieved due to several limitations, including
efficient light absorption, efficient charge carrier lifetimes and separation, and favorable reaction
chemistry. Our future directions target key critical improvements, such as: Molecular switching schemes. To date, our division developed the double excitation
Z-scheme mechanism, which combines a structure-controlled oxide semiconductor and anorganic semiconductor to produce hydrogen and oxygen efficiently. Targeting our long-term
objectives, we will expand on this by introducing the molecular switch concept, which allows
carrier flow in only one direction. We have also developed the methodology for very fast
charge transfer to an organic compound using novel oxynitrides in tandem with new organic
semiconductors. In the proposed research, we will investigate generation of hydrogenthrough complete water splitting and newly proposed combinations, such as enzymes likehydrogenase with an inorganic photocatalyst system.
 Solar cell/Steam Electrolysis. Since our short-term objectives are aimed at achieving higher
efficiency H2 production via combined solar cells and steam electrolysis, we will focus onorganic perovskite compounds as organic semiconductors, and the application of stabledouble perovskites as the electrodes for steam electrolyzers. Additionally, oxide cathodes
will be studied for CO2-H2O co-electrolysis for conversion to useful compounds like CH4.
 Enabling Fundamental Studies. We will carry out research on the biomimetic synthesis of
new inorganic-organic semiconductors; the control of dye at material interfaces; the chargetransfer process; the structure of the electrodes in solar and electrolytic cells at the atomic
level; and the separation efficiency of photo-excited charges. Ultimately, our research willcontribute to the development of a hydrogen production technology without CO2 emission.
This work will target the development of a new type of photocatalyst using active centers forthe enzyme, through the integration of molecular chemistry, biomimetics, biomaterials, green（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)10chemistry, and surface chemistry. (short- to long-term)
Energy conservation. Energy conservation devices are also covered in this division, since
lighting is a large source of energy consumption. We will focus on designing new lightemitting molecules based on thermal activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) exhibiting larger
sizes and increased stability. (short- to long-term)
References:
1. Lee, S., Apgar, B. A. and Martin, L. W. (2013), Strong visible-light absorption andhot-carrier injection in TiO2/SrRuO3 heterostructures, Advanced Energy Materials, 3 (8),1084-1090.
2. Apgar, B. A., Lee, S., Schroeder, L.E. and Martin, L. W. (2013), Enhanced
photoelectrochemical activity in All-oxide heterojunction devices based on correlated“metallic” oxides, Advanced Materials, 25 (43), 6201-6206.
3. Zhang, Q., Li, B., Huang, S., Nomura, H., Tanaka, H., and Adachi, C. (2014), Efficient blueorganic
light-emitting diodes employing thermally activated delayed fluorescence, Nature
Photonics, 8 (4), 326-332.
4. Uoyama, H., Goushi, K., Shizu, K., Nomura, H. and Adachi, C. (2012), Highly efficientorganic light-emitting diodes from delayed fluorescence, Nature, 492 (7428), 234-238.

2) Hydrogen Materials Compatibility (Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Somerday)
The goal of this division is to provide the basic science that will enable optimization of the cost,
performance, and safety of pressurized hydrogen containment systems. In particular, theobjectives include: development and use of advanced methods for experimentally characterizing
the effects of hydrogen on the fatigue, fracture, and tribological properties of materials;
development of models of hydrogen-affected fatigue, fracture, and tribo-interfaces; anddevelopment of next-generation monolithic and functionally graded materials having lower costand improved performance (e.g., higher strength) while retaining resistance to hydrogen-induced
degradation. Selected representative results are:Elucidating the variables affecting accelerated fatigue crack growth in hydrogen gas with low
oxygen concentrations.
Hydrogen gas can dramatically accelerate fatigue crack growth rates in low strength ferritic
steels that are technologically favored for hydrogen production, storage, and distribution
components. Evidence indicates that such accelerated crack growth can be inhibited by trace
concentrations of oxygen in the hydrogen gas. However, this inhibition has never been
quantified as a function of the environmental and mechanical variables that govern cracking.
Fatigue crack growth rate experiments were performed on the pipeline steel X52 in hydrogengas with controlled oxygen concentrations. The approach in these experiments represented aradical departure from previous studies, since key variables, e.g., oxygen concentration,load-cycle frequency, and mean stress, were identified and systematically varied. As a result,unequivocal trends for the effects of oxygen on hydrogen-accelerated crack growth wererevealed for the first time. The quality of these data enabled postulation of the physics
governing oxygen inhibition of hydrogen-accelerated crack growth [1]. Based on these
proposed physics, an analytical model was developed to predict inhibition as a function ofinert-environment crack growth rate, oxygen concentration, load-cycle frequency, and meanstress. The model accurately quantifies how these variables affect the onset of accelerated
crack growth for X52 steel in hydrogen gas containing trace oxygen concentrations (Fig. 2). In
summary, this model is the only predictive capability for quantifying the effects of oxygen onhydrogen-accelerated fatigue crack growth.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)11

Fig. 2: The measured onset ofhydrogen-accelerated crack growth(symbols) is reliably predicted(dashed lines) as a function ofoxygen concentration () andmean stress (R) [1].

In parallel with development of the predictive analytical model, a first-principles study was
conducted to define the basic mechanisms for oxygen inhibition of hydrogen uptake into steel[2]. By applying density functional theory (DFT) modeling, several characteristics ofhydrogen-oxygen competitive co-adsorption on iron surfaces were discovered, i.e.: 1) oxygencan out-compete hydrogen for surface adsorption sites since the gas molecule-iron surface
attractive force is stronger for oxygen compared to hydrogen, and 2) adsorbed oxygen on ironsurfaces increases the activation barrier for molecular hydrogen dissociation on this surface,since the highly electronegative oxygen concentrates electron density in its vicinity. Although
the poisoning effect of oxygen on hydrogen dissociation has been recognized for catalysts, theassociation of this phenomenon with oxygen inhibition of hydrogen uptake into steels was notpreviously demonstrated.
Future Directions
 Define the physics-informed fatigue limit and its relationship to environmental conditions andmaterial characteristics for structural metals in hydrogen gas, emphasizing high strength
alloys. (short- to long-term) Identify mechanisms for hydrogen-induced fracture mode transitions in ferritic and austenitic
alloys, considering the role of hydrogen-induced microstructure evolution. Transform thisevidence into physical descriptions of H2-assisted crack propagation in low-strength steels,
for the first time including the role of microstructure-scale stresses. (short- to mid-term) Formulate and validate a predictive model of hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth for
low-strength steels. (mid-term) Develop and apply advanced materials testing methods to define relationships between
material characteristics (e.g., alloy composition) and hydrogen-affected deformation mode inaustenitic alloys. Apply these experimental data to inform and validate theoretical constitutive
descriptions of material behavior based on the crystallinity of slip. (short-term) Develop hydrogen-compatible, lower-cost austenitic stainless steels having 800 MPa yieldstrength and quantify their fatigue limit in hydrogen gas. (long-term)
 Evaluate and improve sensitivity of material damage sensors for stationary hydrogenpressure vessels. Integrate predictive hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth model andmaterial damage sensors in functioning structural health monitoring system for pressure
vessels. (short- to long-term) Discover effects of environment on tribo-film formation with low friction materials including
coatings and polymers. (short-term)
 Define salient factors in surface processes, hydrogen uptake, structural changes, andresulting tribo-failures for rolling and sliding in various environments. (short-term) Develop models of mechanical and chemical processes relevant to tribo-failures and tribo-film
formation. (short-term)
References:
1. Somerday, B. P., Sofronis, P., Nibur, K.A., San Marchi, C. and Kirchheim, R. (2013),
Elucidating the Variables Affecting Accelerated Fatigue Crack Growth of Steels in Hydrogen
Gas with Low Oxygen Concentrations, Acta Materialia, 61 (16), 6153-6170.
2. Staykov, A., Yamabe, J. and Somerday, B. P. (2014), Effect of Hydrogen Gas Impurities on
the Hydrogen Dissociation on Iron Surface, International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 114(10), 626-635（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)123) Fuel Cells: (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Sasaki)
The objective of this division is to develop more durable and efficient, lower cost fuel cells, such as
polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In PEFCs, efforts are
directed at a) the development of higher temperature (> 100˚C) hydrogen PEM fuel cells withdurable catalyst support, b) finding and evaluating high temperature electrolytes with emphasis ona polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based ionomer in combination with carbon nanotubes, including
additional materials, such as graphene. In SOFCs, efforts are directed at exploring degradation
mechanisms of pressurized SOFCs and understanding fundamental surface/interfacial catalytic
processes on metal oxides for fuel-flexible stationary and power-plant applications, especially the
Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell Combined Cycle (IGFC) and the Natural Gas Triple Combined
Cycle. Selected representative results are:
Alternative Electrocatalysts
Proton conductive layer
Adhesive
layer

Pt Nanoparticle

Fig. 3: Carbon nanotube-based fuelcell electrocatalyst without any defectsites that shows ~100 times higher
durability than a conventional carbon
black fuel cell catalyst [10]. The
catalyst was fabricated using abottom-up nano-assembly method.

Carbonnanotube

A novel polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) exhibiting remarkably high durability (single cell
test: >400,000 cycles using the common standard protocol set by Japanese car makers tocheck this voltage cycle durability) and high power density operating at 120 ˚C under
non-humidified conditions has been developed (Fig. 3). These results are at least a factor offive better than that presently available from the current state-of-the-art high-temperature
operation PEFCs. The dramatic improvement in durability was achieved using a
polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane developed by the group of PI Nakashima [1-7]. This
durable PEFC for high-temperature operation will accelerate the technological shift from
Nafion-based low-temperature PEFCs to a PBI-based high-temperature PEFC. By realizing thehigh-temperature PEFC, PEFCs will achieve a higher efficiency and lower Pt poisoning thanNafion-based PEFCs. In addition, since high purity of H2 is not necessary for ahigh-temperature PEFC, a large reduction in poisoning can be expected. Along with recent
catalyst developments, [8] these results solve three major problems attendant new PEFCs:
durability, humidification, and high temperature operation, as described in the NEDO roadmap.
These results provide considerable hope that a low-cost, highly durable fuel cell operating attemperatures between 100 and 200 ˚C with attendant increase in kinetics and decrease insensitivity toward poisons is possible.
Understanding the origin of chemical expansion in SOFCs and developing new materials with
reduced chemical expansion.
In many advanced electrodes for low temperature SOFCs, non-stoichiometry induced dilation(chemical expansion) can lead to large strains and stresses during operation, ultimately
resulting in mechanical failure. The group of PI Tuller, et al. showed the critical role of both
cations and oxygen vacancies in this dilation. [9]. Along with PI Kilner, they found that cation
substitution could be used to manipulate the chemical expansion coefficient [10]. Experimental
realization of this concept came through studies of isovalent Zr substitution in cerium oxide,
where chemical expansion was derived experimentally and computationally with density
functional theory (DFT) calculations on Zr0.5Ce0.5O2-δ [11]. Zr substitution was found to decrease
the chemical expansion coefficient relative to that observed in ceria alone. The origin of the
reduced chemical expansion coefficient is associated with a larger contraction of the latticearound oxygen vacancies. Recent work by the group demonstrated that charge localization on
reduced cations can also play a significant role in chemical expansion reduction[12].This
discovery has strong implications for reducing chemical expansion in SOFCs, thus increasing
their durability.
（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

13

Future Directions
 Develop an improved, lower cost, higher temperature (> 100˚C) PEFC (HT-PEFC) with higher
efficiency and better durability for fuel cell vehicles by developing alternative materials.
HT-PEFCs exhibit significant advantages in fuel efficiency improvement and CO poisoning
suppression. (mid- to long-term) Develop high-temperature membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). (short-term) Develop durable catalyst support for HT operation, with a specific focus on graphene, carbon
nanotubes, mesoporous carbons, and SnO2. (mid-term) Develop Pt-free catalysts optimized for HT operation. (mid-term) Understand the interplay of protons and electrons in HT catalysis relevant to fuel cells.
 Develop high temperature electrolyte based on polybenzimidazole (PBI), and charge-transfer
complex hybrid films. (short-term) Understand degradation mechanism in SOFCs and fundamental surface/interfacial catalytic
processes on metal oxides for SOFCs to realize the long-term chemically durable SOFCs forambient operation. (mid- to long-term) Achieve 10-year cell durability, with all major degradation mechanisms understood.
(mid-term) Develop advanced electrodes for higher activity (cathode) and higher fuel utilization. (anode)(mid- to long-term) Achieve long-term durability for higher system efficiency of 60%LHV (total efficiency of 90%).
(long-term)
References:
1. Fujigaya, T. and Nakashima, N. (2013), Fuel Cell Electrocatalyst Using
Polybenzimidazole-Modified Carbon Nanotubes As Support Materials, Advanced Materials,
25 (12), 1666-1681.
2. Fujigaya, T., Okamoto, M., Matsumoto, K., Kaneko, K. and Nakashima, N. (2013),
Interfacial engineering of platinum catalyst for fuel cells: Methanol oxidation is dramatically
improved by polymer coating on a platinum catalyst, ChemCatChem, 5 (7), 1701-1704.
3. Berber, M. R., Fujigaya, T. and Nakashima, N. (2014), High-Temperature Polymer
Electrolyte Fuel Cell Using Poly(vinylphosphonic acid) as an Electrolyte Shows a Remarkable
Durability, ChemCatChem, 6 (2), 567-571.
4. Fujigaya, T., Hirata, S. and Nakashima, N. (2014), A Highly-Durable Fuel Cell
Electrocatalyst Based on Polybenzimidazole-coated Stacked Graphene, Journal of Materials
Chemistry A, 2 (11), 3888-3893.
5. Fujigaya, T., Kim, C., Matsumoto, K. and Nakashima, N. (2014), Palladium-based
Anion-exchange Membrane Fuel Cell using KOH-doped Polybenzimidazole as theElectrolyte, ChemPlusChem, 79 (3), 400-405.
6. Berber, M. R., Fujigaya, T., Sasaki, K. and Nakashima, N. (2013), Remarkably Durable
High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Based on Poly(vinylphosphonic acid)-doped
Polybenzimidazole, Scientific Reports, 3, 1764.
7. Fujigaya, T., Kim, C., Matsumoto, K. and Nakashima, N. (2013), Effective Anchoring of
Pt-Nanoparticles onto Sulfonated Polyelectrolyte-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes for Use as aFuel Cell Electrocatalyst, Polymer Journal, 45 (3), 326-330.
8. Liu, J., Takeshi, D., Orejon, D., Sasaki, K. and Lyth, S. M. (2014), Defective
Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Foam: A Metal-Free, Non-Precious Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen
Reduction Reaction in Acid, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 161 (4), F544-F550.
9. Marrocchelli, D., Bishop, S. R., Tuller, H. L. and Yildiz, B. (2012), Understanding chemical
expansion in non-stoichiometric oxides: ceria and zirconia case studies, Advanced Functional
Materials, 22 (9), 1958-1965.
10. Marrocchelli, D., Bishop, S. R. and Kilner J. A. (2013), Chemical expansion and its
dependence on the host cation radius, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 1 (26), 7673-7680.
11. Bishop, S. R., Marrocchelli, D., Fang, W., Amezawa, K., Yashiro, K. and Watson, G. W.
(2013), Reducing the chemical expansion coefficient in ceria by addition of zirconia, Energy
and Environmental Science, 6 (4), 1142-1146.
12. Bishop, S. R., Marrocchelli, D., Chatzichristodoulou, C., Perry, N. H., Mogensen, M. B.,
Tuller, H. L. and Wachsman, E. D. (2014), Chemical Expansion: Implications forElectrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Devices, Annual Review of Materials
Research, 44, 205-239.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

144) Thermal Science and Engineering (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Takata)The objective of this division is to enable the most effective use of materials in carbon-neutralenergy technologies and to improve the energy efficiency of thermal processes by expanding ourknowledge of material thermophysical properties and thermal science and engineering. Morespecifically, research in the division aims at: expanding our knowledge-base of thermophysicalproperties of hydrogen and alternative refrigerants to enable their most efficient use to reduce CO2
emissions; improving our understanding of the basic science of heat and mass transfer to enable
the development of more efficient energy systems; and researching new thermal energy heatpump and refrigeration systems focused on the use of waste heat and new refrigerants for
improved overall energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.
Selected representative results are:Vacuum generation by hydrogen permeation: hydrogen purity gas analyzer
Thermophysical properties of hydrogen are of practical importance in a variety of hydrogenenergy systems, such as hydrogen refueling applications and on-board high pressure hydrogentanks of FCVs. In such hydrogen systems, a high level of airtightness is required for safehydrogen storage. However, hydrogen leaks easily from the vessel wall, especially at hightemperatures. Hence, the permeability of hydrogen is a key parameter for vessel design andprediction of the leak rate of hydrogen through material walls. PI Takata and coworkers [1] havedeveloped a simple apparatus for the measurement of permeability of hydrogen by monitoringpressure inside tubular vessels made of SUS316L and Inconel 625 (Fig. 4, top). They foundthat by heating the vessel up to 300-500°C, the inside pressure decreases and finally reaches
the vacuum condition (Fig. 4, bottom) after heating for 5 hours at 500°C for the case of Inconel
625.
ExhaustH2

Valve1

Valve3
Valve2Pressure transducer Pm

Pr Pressure transducer

Mass flow meter

Pre-heater

Cooling gas (N2)

Carrier gas (N2)T

Platinum thermometer

Heat insulator

Sample vessel(SUS316L, Inconel625)

Main heater

Outer vessel (SUS304)
Container (SUS304)
Heat insulator

Fig. 4. (top) A simple apparatus
forthemeasurementof
permeability of hydrogen.

ExhaustGas chromatographExhaust(bottom) (a) Pressure changewith heating time for SUS316L.
(b) Pressure change withheating time for Inconel 625.

(a) SUS 316L

0.8

573 K

0.6
673 K

0.4
773 K

Pressure [MPa]

0.2
0
0

Atmospheric pressure

10

20

30

0.8

50
40
(b) Inconel 625

573 K

0.6
0.4

773 K
673 K

0.2
0
0

Atmospheric pressure

20

10

30

40

50

Elapsed time [hour]
Experimental data

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Theoretical calculation

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

15

It is known that hydrogen leaks through metal vessel walls with an attendant decrease ofpressure. However, the present work is the first demonstration of an inside vessel nearlyreaching vacuum conditions. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the driving force forpermeation is proportional to the difference of the square root of hydrogen partial pressuresinside and outside the vessel. Since the partial pressure of hydrogen in the air is very small, thepartial pressure inside the vessel can decrease to an almost zero value (exactly, the partialpressure of impurities). The ratio of the final internal pressure to the initial pressure is equal tothe mole fraction of impurities. The present method can be used to evaluate and designhydrogen purity gas analyzers.
[1] N. Sakoda, R. Kumagai, R. Ishida, K. Shinzato, M. Kohno, Y. Takata, “Vacuum generation
by hydrogen permeation to atmosphere through austenitic and nickel-basealloy vessel walls at
temperatures from 573 K to 773 K”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 39,
pp.11316-11320, 2014 July
Future directions
 Development of boiling surface with onset of boiling at less than 2K in superheating and withcritical heat flux (CHF) by 2.5 times higher than copper surface. Clear understanding ofwettability effects in liquid-vapor phase change. Apply this technology to a high-performancedevice cooling. (short-term)
 Measurement of heat transfer characteristics of micro liquid layer in boiling and evaporation
process by making use of thermoreflectance method. (mid-term) Clear understanding of multiscale thermal transport in liquid-vapor phase change. (short- tolong-term) Accumulation of adsorption isotherm and kinetics data of natural or low global warming
potential (GWP) refrigerant onto activated carbon for the clear understanding ofadsorption/desorption process of activated carbon. (short-term) Development of heat and mass transfer (HMT) enhancement technique for adsorption heatexchanger. Apply this technique to develop a waste heat-driven air-conditioning andrefrigeration system. (long-term)
 Measurement of hydrogen properties, such as PVT, viscosity and permeability at highpressures. The data measured are used to develop a hydrogen thermophysical property
database. (short-term)
 Measurement of thermophysical properties for new refrigerants and development of its
database. Apply this to optimum design of air-conditioning and refrigeration system using
low-GWP refrigerants. (short- to mid-term) Atomic scale understanding of adsorption phenomena for carbon-based adsorbents andestablishment of adsorption kinetic enhancement technique. (mid-term) Development of rapid adsorption/desorption heat exchanger using activated carbon based
composite adsorbent for waste heat-driven heat pump and refrigeration systems. (mid- tolong-term)5) Hydrogen Storage (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Akiba)
The research in the division aims at developing new carrier materials for hydrogen mobile andstationary storage, as well as for hydrogen delivery. For mobile hydrogen storage, the material
based storage system must meet the needs of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in terms of volume,
weight percent hydrogen, cost, fast charging and discharging, and durability with highwell-to-wheel energy efficiency. Hydrogen delivery systems based on hydrogen-absorbing
materials are focused on cost effective truck transport of large amounts of hydrogen. Material
based stationary hydrogen storage applications must be more cost effective and energy efficientthan conventional pressurized gaseous hydrogen storage or uniquely meet particular requirementsof specific stationary applications. Selected representative results are:
On board hydrogen storage materials for fuel cell vehicles and stationary storage and a newpathway for hydrogen storage using High Pressure Torsion (HPT)
V-Ti-based BCC structure alloys are one of the most promising candidates for on board
applications. The research in the division focuses on removing the two major roadblocks: low
gravimetric capacity and short cycle life. The gravimetric capacity roadblock derives from
（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)16

microstructure evolution and lattice defect generation with hydrogenation cycles. With the useof transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the division’s work elucidated the effects of Ti/V
ratio on the microstructure and hydrogenation/dehydrogenation properties of Ti-V binary BCC[1]. It was found that the effective hydrogen capacity decreases and the density of twinboundaries increases with increasing Ti content. This indicates that twin boundaries formed
upon hydrogenation act as hydrogen traps, thus increasing the desorption resistance of thesealloys which was also found to correlate with the increased enthalpy for hydride formation withincreasing V content. Metal borohydrides, e.g. M(BH4)n, have hydrogen capacity of over 10
wt %, but reaction speed and hydrogen release temperature are serious roadblocks at present.
To study and improve the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of this system, the divisiondeveloped a novel solvent-free synthesis process [2] that can be applied to the synthesis ofvarious kinds of dehydrogenation intermediates (e.g. [B3H8]-, [B5H9]2-), which are extremely
important to the clarification of the de- and re-hydrogenation mechanisms of metalborohydrides.
TiFe is a low cost, ideal hydrogen storage material for stationary storage. It absorbs anddesorbs hydrogen at room temperature under ambient hydrogen pressure in a more compact
form than liquefied hydrogen. Although it has been reported as a storage system in late1970s, it was abandoned for decades because activation (hydrogen absorption/desorption)requires heating at temperatures higher than 400°C under 30 bar (or higher) of hydrogen. In
an ongoing collaboration, PIs Akiba and Horita targeted this issue of activation based on theircomplementary background, ideas, and techniques. Using high-pressure torsion (HPT)
techniques, PI Horita and his co-workers introduced enormously large strains in TiFe samples
and measured their hydrogen storage and cycle life properties. Surprisingly, TiFe after the
HTP treatment readily absorbs hydrogen without activation at high temperature and highpressure as was required before (Fig. 5) [3]. In addition, even though Ti and Fe are easily
oxidized, TiFe exposed to air for a few months after several cycles ofhydrogenation/dehydrogenation still readily reacts with hydrogen without activation. Fe-richislands forming by HPT are suggested to act as catalysts for hydrogen dissociation, themicrocracks and nanograin boundaries act as pathways for hydrogen transport, and probably
dislocations for the sites of hydride formation [9].

Fig. 5 : Pressure-composition isotherms for (a) annealed samples and (b) HPT-processed sample

Future directions
 By applying a diverse range of approaches of molecular chemistry, surface science, solidmechanics, solid-state physics, and materials science, we will investigate Ti-based andnitride-based materials for mobile application and Mg-based and inorganic hydrides(borohydrides) for stationary application.
 In the short term (2015-2020), effective hydrogen capacity and durability of Ti-basedhydrogen storage alloys will be improved. For the nitride materials, composite material
systems will be investigated and candidate systems will be downselected. For Mg-basedhydrogen storage material development, in the short term, kinetics and cycle ability will be
improved based on nanotechnology. For borohydride materials, reaction intermediates will beidentified and pure intermediates will be synthesized. The milestone of the short-term
research is development of a hydrogen storage system for mobile hydrogen storage withvolume smaller than 178 L to store 5 kg hydrogen, weight density around 5 wt.%, and costless than 500,000 Japanese Yen. The mid-term (2021-2030) targets for mobile application（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

17





are a system with smaller than 150 L and with cost less than 200,000 Yen. In the midterm,
onboard application of these materials may be started as the large-scale production of FCVs
starts. For the long term (2031-2050), the ultimate targets of our project are the developmentof hydrogen storage systems with flexible tank design, smaller than 100 L, more than 7.5
wt.% in weight density and less than 100,000 Yen in cost (not necessary for all these factors
to be met).
In the midterm, Mg-based materials with enhanced and optimized capacity, thermodynamics
and thermal conductivity will be developed and optimum borohydride with promisingthermodynamics will be downselected and materials having more than 10 wt% capacities
under 100C° and 10 MPa may be developed. In the long term, Mg-based hydrogen storage
materials with over 7 wt% capacity, cycling stability over 10000 times remaining more than
90% capacity, and other appropriate properties, including low cost, will be developed.
Borohydrides developed will be applied for stationary application. The ultimate target isapplication of these developed materials for energy storage of intermittent renewable power.
Research will also be directed to high-pressure torsion (HPT) techniques aiming to develop
materials for onboard and stationary applications. In the short-term and mid-term, the HPTtechnique will be developed for TiFe based hydrogen storage alloys with enhanced kinetics
as well as improved impurity effects, and for Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys with proper
properties for low temperature onboard hydrogen storage. In the mid-term, scaling-up of the
HPT process for fabrication of large quantity material will be tried. In the long-term,commercialization of HPT-processed TiFe based materials for stationary storage applicationand Mg-based alloys for onboard storage application will be started. Ultimate targets include
safe utilization of HPT-processed TiFe and Mg-based hydrogen storage materials forstationary and onboard applications.
References:
1. Matsuda, J. and Akiba, E. (2013), Lattice defects in V-Ti BCC alloys before and afterhydrogenation, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 581, 369-372.
2. He, L., Li, H.-W., Hwang, S.-J. and Akiba, E. (2014), Facile Solvent-Free Synthesis ofAnhydrous Alkali Metal Dodecaborate M2B12H12 (M = Li, Na, K), The Journal of Physical
Chemistry C, 118 (12), 6084-6089.
3. Edalati, K., Matsuda, J., Iwaoka, H., Toh, S., Akiba, E. and Horita, Z. (2013), High-pressure
torsion of TiFe intermetallics for activation of hydrogen storage at room temperature withheterogeneous nanostructure, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38 (11), 4622-4627.
4. Edalati, K., Matsuda, J., Arita, M., Daio, T., Akiba, E. and Horita, Z. (2013), Mechanism ofactivation of TiFe intermetallics for hydrogen storage by severe plastic deformation using
high-pressure torsion, Applied Physics Letters, 103 (14), 143902.

6) Catalytic Materials Transformations (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Ogo)
The objective of this division is to contribute to the creation of innovative carbon-neutral
technologies by developing “Novel Catalysts,” underlining both aspects of basic science andengineering. The activities are focused on investigating catalysis-related “Solar Energy and Energy
Conservation,” all of which have the potential to significantly increase energy efficiency and reduce
CO2 emissions in energy, power, or industrial production processes. Projects in the division
address the development of: (i) novel biological and biomimetic catalysts for H2, CO2, and H2O
activation based on naturally occurring enzymes; (ii)materials development toward the realization of acarbon-neutral power generation cycle. Selected
representative results based on biology’s ways withhydrogen are :Hydrogenase from Citrobacter sp. S–77 Surpasses
Platinum as an Electrode for H2 Oxidation Reaction
An enzymatic fuel cell catalyst is a worthy goal in
itself, but of particular interest was its surprising
efficiency. Reported herein is an electrode for H2
oxidation, and it is based on [NiFe]hydrogenasefrom Citrobacter sp. S-77 ([NiFe]S77) [1]. It has a
637 times higher mass activity than Pt (calculated（Host institution：Kyushu University

Fig. 6. Mass activity for H2-oxidation of[NiFe]S77 in PEFC, as compared with that ofPt.

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)18

based on 1 mg of [NiFe]S77 or Pt) at 50 mV in a hydrogen half-cell (Fig. 6). The [NiFe]S77
electrode is also stable in air and, unlike Pt, can be recovered 100 % after poisoning by carbon
monoxide. Following characterization of the [NiFe]S77 electrode, a fuel cell comprising a[NiFe]S77 anode and Pt cathode was constructed and shown to have a higher power density
than that achievable by Pt.
The first synthetic analog of the active site of [NiFe]hydrogenase that oxidizes H2
Chemists have long sought to mimic enzymatichydrogen activation with structurally simpler
compounds. The group of PI Ogo reported afunctional [NiFe]-based model of [NiFe]hydrogenase
enzymes (Fig. 7). This complex heterolytically
activates hydrogen to form a hydride complex that is
capable of reducing substrates by an electrontransfer or a reaction with a hydride [3]. It was
found that the hydrido ligand is predominantly Fig. 7. A functional [NiFe]-based model ofassociated with the Fe center.
The ligand's [NiFe]hydrogenase enzymes.
hydridic character is manifested by the liberation ofH2 via reactions with strong acids.
The results from biological and synthetic catalysts will help accelerate hydrogen fuel cell
technology, and emphasize the dramatic progress of hydrogen activation using a non-precious
metal catalyst, leading the way toward a low-cost hydrogen fuel cell [1-4]. These two
breakthrough studies support the short-term milestone in the roadmap for the division’s projectfocused on the development of novel biocatalysts and biomimetic catalysts for H2-activation.
CO2-free power generation on iron-group-nanoalloy catalyst via selective oxidation of ethylene
glycol to oxalic acid in alkaline media
ManagementofCO2
emissionsrequiresdevelopment of alternative and sustainable energy
cycle systems.
We succeeded in power
generation using a direct ethylene glycol alkaline
fuel cell (AFC) employing an FeCoNi nanoalloy asan anode catalyst and a solid-oxide electrolyte thathas oxygen reduction ability, i.e., a completely
precious-metal-free system (Fig. 8). The FeCoNi
catalyst exhibited a high selectivity for oxalic acid
Fig. 8. Performance of direct ethylene
formation from EG without CO2 formation [5].
glycol AFC employing FeCoNi/C.

Future Directions
 As a path to achieving the research objectives, Prof. Ogo group has examined and understood

the aspect of biological systems, which are very important to the design and synthesis of
bio-inspired model catalysts.
This new fusion technology between Chemistry andBiochemistry holds high promise for the production of fuels (hydrogen, alcohols, formate, etc.)from CO2 and solar energy. The approach can be tied to artificial photosynthesis processes,
thus providing an effective utilization of the generated oxygen.
In parallel, Prof. Rauchfuss group has completed related studies on a separately designed
biomimetic catalyst, but with a focus on novel cofactors. While the fundamental work by the
Ogo and Rauchfuss groups is intrinsically interesting, it is of specific and practical value withrespect to the evolution of new catalysts as described in the division’s roadmap. Between
the efforts of these two research groups, I2CNER is in position to lead the world in theelucidation of the mechanism for biomimetic hydrogen activation.
Prof. Yamauchi’s group is focused on developing “nanoalloy catalysts for a carbon neutralenergy cycle.”
The specific future research directions are summarized as follows:
Development of novel biomimetic catalysts for H2, CO2, and H2O activation based onnaturally occurring enzymes.
o H2-activation: Isolation of new hydrogenase and its model complex (short-term)o CO2-Conversion: Isolation of formate dehydrogenase and its model complex(short-term)o Water-splitting reaction: Isolation of photosystem II and its model photosystem II(short-term)（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

19

o
o
o
o
o
o

Practical H2-catalyst and crystal structure of the hydrogenase (mid-term)
Practical CO2 catalyst and crystal structure of the formate dehydrogenase (mid-term)
Artificial photosynthesis and structural analysis of the photosystem II (mid-term)
H2-catalyst: low cost and highly efficient practical application (long-term)
CO2 catalyst: low cost and highly efficient practical application (long-term)
Artificial photosynthesis: low cost and highly efficient system (long-term)

Materials development toward realization of carbon-neutral power generation cycles-2o Non-platinum catalysts: 50 mW cm (short-term)o Fuel regeneration by electroreduction: 1% (short-term)o Solid alkaline electrolytes for high temperature: 120°C (mid-term)-3-1
o Solid alkaline electrolytes: 10 S cm (mid-term)-2o Power generation: 500 mW cm (mid-term)o Fuel regeneration by electroreduction: 80% (long-term)o Air tolerant alkaline fuel cell: operation in the air (long-term)o Power generation cycle without CO2 emission (long-term)
References:
1. Matsumoto, T., Eguchi, S., Nakai, H., Hibino T., Yoon, K.-S. and Ogo, S. (2014),[NiFe]Hydrogenase from Citrobacter sp. S-77 Surpasses Platinum as an Electrode for H2
Oxidation Reaction, Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 53(34), 8895–8898.
2. Nguyen, N.T., Mori, Y., Matsumoto, T., Yatabe, T., Kabe, R., Nakai, H., Yoon, K.-S. andOgo, S. (2014) A [NiFe]hydrogenase model that catalyses the release of hydrogen from formic
acid, Chem. Commum. 50(87), 13385–13387.
3. Ogo, S., Ichikawa, K., Kishima, T., Matsumoto, T., Nakai, H., Kusaka, K. and Ohhara, T.
(2013), A Functional [NiFe]Hydrogenase Mimic That Catalyzes Electron and Hydride Transferfrom H2, Science, 339 (6120), 682-684.
4. Matsumoto, T., Kim, K. and Ogo, S. (2011), Molecular Catalysis in a Fuel Cell, Angewandte
Chemie - International Edition, 50 (47), 11202-11205.
5. Matsumoto, T., Sadakiyo, M., Ooi, M.L., Kitano, S., Yamauchi, M., Yamamoto, T.,
Matsumura, S., Kato, K., and Takeguchi, T., (2014), CO2-free power generation on an irongroup nanoalloy catalyst via selective oxidation of ethylene glycol to oxalic acid in alkaline
media, Scientific reports, 4 (5620), 1-67) CO2 Capture and Utilization (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Fujikawa)
The objective of this division is to develop: (1) highly efficient materials for CO2 separation in power
generation and industrial processes; and (2) electrochemical methods to convert CO2 intovalue-added chemicals, such as a liquid fuels or their intermediates, in an energy-efficient andcost-effective way. In the area of CO2 separation, the objective is to develop novel membrane
technology to separate CO2 in the process of pre-combustion for Integrated Coal Gasification
Combined Cycle (IGCC), post-combustion at power plants and other industries, and for gas
purification at natural gas wells. Membrane separation presents serious scientific challenges.
Conventional membrane technologies are limited by low gas permeability, although their CO2
selectivity is now reaching acceptable levels for application. The most promising approach to
improve gas permeability is membrane thinning, because current membranes are still several
microns thick. Thus, research in this division focuses on the design and development of materials
for thinner membranes for selective gas separation. In the area of electrochemical CO2
conversion, the objective is to develop better catalysts and electrodes. Most current catalysts
require a high over-potential to drive electrochemical reduction of CO2. Thus, the focus of thedivision is to develop catalysts that reduce this overpotential, thereby increasing the energetic
efficiency of the process, while at the same time creating electrodes that eliminate mass-transport
limitations in the electrolyzer cells. Selected representative results are:
Free-standing and nanometer-thick membrane for gas separation and elucidation of themechanism of preferential CO2 permeation
The group of PI Fujikawa succeeded in preparing a nanometer-thick membrane by aconventional spin-coating process (patent submitted). A less than 200-nm thick membrane ofan epoxy resin can be transferred and mounted on a porous support (Fig. 9a). CO2 gas
passes through preferentially in comparison to nitrogen gas under humid conditions. In this（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)20

membrane, amine residues of the epoxy resin are necessary not only for making a membranehydrophilic but also for good affinity with CO2. This result is a first example of preferential CO2
separation by a nanometer-thick membrane.
The group of Dr. Taniguchi applied photo-polymerization of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)
dimethacrylate in the presence of dendrimers to create dendrimer-containing polymeric
membranes, and found that Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers exhibit excellent affinity to
CO2 [1]. The resulting membranes show excellent CO2 separation performance over H2,
controlled by several parameters, most notably, PAMAM dendrimer fraction, dendrimer
generation, PEG length, and humidity. Mechanistically, CO2 turns to bicarbonate andcarbamate (Fig. 9b), with the former being the major migrating species through the membrane
while the latter suppresses H2 permeation by the formation of quasi-crosslinks with PAMAM
dendrimers [2].
Separation
Nanomembrane(thickness: ca.100nm)

Fig. 9. (a - left) A thin membrane (<100nm) for high flux CO2
separation, (b - right) Mechanism for preferential CO2 permeation
through the PAMAM dendrimer-based membranes; The formation of
carbamates between dendrimers prevents H2 permeation.

Electrochemical CO2 Conversion
The group of Illinois Satellite faculty Prof. Kenis succeeded in developing a number of highperformance catalysts and electrodes for the electroreduction of CO2 to CO, a building block insynthesis of fuels and chemicals via the Fischer-Tropsch process. For example, an air-brushbased catalyst deposition method was shown to lead to high quality electrodes with thin,crack-free catalyst layers and excellent electrochemical performance [3]. Also, several new
catalysts have been studied, including titania supported Ag, which reduces the amount of silver
needed for similar or better CO2 reduction performance, due to high dispersity of the Ag
nanoparticles and beneficial participation of the support material in the stabilization of a reaction
intermediate [4]. An iridium-based anode catalyst (instead of Pt) was shown to exhibit
excellent performance for the oxygen evolution reaction, enabling electrolyzer cell potentials as
low as −1.55 V with a cathode overpotential of only 0.02 V, and providing a partial current
density for reduction of CO2 to CO as high as 250 mA cm−2 (compared to ∼130 mA cm−2 with a
Pt instead of a IrO2 anode), and overall energy efficiencies as high as 70% [5]. In more recent
work, a better cathode catalyst comprised of polymer-wrapped nanotubes covered with highly
disperse Au nanoparticles was developed.
Future Directions
We have established the general fabrication process of nano-meter thick, free-standing
membranes without defects. We are now focusing on material development to incorporate theCO2 affinity into a membrane for preferential CO2 permeation. We have already found that amembrane containing poly-amine dendrimer shows high CO2 affinity over H2. Based on thisfinding, the molecular design and development of membranes will be pursued for the next few
years as a short term research milestone. Our target mixture gases are CO2/N2, CO2/H2 andCO2/CH4 since they are major gas sources in the process of pre- and post-combustion, andnatural gas purification, respectively. Each of these gas sources requires a different type of
separation mechanism based on the chemical and physical properties of the membrane. The
elucidation of the molecular mechanisms for gas permeation is a key prerequisite fordevelopment of separation membranes; even in conventional separation membranes, knowledgeof the separation mechanisms is still lacking. Our research efforts will be focused precisely on
identifying the CO2 separation mechanisms at the molecular level using a combined experimental
and computation science approach. Improvement of membrane robustness and durability andthe feasibility of CO2 separation by our membranes will be pursued as mid- and long-termmilestones.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)21In the last few years, we have developed several highly active catalysts and electrodes for theconversion of CO2 into CO, which, when mixed with H2, can be turned into fuels. With these
10-20 x more active catalysts, the rate-limiting step for this process has become masstransport of reactants and products to the catalyst. In the short-term, we will replacecommercial gas diffusion electrodes with home-made ones that incorporate nano-membranes
to overcome mass transport limitations. Second, we also are pursuing catalysts that are
based on Cu for the production of value-added products such as methanol, ethylene, andethanol. Third, on the longer term, we will investigate (through experiment and throughprocess analysis) the feasibility of electrochemical conversion of CO2 as a method for large
scale energy storage of otherwise wasted renewable energy. Current utilization ofgenerated renewable power from sources such as solar and wind is only 30% because of thelack of large scale energy storage capacity. In this scenario, CO2 conversion will increase
the utilization of available renewable power, thus reducing CO2 emissions.
References:
1. Taniguchi, I., Duan, S., Kai, T., Kazama, S. and Jinnai, H. (2013), Effect of phase-separated
structure on CO2 separation performance of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer immobilized in apoly(ethylene glycol) network, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 1 (46), 14514-14523.
2. Taniguchi, I., Urai, H., Kai, T., Duan, S. and Kazama, S. (2013), A CO2-selective moleculargate of Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer immobilized in a poly(ethylene glycol) network, Journalof Membrane Science, 444, 96-100.
3. Jhong, H.-R.M., Brushett, F.R., Kenis, P.J.A. (2013), The effects of catalyst deposition
methodology on electrode performance, Advanced Energy Materials, 3(5), 589-599.
4. Ma, S., Lan, Y., Perez, G.M.J., Moniri, S., Kenis, P.J.A. (2014), Silver supported on titania
as an active catalyst for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction, ChemSusChem, 7(3),866-874.
5. Ma, S., Luo, R., Moniri, S., Lan, Y., Kenis, P.J.A. (2014), Efficient electrochemical flow
system with improved anode for the conversion of CO2 to CO, Journal of the Electrochemical
Society, 161(10), F1124-F1131.

8) CO2 Storage (Lead Principal Investigator: Prof. Tsuji)
The objective of this division is to: develop methods of reservoir characterization and modeling,
and new effective monitoring of injected/leaked CO2 to help ensure safe and permanent CO2
sequestration in sub-seabed geologic formations; and propose and realize new carbon storage
concepts suitable for geological formations and rock types typical of Japan. The research
projects and efforts have been established in such a way that they take into consideration theheterogeneity of the geological formations in Japan, the limited availability of geological data for
CO2 injection in aquifer formations, and the requirement for long term monitoring of pressure
variations near seismogenic faults. Selected representative results include:
Simulation of injected and trapped CO2 and estimation of CO2 stored volume from seismic velocity
Accurate a priori evaluation of potential storage site fidelity and prediction of CO2 fate following
injection, both via reservoir-scale simulations, requires a fundamental understanding of thephysical and chemical processes responsible for CO2 trapping at the pore scale. PI Tsuji’sgroup is performing ground-breaking modeling and simulation of multiphase reactive flow inheterogeneous rock using a digital rock model reconstructed from micro-CT images of reservoir
rock (Fig. 10a) in concert with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM; Fig. 10b). This study
revealed a strong interfacial effect on the relative permeability – a key parameter in reservoir
monitoring, characterization and prediction [1]. The influence of mineralization was thensimulated, indicating that, for the relative permeability, pore space reduction due to mineral
precipitation (Fig. 10d) has a greater influence on the non-wetting phase than on the wetting
phase [2]. These LBM simulations are, to our knowledge, the largest of their kind for studying
CO2 trapping in reservoir rock. Complementary experiments are on-going in Prof. Kenneth
Christensen’s group at the Illinois I2CNER Satellite Center.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

22

Fig. 10. a) Pore geometry of the Berea sandstone extracted from micro-X CT images, b)
Supercritical CO2 infiltration into rock as a function of interfacial tension [33], c) Mineral
precipitation calculated from the CO2 flow within the rock [34], d) Relative permeability as
a function of mineral precipitation.

Dr. Kitamura, in collaboration with Prof. Tsuji and Illinois Satellite faculty Profs. Christensen and
Valocchi, recently reported elastic wave velocities for heterogeneous two-phase flow throughsmall-scale heterogeneity in porous sandstone, complemented by LBM simulations [3]. The
results of this effort highlighted the impact of pore-scale heterogeneity on migration of CO2,
particularly around laminae in porous sandstone which are found to act as barriers for CO2. In
contrast, the flow of water was found to be unaffected by these laminae. The LBM simulations
provided additional evidence of this phenomenon. Thus, this effort suggests that pore-scale
heterogeneity can act as a gate for CO2, and thus strongly controls its migration behavior in
porous sandstone.
Future directions
Reveal CO2 trapping mechanisms and CO2 interaction in order to predict CO2 fate and enhance
trapping
 Model the migration behavior of injected CO2 within the pore space, particularly trapping
mechanisms (residual, solubility, and mineral trapping), both from laboratory experiments andnumerical simulation. In the numerical simulation, we couple hydrological and geomechanicalmodeling in order to better understand CO2 injection induced earthquakes. (short-term) Upscale porous flow phenomena in order to predict field-scale CO2 behavior. The scaledependence of the injected CO2 is mainly derived from heterogeneity of the geologicalformations, thus we must reveal the influence of heterogeneity on the CO2 behavior. In thelong-term, we will develop a predictive framework for accurate reservoir characterization (inpre-injection) and long-term CO2 fate (in post-injection) for geological structures typical ofJapan. (mid- to long-term) Explore ideas for increasing CO2 storage capacity and security by enhanced residual andsolubility trapping. In the long-term, we hope to increase storage capacity and security byenhanced mineral trapping. (mid-to long-term)
Develop a long-term, reliable monitoring system for injected CO2 and identify field-scale CO2
behavior
 Develop a method to detect heterogeneous geological structures, including fractures, withhigh resolution. (short-term) Develop an effective monitoring system to detect injected CO2 in the rock. To quantitatively
estimate hydrological properties from the monitoring data, we are conducting laboratory andtheoretical studies. In the mid-term, we plan to “establish” a reliable monitoring system toinvestigate field-scale CO2 behavior. (short- to mid-term)（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)23Clarify the scale-dependence of CO2 behavior by comparing the monitoring-derived field-scale
behavior with our pore-scale modeling results. (mid-term)

Develop reliable monitoring system for leaked CO2
 Develop a detection/monitoring system for the leaked CO2. (short-term) Deploy this monitoring system in the field for leaked CO2. (mid-term)
References:
1. Jiang, F., Tsuji, T. and Hu, C. (2014), Elucidating the role of interfacial tension forhydrological properties of two-phase flow in natural sandstone by an improved lattice
Boltzmann method, Transport in Porous Media, 104, 205-229.
2. Jiang, F. and Tsuji, T. (2014), Changes in pore geometry and relative permeability caused
by carbonate precipitation in porous media, Physical Review E, 90, 053306 (10 pp).
3. Kitamura, K., Jiang, F., Valocchi, A. J. , Chiyonobu, S., Tsuji, T., and Christensen K. T.
(2014), The Study of Heterogeneous Two-Phase Flow around Small-Scale Heterogeneity inPorous Sandstone by Measured Elastic Wave Velocities and LBM Simulation, Journal ofGeophysical Research–Solid Earth, 119, 7564-7577.

9) Energy Analysis (Acting Division Leader, Prof. Itaoka)
This division plays a critical role in I2CNER. It is responsible for providing carbon emission,energy efficiency, and cost analysis of current and emerging I2CNER and other energy processes,
technology, and infrastructure. These analyses help ensure that I2CNER’s and global energy
related research are well targeted toward a carbon neutral society for Japan and the world as awhole. Also, in collaboration with the technical divisions, this division continuously reviews andrevises the Institute’s vision and roadmap toward a carbon-neutral society based on I2CNER andother energy system analyses.
Energy Vision for Japan
In establishing I2CNER’s vision, the EAD relied on two basic principles in its analyses: efficiency
increase (EI) in energy conversion and use, and lowering of carbon intensity (LCI) of fuel andelectricity. The I2CNER vision includes all EI and LCI technologies, not only those being
currently researched within I2CNER. There are many possible combinations of new EI and LCI
technologies and deployment timing (scenarios) that can lead to the targeted GHG emissions
reduction by 2050. I2CNER has generated four such scenarios utilizing the most promising newtechnology options. I2CNER’s research efforts are intimately tied to these four scenarios
because the short-, mid-, and long-term milestones of each of our division roadmaps were
established in consideration of the development and deployment timing of the various
promising technology options in the scenarios. The scenarios currently under consideration thatencompass I2CNER research efforts are: a) the Base Scenario, which relies on development ofimportant EI technologies and balanced deployment of renewables and CCS, b) the
Renewables Scenario, involving very large penetration of renewables for LCI and developmentof important EI technologies, c) the CCS Scenario, involving large deployment of CCS for
power and industries, especially for coal and development of important EI, and d) the “SomeNuclear” Scenario, involving balanced application of LCI technologies, including nuclear power.
These scenarios help ensure the relevance of I2CNER’s research and roadmaps to CNS.
Future Directions
Analyses that are in progress or planned include:- A quantitative vision for a low carbon emission energy infrastructure for Japan in 2050.
- Analysis of the potential for Japan to import low carbon fuel or energy. This could include
a variety of biofuels or other options.
- Detailed analysis of the Japan electricity grid and infrastructure and how to dramaticallyreduce carbon emissions through the use of renewable resources and energy storage
while meeting Japan’s future power needs.
- Analysis of the needs and deployment of a hydrogen infrastructure for Japan for fuel cellvehicles.
- Energy, exergy, carbon emission, and cost analyses of specific I2CNER research
projects and other new emerging technologies to quantify the benefits and help provide
research directions for I2CNER.
（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)24

(3) Managementi) Center director
・Provide the name of the center director, his/her age (as of 1 April 2015), , specialties, and brief career profile(within 5lines).
・If there is a plan to change the center director, how does the new center director intend to construct the center andwhat is his/her vision of objectives to be achieved? Provide a synopsis written by the new center director (freeformat).

Name：Petros Sofronis (57)
Affiliation, position title： Professor, University of Illinois, USA
Specialties: Solid mechanics, finite element methods, micromechanics of materials, elastic-plastic
fracture mechanics, hydrogen embrittlement.
Suitability as the Institute Director:
Prof. Sofronis’ education and research orientation are in the area of mechanics of materials, which
includes the disciplines of elasticity, viscoelasticity, plasticity, fracture mechanics, andmicromechanics of defect interactions. He received his PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 1987. He has been a faculty member
at UIUC since 1991. Beginning in 2007 to date, Prof. Sofronis has served as the Mechanical Scienceand Engineering Department Associate Head for Mechanics Programs. He is also a fellow of theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS).
Professor Sofronis has been active in the field of environmental degradation of materials for nearly 30
years. Since 1991, Sofronis has been a principal investigator in the interdisciplinary environment of
the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sofronis has
investigated phenomena of hydrogen embrittlement of materials by coupling mechanics of materials
with experimental observations at the atomistic scale. His theory on the hydrogen-induced shielding of
defect interactions to explain the mechanism of hydrogen enhanced localized plasticity forembrittlement is the first proposed rational explanation of the hydrogen-induced fracture given
worldwide. Recently, Sofronis is working on materials for the new hydrogen economy incollaboration. His research aims at developing and verifying a lifetime prediction methodology for
failure of materials used in hydrogen gaseous environments. Development and validation of suchpredictive capability and strategies to avoid material degradation is of paramount importance to therapid assessment of the suitability of using the current natural gas pipeline distribution system forhydrogen transport in the new hydrogen economy and of the susceptibility of new alloys tailored foruse in hydrogen related applications.
Professor Sofronis’ expertise on the interaction of materials with severe chemomechanicalenvironments is extremely relevant to the fields that constitute the main theme of I2CNER: gasinteractions (H, O, CO2) with matter. These internationally recognized scientific credentials will
enable him to administer the Institute’s research activities by applying and requiring the highest
standards for high quality research.
ii) Administrative director
・Provide the name of the administrative director, his/her age (as of 1 April 2015),
profile(within 5 lines).

andhis/her brief career

Yukio Fujiki (66)Distinguished Professor, Kyushu University
Prof Fujiki’s work focuses on the homeostasis of peroxisome, an intracellular organelle, and humanfatal genetic disease termed peroxisome biogenesis disorders including Zellweger syndrome, all ofwhich are linked to a failure of peroxisome assembly. Prof Fujiki and his colleagues identified 15
pathogenic PEX genes responsible for PBDs. Prof Fujiki’s lab tackles the problems involving
membrane assembly, matrix protein import, morphogenesis, and homeostasis of peroxisomes. Prof.
Fujiki has been a Professor in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science at Kyushu
University since 1994. In 2009, he was named a Distinguished Professor. Prof Fujiki served as an（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

25

Executive Vice President of Kyushu University from 2010 to 2014.
The administrative director’s primary function is to develop and execute the financial, managerial, andadministrative functions of I2CNER so that the Director can focus on administering and executing theoverall research mission of the institute.
iii) Composition of administrative staff
・Concretely describe how the administrative staff is organized.

○ In order to efficiently respond to the requests from the Institute Director and researchers, and also
to provide an ideal research environment, there is an Administrative Office (AO) specially set up
for I2CNER. The AO consists of 1) a general affairs and human recourses section; 2) an
accounting and contracting group; 3) a research support and international affairs section; and 4) apublic relations group.
○ The administrative officers in the AO of the Institute get support from other administrative officers
in Kyushu University who also have competent English language skills. Personnel outside
Kyushu University with competent technical knowledge, experience, and English language skills
are employed in the AO. The official language in the AO is English.
○ The Institute offers support to international researchers for their research activities, as well asother services both within and outside the University, in close cooperation with the existing
International Student and Researcher Support Center of Kyushu University. The Institute offers
full-time support including visa applications, accommodations, airport pickups, administrative
procedures at the University, alien registrations, paper work and processes required for banking,school attendance, etc., and the purchasing of essential items, such as mobile phones, andrelated payments.
Below are the main tasks allocated to each of the departments of the AO:
1) General affairs and human recourses
General management of the Institute, preparation of meetings, management of the Institutepolicy, human resource management, such as employment, salary and business trips, safety
management, and support services for international researchers.
2) Accounting and contracting
Compiling of budget, resourcing of Institute facilities, equipment and other goods, payments
for goods, salary, business trips, etc., and general accounting.
3) Research support and international affairs
Preparation of grant application documents, presentation of research findings, project
designs and agreement for collaborative research work, application for and management ofpatents (in conjunction with the office for Intellectual Property), etc.
4) Public relations
Public relations, advertisement, management of the homepage, support of international
visitors, organization of international conferences, etc.
These four groups act as a support system to the Institute’s researchers and administration
under the supervision of the Administrative Director and the Head of Administration. Kyushu
University staff members have a good command of English, technical knowledge of generalaffairs and human resources, and those in the accounting and budget section are also highly
experienced.
iv) Decision-making system
・Concretely describe the center’s decision-making system.

○ The Institute has been established as an organization under the direct management of the
President of Kyushu University. The Institute Director has direct access to the Office of the
President through the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research. The Director is solely
responsible for making decisions regarding the planning and conduct of the research activities,
the formation and composition of the research program areas or divisions, potential division
reorganization and redirection of research efforts in response to the feedback from the annual site
visit review of the Institute, the recruitment of postdocs and faculty, the establishment of（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

26

international collaborations and interactions with top research Institutions, the administration of
the peer evaluation process of the Institute’s research output, and budget implementation. On
all these matters, the Director consults the Science Steering Committee (SSC), which is headedby the Director and whose members (science advisors) include the division Lead Principal
Investigators and any other additional members that the Director may deem appropriate.
○ A vital component of the Institute is the External Advisory Committee (EAC), which is composedof national and international leaders in the field. This Committee is convened annually or, if
deemed necessary by the Director, more frequently. The Committee reviews all aspects of theInstitute, including its leadership and management, the research progress being made in eachactivity, and its plans for any initiatives. The Committee provides the Director with a written
report on their findings and recommendations. The final decision regarding Institute activities is
the responsibility of the Director.
○ Another important standing committee of the Institute is the Internal Programs Review Committee(IPRC), which is called by the Director whenever necessary to review individual programs within
the Institute. The members of the IPRC and the Chair of the Committee are appointed by the
Director. Once the review(s) are complete, the IPRC provides the Director with a written
advisory report. The final decision about what action to take regarding any individual research
program is the responsibility of the Director.
○ The Director is assisted by two Associate Directors; Prof. Ishihara, who is responsible forworkshop organization, seminar series administration, and management of facilities andequipment, and Prof. Takata, who is in charge of faculty recruitment, international and industrial
collaborations, and graduate student research matters.
○ The role of the Science Steering Committee and the two Associate Directors is strictly advisory.
The Director is solely responsible for making the final decisions.
○ In the Director’s absence (while he is in the US), the administration of the Institute is governed bydocument “22. Management and Administration.”v) Allocation of authority between the center director and the host institution’s side
・Concretely describe how authority is allocated between the center director and the host institution’s side.

○ The appointment/dismissal of the Institute Director and authorization for employment of the
Principal Investigators is authorized by the President of Kyushu University. The Institute Director
has the authority for the other administrative operations, as listed above.
(4) Researchers and other center staffs, satellites, partner institutionsi) The “core” to be established within the host institutiona) Principal Investigators (full professors, associate professors or other researchers of comparable
standing)
numbers

Researchers from within
the host institution
Foreign researchers invitedfrom abroad
Researchers invited from otherJapanese institutions
Total principal investigators

Final goal

At beginning

At end of FY 2014

16

13

14

11

9

10

3

2

1

30

24

25

(Date: month, year)

・Describe the concrete plan to achieve final staffing goal, including steps and timetables.
・Attach a list of principal investigators using the Appendix. Place an asterisk (*) by names of the investigators
considered to be ranked among the world’s top researchers. Describe the policy and strategy for inviting thePIs who are to be included after 1 April 2015.

All chief researchers are to participate in the program from the commencement of the project.
（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)27b) Total members
Numbers
Final goal
At beginning

At end of FY 2014

(Date: month,year)

Researchers71< 21, 30%>

Principal investigators30< 11, 37%>

Other researchers41< 10, 24%>

Research support staff

32

165<74, 45%>[17, 10%]24<9, 38%>[1, 4%]
141<65, 46%>[16, 11%]60

172< 78, 45%>
[29, 17%]25< 9, 36%>[ 1, 4%]147<69, 47%>[ 28, 19%]70

Administrative staff

23

18

Total number of people who form
the “core” of the research center

126

243

21
263

・Enter the total number of people in the columns above. In the “Researchers” column, put the number andpercentage of overseas researchers in the < > brackets and the number and percentage of female researchers in
the [ ] brackets.
・Enter matters warranting special mention, such as concrete plans for achieving the Center’s goals, establishedschedules for employing the main researchers, particularly principal investigators.

ii) Collaboration with other institutions
・If the “core” forms linkages with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, by establishing satellite functions, Provide
the name of the partner institution(s), and describe the role of the satellite functions, personnel composition andstructure, and collaborative framework between the host institution and the said partner institutions (e.g., contracts
to be concluded, scheme for resource transfer).
・If some of the principal investigators will be stationed at satellites, attach a list of these principal investigators and thename of their satellite organizations using the Appendix.
・If the “core” forms organic linkages with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, without establishing satellite
functions, provide the names of the partner institutions and describe their roles and linkages within the center
project.

○ To achieve success, collaborative and coordinated research efforts central to the mission of theInstitute are conducted in partnership with faculty and staff at other national and international
institutions. This activity involves not only research collaboration, but also exchange of
personnel. Broadening the research base from Kyushu University further promotes the Instituteactivities and helps establish it as center of excellence.
o Satellite Institute: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a top-world institution in a number ofareas, such as the field of hydrogen energy and materials research, etc. The Illinois
Satellite faculty members are all internationally recognized researchers in their respective
areas of expertise. They were specifically invited to complement the I2CNER research
activities at Kyushu. In addition to conducting Institute related research, the Satellite
Institution serves as the base for identifying and engaging key research programs andfaculty at national and international universities and institutions. Director Sofronis also
serves as the Director of the Satellite Institute. In this latter capacity, he reports directly
to the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. A Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) for interaction between Kyushu and Illinois and an agreement forundergraduate student exchange are in place. Appropriate additional agreements
between Kyushu University and the University of Illinois, e.g. on joint degree programs,
will be negotiated. The Satellite has been allocated a spacious office suite housed
within the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. Office space is available（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)28

for Japanese researchers during their visits to the Illinois campus. Satellite facultylaboratories are available for use by collaborators/counterparts from Kyushu. In
addition, campus-level shared-use facilities and laboratories at Illinois are available to all
researchers for a usage fee.
o-Partner Institutions
MoUs for research interaction and collaboration have been signed between I2CNER and
the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) at the University of California, Irvine
and NTNU/SINTEF of Norway. A letter of understanding has been signed with the
California Air Resources Board (CARB). In addition, there are about 20 ongoingcollaborative research activities between I2CNER PIs, full time faculty, and postdocs, andfaculty and researchers from premier institutions worldwide. The list of these institutions
includes MIT, UC Berkeley, Max-Planck, the University of Oxford, the Helmholtz-Zentrum
Geesthacht (HZG) in Germany, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, and the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), among others.

(５) Research Environment
・Concretely describe measures to be taken to satisfy each of the requirements outlined below, including steps andtimetables.

○ Provide an environment in which researchers can devote themselves exclusively totheir research, by exempting them from other duties and providing them with adequate staff
support to handle paperwork and other administrative functions.
 In order for the Institute researchers to focus exclusively on their research, we employ anefficient and competent Administrative Office (AO) to execute all required administrative workneeded for a world-class Institute. This involves planning of the Institute’s budget,purchasing of equipment and goods, procurement procedures, business trips procedures andpreparation support, grant application preparation and submission processes, support for
presentations, assistance for joint research projects and launching of new initiatives, handlingof contracts, patent applications, publications processes, and facilitating visitors. We provide astrong support infrastructure so that the researchers of the Institute can pursue I2CNER’s
mission with no hindrances whatsoever. In particular, we plan for administrative personnel
visits between Kyushu and the Illinois Satellite in order for the staff to gain international
perspectives.
 In addition, we constantly work toward improving the skills of the technical staff employed in
the support of research operations and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
 Furthermore, we plan to decrease the academic teaching load for the Institute researchers.
○ Provide startup research funding as necessary to ensure that top-caliber researchers invited
to the center do not upon arrival lose momentum in vigorously pursuing their work out ofconcern over the need to apply immediately for competitive grants.
 In order to facilitate the ability of Institute researchers and invited researchers from external
institutions to focus on their research—with no need for immediate engagement on grantapplication preparation for research funding—we provide the necessary research facilities andequipment whenever possible so that the researchers can start and/or continue theirresearch. Also, funds won by young faculty through I2CNER’s Competitive Funding
Program, which primarily supports interdisciplinary research, can be used to support researchin the Institute in collaboration with their visitors.
○ As a rule, fill postdoctoral positions through open international solicitations.
 To recruit well qualified post-doctoral research associates, advertisements for the positions
are placed on the web site of Kyushu University, Kyushu University Offices overseas in GreatBritain, California, Washington D.C., Munich, Korea, Beijing, etc., at the Satellite Institute’s
web site at Illinois, and major international academic magazines and related magazines inJapan. The recruitment process is supervised by the Institute Director and administered by
the Faculty Recruiting Committee (FRC), which includes key members of the Institute and anyother faculty who can provide input for cases of targeted hiring. The corresponding
recruitment practices at the University of Illinois are used in the hiring of all Institute researchpersonnel. In addition, I2CNER principal investigators are proactive in suggesting highly
qualified international and Japanese candidates.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)29

○ Establish English as the primary language for work-related communication, and appoint
administrative personnel who can facilitate the use of English in the work process.
 English is the primary language for work-related communications.
 To foster an English speaking environment in the Institute, we employ personnel from Kyushu
University who are fluent in English in the AO.
○ Adopt a rigorous system for evaluating research and a system of merit-based compensation.
(For example, institute a merit-based annual salary system primarily for researchers fromoutside the host institution. As a basic rule, the salaries of researchers who were already
employed at the host institution prior to the centers’ establishment are to be paid by the hostinstitution.) Compensation considerations are based upon a special agreement between I2CNER andKyushu University entitled “Regulations on Special Measures on the Hiring of National
University Corporation Kyushu University International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy
Research Employees.” As a result of this special agreement, the Institute follows a special
merit-based salary system which deviates from the established salary ranges. Evaluation ofindividual faculty and researcher performance is carried out annually by the Director and thetwo Associate Directors, or more frequently, if deemed necessary by the Director. The
evaluation criteria are those listed in the Institute’s governing document on Faculty Promotion
and include interdisciplinary research publications, invited presentations in international
conferences, and development of an independently funded research program, and moregenerally, contributions to the interests and mission of the Institute. The Director
communicates the outcome of the evaluation to the faculty and researchers annually via a
letter in which the importance of interdisciplinary research is emphasized consistently.
Individual faculty and researcher salaries are determined based on this evaluation, as decided
by the Director, in consultation with the two Associate Directors.
○ Provide equipment and facilities, including laboratory space, appropriate to a top world-levelresearch center.
 In order to continue developing a research environment befitting a top world-level research

institute, and to promote collaboration and fusion research, I2CNER building 1 (approximately
4,873 m2) was completed at the end of November 2012. All the Institute’s members moved“under one roof” into I2CNER Building 1 in January 2013. In fact, the building itself was
designed in this spirit—it is home to several common laboratories which are available for use
by any I2CNER researcher. The first floor lobby features a spacious lounge with a highceiling and electronic black boards in order to encourage impromptu meetings and exchangeof scientific views among I2CNER members. Facility equipment, such as fume foods andpneumatic piping, has been installed in I2CNER Building 1. I2CNER Building 2 has been
designed similarly.
22

 A second I CNER building, which has 4 stories and a total floor space of 5,000 m , is currently

being built. Floor plans for the building include 8 large-scale labs, 2 open offices, and 1
administrative office, with the majority of rooms being designed as open, common
experimental spaces in order to promote interdisciplinary research. Completion of I2CNER
Building 2 is planned for the end of February 2015.
 In January 2013, an additional 7 labs, 15 researcher offices, and a server room were secured

for I2CNER’s Fuel Cell researchers out of the space allocated to the Next-Generation Fuel Cell
Research Center within the I2CNER building. We have also secured labs for researchers of
MIT and Imperial College London in order to promote exchange of researchers between KU
and these renowned foreign institutions.
2 I CNER’s laboratories are equipped with state of the art equipment.

By way of example, thelist includes Complex Fatigue Testing System combined with a scanning electron microscopefor mechanical behavior testing; RF Plasma Sputtering Apparatus (Thin Film Deposition
Methods) for deposition of multi composition films using simultaneous sputtering of multiple
targets; Low Energy Ion Scattering (LEIS); Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) for
surface and interface analysis.; Ar Cluster Ion Beam X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS) for elemental analysis; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy System for the
non-destructive and quantitative study of molecules in a solution and in a solid state.

 A challenge for the Institute is to develop our bottom-up model of energy systems based on

our current analytical tool. To accelerate data collection and improve reliability of our（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)30

analyses, the EAD will be provided with all necessary resources, such purchasing of rights toaccess large databases of energy facilities and market movement created by outside entities(e.g. Bloomberg New Energy Finance). Such resources will enable the EAD to study theextension of the future directions of our research to include analysis of the contribution ofJapanese technologies or I2CNER’s enabling technologies to international CO2 emission
reductions.
○ Hold international research conferences or symposiums regularly (at least once a year) to bring
the world’s leading researchers together at the center.
 I2CNER holds annually a symposium addressing the current scientific state-of-the-art in its
thematic research areas. The objective of this series of international symposia is to identify
what I2CNER researchers see as the major roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities in those
fields, to demonstrate how the Institute’s efforts are addressing these, and to show where theInstitute’s research activities lie in terms of excellence, successful fusion, and interdisciplinary
impact relative to the spectrum of research being carried out today in the scientific world
globally. The symposia are followed by more specific workshops organized by eachresearch division. These workshops are brainstorming fora and opportunities to identify
strengths and weaknesses in our research portfolio and explore how we might best
accomplish critical growth in scientific breadth of the divisions.
 I2CNER researchers are establishing a tradition of participating, organizing, and hosting
international conferences and specialized workshops with active participation from world
famous researchers and institutions on a regular basis and on all aspects of the research
activities of the Institute. Examples of conference and symposia themes are hydrogenenergy and fuel cells, the HYDROGENIUS & I2CNER Joint Research Symposium onhydrogen economy, hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting, sustainable
material conversion systems, innovative CO2 capture, and CO2 geological storage.
 Another tradition I2CNER is establishing is the hosting of the Tokyo Symposium, which issponsored by the U.S. Embassy in order to bring I2CNER research activities to the attentionof the energy stakeholders in the capital of Japan and the international community. So far,two symposia were hosted in 2012 and 2014, both with the presence of the US Ambassador
to Japan, and high-ranking government officials from MEXT, DOE, and the White House.
 The I2CNER Satellite is also hosting targeted area symposia in order to strengthen theinteraction of I2CNER’s researchers at Kyushu and Illinois with the international community.
○ Other measures to ensure that top-caliber researchers from around the world can comfortably
devote themselves to their research in a competitive international environment, if any.
 The Administrative Office offers full-time support to international researchers in the area ofinvitation procedures, including visa application processing and accommodations on campus.
Additionally, the I2CNER Administrative Office provides extensive living support andassistance with medical checkups, private accommodations, family support, travel
arrangements, and introduction to the Japanese social insurance system, including medical,
just to name a few.
 We have university facilities to accommodate international researchers such as “Ito Guest
House,” which is on Ito campus, where I2CNER is located. We also make arrangements forfully-furnished private apartments with easy-access to Kyushu University for long-term stays.
 In order to help international researchers adjust to life on campus, there are bilingual displays(Japanese and English) on the bus timetables at campus bus stops and destination signs onbusses running between campus and the nearest train station. In addition, there is a
campus loop bus stop in front of I2CNER Building 1 and a campus shuttle bus stop in front of
Shiiki Hall, which is adjacent to I2CNER Building 1. The Kyushu University cafeterias alsooffer menus written in English.
(6) Indicators for evaluating a center’s global standing
・Describe concretely the following points.

i) Criteria and methods to be used for evaluating the center’s global standing in the subject field
I2CNER is a mission-driven (Green Innovation) research center, but it is focused on basic science.
As such, it can be evaluated on the basis of the following metrics:（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)311) Relevance of the I2CNER research efforts and objectives to enable the green innovation
initiative of the government of Japan; 2) Approach to carrying out research. This can beevaluated by the quality of the publications in high impact, discipline-oriented journals. By
publishing in such journals, a stringent review process addresses whether the research advances
what is considered state-of-the-art by a community of experts is ensured; 3) International awards
and number of article citations the Institute’s work receives, which are an indicator of overall
standing and visibility; 4) Degree of realization of milestones and targets in research roadmaps; 5)
Level of collaboration with international research centers and efforts and degree of researchinterdisciplinarity; 6) Number and quality of participating industrial partners; 7) Filing for patents; 8)Technology transfer events. It is our understanding that Technology transfer events are more
important than number of patents pending.
The overriding metric is that quality needs to pervade all I2CNER operations.
ii) Results of current assessment made using said criteria and methods
I2CNER has established objectives and roadmaps for each research division in support of its
mission for a carbon neutral energy Japan; generated world-class results whose impact isrecognized worldwide; the productivity of its researchers is similar to and even exceeds that ofother thematically focused centers in the world; its researchers garnered national and international
awards; enabled research collaborations between Japan, the US, and Europe; its researchers
submitted a large number of patent applications; and a large number of industries are benefitingfrom ongoing joint research projects with I2CNER researchers.
iii) Goals to be achieved through the project (at time of final evaluation）
The primary goal by the time of the 10-year evaluation of the Institute from its inception is that theInstitute will have established its reputation and brand as an international center of excellence forfundamental research toward meeting its mission for a carbon-neutral energy Japan. Indicatorsfor meeting this goal shall be well-recognized breakthroughs in fundamental research (e.g.,
discovery of how hydrogen promotes fatigue of materials or discovery of new catalysts forbiomimetic CO2 activation or efficient photocatalytic water splitting). Such breakthroughs on
fundamental science will allow the Institute to expand its mission for its second term to include
directions addressing technology development, such as the design of a new alloy for hydrogen
resistant materials, new alloys for on-board hydrogen storage, technologically viable production ofhydrogen through artificial photosynthesis, new low-cost catalysts for fuel cells, and demonstration
projects for geo-sequestration of carbon.
(7) Securing research funding
Future prospects
・ Describe the concrete prospects for securing resources that match or exceed the project grant.

I2CNER researchers will leverage the established infrastructure and research culture of theInstitute to aggressively pursue more funding in the coming years. By way of example, efforts
currently under way are through the Core-to-Core international program of the JSPS and the PIRE
program of NSF. In addition, I2CNER PIs are pursuing large funding of their research efforts inthe form of research centers. As an Institute, I2CNER will leverage the initiatives of theGovernment of Japan for globalization of the national universities. Due to its linkage with the
University of Illinois, I2CNER, along with KU, is in a unique position to compete for thesegovernment initiatives for resources and future expansion on strategically important
university-wide programs. Additional resources are expected to come from technology transfer
or patent sales and Corporation-supported non-tenured faculty members, whose research is
impactful to the corporation’s operations.
・ Calculate the total amount of research funding (e.g., competitive funding) based on the percentage of time theresearchers devote to research activities at the center vis-à-vis the total time they spend conducting research
activities. Be sure the prospects are realistically based on the past record.
（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

32

The total amount of research funding acquired by I2CNER members including main Japanese
Principal Investigators in the past five years (FY2009-2013, JPY/USD=120), is over 19.5 million
dollars per annum on average. In the coming years, the goal is to continue securing external
research funds at an even higher rate by aggressively pursuing external sources as stated above.
Others・ Describe activities and initiatives to be taken after project funding ends.

President Kubo’s vision for the future of I2CNER, as announced in the WPI Program Committee
Meeting on Nov. 18, 2014 in Tokyo is that I2CNER is a permanent unit of Kyushu University. With
the revision of the Regulations of Kyushu University effective April 1, 2013, I2CNER’s position isclearly defined as a permanent research institute of Kyushu University without regard to the lengthof the WPI Program.
・ Describe expected ripple effects （e.g., how the research center project will have trailblazing components that canbe referred to by other departments in the host institution and/or other research institutions when attempting to build
their own top world-level research centers）.

It is expected that other units and organizations of the Kyushu University will benefit from theacademic administration system of this Institute, which is being morphed according to theacademic stature of the Institute Director. We expect that the Institute mode of operation willserve as a role model for the entire Kyushu University system in the areas of recruiting, mentoring,and promoting researchers, establishing and promoting international collaborations with top-classresearch institutions, vigorous peer evaluation of research and faculty productivity, allocation ofresearch resources and personnel financial compensation according to academic qualifications,scientific visibility, and established research record, etc. Examples of ripple effects already inplace and continuously expanding are:・ Describe other important measures to be taken in creating a world premier international research center, if any.
・ Describe activities and initiatives to be taken after project funding ends.
・ Describe expected ripple effects (e.g., how the research center project will have trailblazing components that can bereferred to by other departments in the host institution and/or other research institutions when attempting to build
their own top world-level research centers).

○ New Merit-based Annual Salary System
Kyushu University’s new merit-based annual salary system for faculty members is intended topromote revitalization by securing diverse, international, and competent personnel. KU aims
to continuously review and improve this system to make KU an attractive place for young
scientists to initiate their career and for senior scientists to expand their research programs.
○ I2CNER Research Hub
Following the completion of I2CNER Building 1, which was built at the heart of the Center Zone
on Ito campus, Kyushu University approved the development of I2CNER Building 2, as well as aCenter of Innovation (COI), “the Center for Co-Evolutional Social Systems (CESS),” in the same
vicinity. The area surrounding I2CNER Building 1 is being developed rapidly for thetransformation of the Center Zone into Kyushu University’s new researchhub/industry-academia zone. In April 2014, the university’s administration moved into the
newly-built Shiiki Hall, which is adjacent to I2CNER Building 1.
○ Cross-Appointment
In view of the successful model of Director Sofronis’ cross-appointment case, which was the firstever at Kyushu University, a plan to institutionalize an employment system bycross-appointment is now under consideration by KU.
○ Travel Expenses for Inviting Researchers from Overseas
When inviting renowned researchers from overseas, I2CNER has a unique practice of flexibly
handling their travel expenses where appropriate. This is already making positive ripple effects,
and becoming an approved/common practice across all units of Kyushu University.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)33

○ Intra-University Faculty Transfer System
Kyushu University’s “Intra-University Faculty Transfer System” enables flexibility in allocating
faculty within the University for the purpose of improving the standards of education andresearch conducted at KU. Utilizing this personnel-system reform, 9 senior-level Kyushu faculty
have been transferred to I2CNER and serve as the core Kyushu-based PIs of I2CNER. Anotherunit of KU, the “Institute of Mathematics for Industry,” has already started personnel transfers
using the Intra-University Faculty Transfer System.
・ Describe other important measures to be taken in creating a world premier international research center, if any.

To address the issues of tenure appointments in I2CNER and teaching load for I2CNER faculty,
which were raised at the WPI Program Committee Meeting on Nov. 18, 2014, the following
represents the new vision for I2CNER, as formulated by President Kubo:○ Tenured PIs in I2CNER
I2CNER embarks upon its second term as a permanent unit of KU. According to President
Kubo’s vision, there are going to be (10) tenured PIs organically in I2CNER. The rest of the
10-15 PI positions in I2CNER (out of the 20-25) will come from either: a) other units of KU throughthe Intra-University Transfer System (this means that those tenured faculty can return to their
original departments after they have spent a reasonable amount of time in I2CNER), b) throughcross-appointments between I2CNER and other units of KU, e.g. economics, sciences,mathematics, life sciences, etc., or c) through cross-appointments between I2CNER and its
international partner institutes and industry. In addition, the vision is that 3 to 4 PIs amongst the
10 tenured faculty will be non-Japanese. In order to support the recruitment of such distinguishedresearchers as tenured I2CNER PIs from abroad, Kyushu University has recently introduced in its
Education and Research Council the new Annual Salary Scheme, which allows for these foreign
faculty to be compensated with a competitive salary, according to international standards.
Lastly, apart from the PI categories (a), (b), and (c) above, I2CNER will have Visiting Fellows (PIlevel). As of April 1, 2015, I2CNER will have a total of 2 full professor and 7 associate professor
tenured positions.
○ Teaching load for I2CNER faculty
I2CNER faculty will be involved with teaching. In fact, KU values this involvement and views it as
essential to the revitalization of its programs by bringing into the classroom faculty withinternational experiences with cutting-edge research. The load will be flexible in order to help
maintain the highest possible standards of performance, both for their research and teachingobligations. I2CNER's young faculty have already begun teaching joint courses on energy.
These courses are part of the globalization program of KU, such as the former GLOBAL 30 andthe recent Top Global University (TGU) Program of MEXT. As such, the average teaching load
for I2CNER’s young faculty is low (co-teaching of a single course per academic term). In
addition, KU is planning to establish an International Liberal Arts and Sciences College (this is atentative name and it is a new undergraduate school) within the coming 4 years in the frameworkof the TGU program. This college will encompass both physical and social sciences. We
envision that I2CNER's young faculty will help the educational mission of the new college byoffering science and technology courses in their relevant fields, again, in a way that balances
research and teaching obligations. Also, since the PIs in categories (a), (b), and (c) reported in
the previous paragraph will bring their graduate students from their home departments in I2CNER,
it is our vision that the tenured PIs in I2CNER will supervise these students jointly.
○ Kyushu University will help the Director to diversify the population of I2CNER PIs and expertise inareas such as mathematics, economics, social and life sciences, and computational science.

（Host institution：Kyushu University

Title of Center Project： International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research)

34

5．Host Institution’s Commitment (in English)
Date: January 19, 2015
To MEXTName of host institution: Kyushu University
Name and title of head of host institution: Chiharu Kubo, President
Signature

I confirm that the measures listed below will be taken faithfully regarding “the International Institutefor Carbon-Neutral Energy Research” adopted under the World Premier International Research Center
Initiative.
＜Provision in host institution’s mid-to-long-term plan＞
・Describe clearly the host institution’s mid-to-long-term strategy plan and how the center is positioned within thatstrategy.

○ Details of the mid-term goal and strategy plans for Kyushu University are as follows: Mid-term goal: “Kyushu University will undertake research activity as a global research andeducation center, and reflect the results to the social development. We will have our academic
environment in a high-quality and attractive condition, where excellent researchers will gather
and share/grow their knowledge. The university contributes to the development and creationof a new research area of integrated sciences.” Mid-term strategy plans for this goal are: “To promote leading-edge research related to thecarbon-neutral energy research domain in collaboration with the University of Illinois, which is
conducted at the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER).
I2CNER is one of the research centers funded by the “World Premier International ResearchCenter Initiative (WPI)” of MEXT and possesses the strength and unique characteristics of
Kyushu University. In addition, invite foreign researchers from the top universities in the world,such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and conduct international joint research of
the world’s highest level”; “To promote the research and development activities on thesubjects which are in national and social demands, and to attain creative and advanced
research results by taking advantage of feature of a university”; “To undertake interdisciplinary
and world leading researches in a wide range of subjects, from humanities and social
sciences to natural sciences and engineering, for attainment of outstanding achievement”;
and “To establish a research organization which can promptly, flexibly, and appropriately
respond to the social needs of the times.”○ I2CNER is in line with the mid-term goal and plans of Kyushu University. The Institute is organizeddirectly under the President of Kyushu University. Support to the Institute Director, Prof. Sofronis,
from the University President and from all individual departments of Kyushu University, willcontinue to be guaranteed.
＜Concrete Measures＞
・Describe the concrete measures that the host institution will take to satisfy the following requirements.

(1) How it will support the center’s need to secure resources that match or exceed the project grantthrough such means as competitive grants obtained by researchers participating in the project,in-kind contributions and other forms of assistance by the host institution ( including partial
payment of salaries, provision of research space), and/or external donations.
○ The Office for Strategic Research Planning and other related offices of Kyushu University willcontinue to proactively support researchers in their efforts to secure large competitive research
grants.
Such assistance involves information gathering and thorough advice on grantapplications.
2○ In addition, the Office will assist I CNER in its efforts to compete for research funds from the local（Host institution： Kyushu University

Title of Center Project：International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research）

1

government and industries in related areas.
○ Kyushu University implements the “University Reform Revitalization (URR) Program” (establishedin FY 2011) in order to encourage individual units of the University to actively review their structure
and promote reform in order to revitalize the University. I2CNER competes for tenured positions
through this program by annual proposal submissions, and will make continued efforts to secure
additional tenured positions through this program. So far, through the URR Program, the KU
Administration has made available to I2CNER the following positions: one full-professor position
in FY 2013, and one full-professor and 2 associate-professor positions in FY 2014. Counting the
5 tenured associate-professor positions Kyushu University had already allotted, I2CNER has a totalof 2 tenured full-professor and 7 tenured associate professor positions as of April 1, 2015, of which,
2 positions will be used to hire foreign PIs, as required by the KU Administration.
(2) How it will institute a system under which the center’s director is able to make substantive
personnel and budget allocation decisions necessary to implementing the center project—asystem, which in practice, allows the center director autonomy in making decisions regarding thecenter’s operation.
○ The Institute has been established as an organization under the direct management of the
President of Kyushu University. The Institute Director has direct access to the Office of the
President and the Office of the Executive Vice President in charge of Research and Industry
Collaboration. The system has been set so that the Director is solely responsible for making
decisions regarding the planning and conduct of the research activities, the formation andcomposition of the research program areas or divisions, potential division reorganization andredirection of research efforts in response to the feedback from the annual site visit reviews of theInstitute, the recruitment of postdocs and faculty, the establishment of international collaborations
and interactions with top research Institutions, the administration of the peer evaluation process of
the Institute’s research output, and budget implementation. On all these matters, the Director
consults the Science Steering Committee and the two Associate Directors. The role of the
Science Steering Committee and the two Associate Directors is strictly advisory. The Director issolely responsible for making the final decisions. In addition, the Director is advised by theExternal Advisory Committee.
(3) The support it will provide to the center director in coordinating with other departments within thehost institution when recruiting researchers for the center, while giving reasonable regard to theeducational and research activities of those departments.
○ For the faculty of Kyushu University contributing to the project through the transfer system or crossappointments, the university will work with the home departments to provide the support needed
for the employment of substitutes for their educational mission.
○ I2CNER embarks upon its second term as a permanent unit of KU. The university envisions (10)tenured PIs organically in I2CNER. The rest of the 10-15 PI positions in I2CNER will come fromeither: a) other units of KU through the Intra-University Transfer System established in FY 2013
(this means that those tenured faculty can return to their original departments after they have spenta reasonable amount of time in I2CNER), b) through cross-appointments between I2CNER andother units of KU, e.g. economics, sciences, mathematics, etc., or c) through cross-appointments
between I2CNER and its international partner institutes and industry. So far, successful
implementation of the Intra-University Faculty Transfer System made it possible for 9 senior-levelPIs to be transferred to I2CNER from the Faculty of Engineering.
○ Kyushu University will help the Director to diversify the population of I2CNER PIs and expertise inareas such as mathematics, economics, social and life sciences, and computational science.
○ I2CNER’s researchers will be involved with teaching. In fact, KU values this involvement and views
it as essential to the revitalization of its programs by bringing into the classroom faculty withinternational experiences with cutting-edge research. The load will be flexible in order to help
maintain the highest possible standards of performance both for their research and teachingobligations. I2CNER's full time faculty members have already begun jointly teaching courses onenergy. These courses are part of the globalization program of KU, such as the former GLOBAL 30
and the recent Top Global University (TGU) Program of MEXT. As such, the average teaching（Host institution： Kyushu University

Title of Center Project：International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research）

2

load for I2CNER’s young faculty is low (co-teaching of a single course per academic term).
○ Three (3) new “Education and Research Fields” which Kyushu University has established in the
School and Graduate School of Engineering, and the Department of Automotive Science of the
Graduate School of Integrated Frontier Sciences are all engaged in research areas which overlap
with those of I2CNER. The university has already ensured that the Institute’s full-time faculty
members can remain involved in with both the teaching and supervision of students within theuniversity in these schools.
○ Faculty appointments in I2CNER from other KU units will be viewed as prestigious positions in
Kyushu University.
(4) Its flexibility in applying, revising, or supplementing the host institution’s internal systems asneeded for the center to effectively implement new management methods (e.g.,
English-language environment, merit-based pay, top-down decision making) unfettered byconventional modes of operation.
○ Kyushu University is implementing a project for internationalization of research and education
throughout the University. As a part of this plan, efforts have been made in collaboration with
International Affairs Division of Kyushu University to introduce undergraduate and postgraduate
degree programs in English; to increase the number of international students and excellent
lecturers; to prepare internal documents and the university webpage in English; to assist students
and staff members to improve their English language skills; and to establish international student
and researcher support centers at every campus in order to further accelerate the establishment ofinternational educational and research environments.
○ Compensation considerations are based upon a special agreement between I2CNER and Kyushu
University entitled “Regulations on Special Measures on the Hiring of National University
Corporation Kyushu University International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research
Employees.” As a result of this special agreement, I2CNER follows a special merit-based salarysystem which deviates from the established salary ranges. KU aims to continuously review andimprove this system to make KU an attractive place for young scientists to initiate their career andfor senior scientists to expand their research programs.
○ With the revision of the Regulations of Kyushu University effective April 1, 2013, which are themost significant among its rules and regulations, I2CNER’s position is clearly defined as apermanent Research Institute of Kyushu University without regard to the length of the WPIProgram. In addition, the revised General Regulations of Faculty Councils and the Regulations of
I2CNER enables the Institute to have a Faculty Council within the institution in light of the Director’s
top-down decision making system, which is the intent of the WPI Program. These revisions make
I2CNER’s Faculty Council substantially different from conventional Faculty Councils. This
unconventional approach not only serves as a catalyst for improving the members’ mindset, butalso as a challenge to make a difference and impact the very concept of the faculty council system
in Japan.
○ In addition, Kyushu University will work in cooperation with the Institute for flexible implementation,
adjustment, and modification of the university’s internal systems, upon the requests from theInstitute Director, in order to ensure smooth management of the Institute.
○ Along with these initiatives, Kyushu University will take necessary measures to help with thestabilization of I2CNER as a permanent institute after the end of the WPI Program by further
strengthening its ties with other units of the university. In this regard, please also see section (6).
(5) Its accommodation of the center’s infrastructural requirements (for facilities, e.g., laboratory
space; equipment; land, etc.).
○ For the provision of the world’s top-level research environment, the first I2CNER building, which
was completed in FY 2012, effectively houses all I2CNER members, especially the full-time
researchers, under one roof.
○ The second I2CNER building is expected to be completed in February 2015. Plans for the building
include large-scale labs and open offices, which are designed as open, common experimental
spaces in order to promote interdisciplinary research and mindset. It is also designed to have
（Host institution： Kyushu University

Title of Center Project：International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research）

3

open space for researchers to interact, even outside the building.
○ On ITO campus, there are already many advanced research facilities with state-of-the-art
equipment in the research centers e.g., the Central Analytical Center and High Voltage Electron
Micrograph Laboratory. Preferential use of this equipment will continue to be available to I2CNER
researchers.
○ Both I2CNER buildings are located at the heart of the Center Zone on Ito campus. With theestablishment of a Center of Innovation (COI), the “Center for Co-Evolutional Social Systems”(CESS) in the same vicinity, the areas surrounding I2CNER are being developed rapidly in order totransform the Center Zone into Kyushu University’s new research hub/industry-academia zone.
The university’s administration is stationed at the newly-built Shiiki Hall, which is also adjacent to
the I2CNER buildings.
(6) How it will support to sustain the center as a world premier international research center after the
WPI-grant period ends.
○ Kyushu University will secure 10 tenured PIs for I2CNER, including 3 to 4 foreign PIs by 2020
before the WPI-grant period ends. We envision a total of 20-25 PIs with the rest of the 10-15 PI
positions coming from either: a) other units of KU through the Intra-University Transfer System (thismeans that those tenured faculty can return to their original departments after they have spent a
reasonable amount of time in I2CNER), b) through cross-appointments between I2CNER and otherunits of KU, e.g. economics, sciences, mathematics, etc., or c) through cross-appointments
between I2CNER and its international partner institutes and industry.
○ To attract leading researchers from overseas universities and research institutes to I2CNER, the
new initiatives, such as I2CNER’s Fellows Program, and KU’s “Cross-Appoint System” will beutilized. More active engagement and interactions between KU and Illinois researchers will bepromoted through mutual PI sabbaticals, etc. based on the Agreement on Academic Cooperation
between the two universities (signed in FY2014). The Agreement on Student Exchange, which
was also signed in FY2014, will help further promote student exchange between Kyushu andIllinois through the development of a “Joint-Degree Program,” etc.
○ Kyushu University plans to further promote collaboration with industry through its unique “Joint
Research Department System.” Strengthening cooperation between the Industry-UniversityGovernment Collaboration Management Center of Kyushu University (IMAQ) and the Office ofTechnology Management (OTM) of the University of Illinois will help advance IP management andtechnology transfer, both nationally and internationally.
○ Through these initiatives, Kyushu University will support/sustain I2CNER and ensure its success as
the world’s-leading carbon neutral research institute after the WPI Program ends.
(7) Other types of assistance it will provide to give maximum support to the center in achieving its
concepts and objectives and becoming a world premier international research center in both nameand deed.
○ I, Chiharu Kubo, as the President of Kyushu University, and Prof. Masato Wakayama, the new
Executive Vice President in charge of Research and Industry Collaboration, will ensure that
I2CNER receives maximum support from Kyushu University by taking the following measures:The President makes decisions concerning possible discussions between I2CNER and other
KU units about the personnel structure and personnel allocation framework within I2CNER, in
consideration of the Director’s policy and expectations. At the request of the President, theExecutive Vice President in charge of research will execute the decisions by making necessary
arrangements within the university.

In particular, we plan to support the Director as stated in item (2) in order to help him executethe WPI vision for Kyushu University.

Regular meetings will be held between the Director and the Executive Vice President in chargeof Research and Industry Collaboration. Advice and counsel from the President will be given
as needed. With regard to matters relating to the promotion of university-industry
collaboration, the Executive Vice President in charge of Research and Industry Collaboration
will provide the Director with necessary support and advice.

（Host institution： Kyushu University

Title of Center Project：International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research）

4

As part of the university’s continued efforts to strengthen the administrative support for
I2CNER, Kyushu University has appointed Prof. Yukio Fujiki, who is the former Executive Vice
President in charge of Research and International Affairs, as the new Administrative Director.
Also, a Head of Administration, which is a management-level position, has been assigned to
the Administrative Office. I2CNER is the only permanent research institute at Kyushu
University that has its own support office, making this the first such assignment ever made at
the university.

We shall promote the concept of this Institute as the model project for internationalization ofresearch and education in Kyushu University, and apply the concept to the entire University
body, with the aim of transforming Kyushu University’s academic culture so that it exemplifies
the WPI vision for international reputation, training of young scientists in an international
environment, advancing knowledge through an open research platform, and attracting
scientists and students from around the globe.

（Host institution： Kyushu University

Title of Center Project：International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research）

5

（Appendix）(in English)

List of Principal Investigators
・If the number of principal investigators exceeds 10, add columns as appropriate.
・Place an asterisk(*) by the name of the investigators who are considered to be ranked among the world’s top
researchers.
・Give age as of 1 April 2015.
・For investigators who cannot participate in the center project from 1 April 2015, indicate the time that their participation
will start in the “Notes” column.

Current affiliation(organization,
department)

Academic degreeand current
specialties

Petros Sofronis*

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
57
Research,
Kyushu University

Ph.D.,
Micromechanics ofmaterials,
Environmental
degradation ofmaterials②

Tatsumi Ishihara*International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
53
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng.,
Catalyst and solidstateelectrochemistry③

Chihaya Adachi*

Department of Applied
51 Chemistry,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng.,
Materials scienceand device physics

Atsushi Takahara*

Institute for Materials
Chemistry and59
Engineering,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng., Surface
and Interface
Characterization

Seiji Ogo*

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
51
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Science,
Green Chemistry

Zenji Horita*

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
61
Research,
Kyushu University

Ph.D., Dr.of Eng.,
Materials Science

Name

①

④

⑤

⑥

Age

（Host institution：Kyushu University

1

Notes

Abbreviation of the Center：I2CNER）

（Appendix）

NaotoshiNakashima*

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
63
Research,
Kyushu University

Ph. D.,
Nanocarbon
science,SupramolecularscienceKazunari Sasaki*

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
50
Research,
Kyushu University

Fuel cell materials,
Inorganic materials

Etsuo Akiba*International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
63
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Science,
Materials science⑩

Harry L. Tuller*

Department of Materials
Science and Engineering,69
Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology

Eng.Sc.D.,
Functional
electroceramicmaterials⑪

John A Kilner*

68

Joichi SugimuraInternational Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
57
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng.,
Tribology andMachine Design⑬

Yasuyuki Takata

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
58
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng.,
ThermalEngineering⑭

Xing Zhang

Department of Engineering
Ph.D., Thermal
53 Mecanics,
Science
Tsinghua University

⑦

⑧

⑨

⑫

Department of Materials,
Imperial College, London

Ph.D., Materials forsolid oxide fuel cells
and electrolysers（Host institution：Kyushu University

2

Abbreviation of the Center：I2CNER）

（Appendix）

Brian P.
Somerday*

Ph.D.,
46 Sandia National Laboratory Materials Sienceand Engineering⑯

Setsuo Takaki

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
62
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Enginering⑰

Reiner Kirchheim*

The Institut für
71 Metallphysik,
University of Göttingen

Ph. D.

⑱

Miho Yamauchi

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
41
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Science,
Chemistry⑲

Ken Sakai

Department of Chemistry
53 Facurty of Sciense,
Kyushu University

Ph.D.,
Inorganic Chemistry⑳

Ian Robertson*

Dean of Engineering,
University of
57 Wisconsin-Madison,
Chief Science Advisor to
the Director

Ph.D.,
Matellurgy㉑

Andrew A.
Gewirth*55

Chemistry,
University of Illinois

Ph.D.,
Chemistry

College of Engineering,
University of Norte Dame

Ph.D.,
Theoretical andApplied Mechanics,
specializing inexperimental
fluid mechanics⑮㉒

Kenneth T.
Christensen

41（Host institution：Kyushu University

3

Abbreviation of the Center：I2CNER）

（Appendix）㉓㉔

Shigenori Fujikawa

Takeshi Tsuji

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
44
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Eng.,
Nanoscience andengineering

International Institue for
Carbon-Neutral Energy
35
Research,
Kyushu University

Dr. of Science,
Earth and Planetary
Science;Resource
engineering
Space explanation（Host institution：Kyushu University

4

Abbreviation of the Center：I2CNER）