Yoshihiro Iwasa Associate Professor Yoshihiro Iwasa Associate Professor Yoshihiro Iwasa completed his graduate study with Prof. N. Miura in 1986 at the Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo. Dr. Iwasa worked with Drs. Although their interest in solid state physics and chemistry is very broad, their current interest is focused on two subjects. Among them, C 60 is the most popular molecule, having a succour ball-like structure. C 60 becomes a superconductor by intercalation of alkali or alkali earth metals.
Fullerenes are also interesting due to their structual variety.
By application of pressure, C 60 turns into a polymeric form. Iwasa's group is searching for new fullerides with novel functionalities. Particularly, they are interested in superconductors. Their strategy is in the synthesis of multinary complex fullerides, in which alkali metals, alkali earth metals and netutral molecules are involved. Contribution of the former two is the donation of one and two electrons per element respectively, resulting in a tunability of electron density without changing the structure.