Rechargeable Battery Materials Group Rechargeable Battery Materials Group aims for the realization of solid-state batteries with high reliability and lithium air batteries with ultimate capacities. URL http://www.nims.go.jp/group/battery/index.html Kazunori Takada Ceramic process for solid-state batteries Kazunori Takada Vapor-phase synthesis of battery materials Tsuyoshi Ohnishi Exploration of new battery system Narumi Ohta Controlling solid-solid interfacial transport Shogo Miyoshi We are developing ceramic process that maximizes the materials ability in solid-state batteries. We are establishing simplified electrochemical systems that consist of single-crystal thin-films prepared by vapor-phase epitaxy for fundamental research on battery materials and their interfaces. We are exploring new battery systems showing outstanding performance by using inorganic solid electrolytes. Improving the ionic conductivity at interfaces such as grain boundary in solid electrolytes. Metal anode / endurance Kimihiko Ito Lithium-Air Battery Cathode Akihiro Nomura Metal Negative Electrode Kei Nishikawa Search for new electrolyte Shoichi Matsuda Research for high cycle endurance based on the knowledge from in-situ (operando) analysis and the novel Li-metal anode technique. Cathode of Lithium-Air Battery (LAB) cells for deriving ultra-high cell capacity and power density, developing the practical use of LAB cells It is necessary to understand the mechanism of electro-deposition and electro-chemical dissolution of metals in order to apply the metal electrode to next-generation batteries. The composition of electrolyte applicable to lithium air battery is clarified. Especially, by applying high-throughput screening system and data analytic method, we are searching new electrolyte composition with high-speed and high-efficiency. Development of Novel Electrocatalysts and Mechanistic Study on Li-Air Battery Reactions Fellow Kohei Uosaki To develop electrocatalysts for O2 reduction and H2 evolution reactions by combining theoretical and experimental studies. To clarify the mechanisms of reactions of Li-air battery, which has high theoretical energy density but has many problems, by utilizing various analytical tools. URL https://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/uosaki_kohei?locale=en Design of three-phase boundaries in MEA of polymer membrane fuel cells by using quantum beam technology Managing Researcher Toshiyuki Mori Aim Design of low Pt content cathode in MEA by improvement of Pt cathode performance and its stability with good balance We try to activate the surface/interface of Pt electro-catalyst by using quantum beam (proton beam, electron beam, and so on) irradiation. Also, we try to maximize the performance of electro-catalysts in membrane electrode assembly (MEA). URL https://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/mori_toshiyuki?locale=en Three phase boundary ionomer Carbon MEA Surface activation H + beam irradiation Electron beam irradiation Interface activation

Photovoltaic Materials Group Solar cells have attracted great interest in order to solve environmental issues. Focusing on creating second and third generation solar cells with ultra-high energy conversion efficiency and low manufacturing cost, our main objectives are elucidating photoelectric conversion mechanism, developing new solar cell structure, and generating new solar cell materials. URL http://www.nims.go.jp/eng/research/group/photovoltaic/ Takeshi Noda Quantum dot solar cells Takeshi Noda Development of high efficiency quantum dot solar cells based on intermediate band concept Pb-free perovskite solar cells Ashraful Islam Development of efficient perovskite solar cell based on lead free perovskite layer and new charge transporting materials (ETM and HTM) which is environment friendly. Si heterojunction solar cells Chisato Niikura Development of high-quality passivation technique and advanced light confinement structure for high-efficiency & low-cost ultra-thin Si heterojunction solar cells. Band profile of solar cell with an intermediate band. Intermediate states (IS) are formed by quantum dots. 200 nm Thermoelectric Materials Group Our target is to develop ubiquitous-element thermoelectric materials with superior effective maximum power (50~ W/m) to Bi-Te at 300-600 K and their power generation devices to meet social needs of exhausted heat utilization. Yoshikazu Shinohara Hybrid thermoelectric materials research Yoshikazu Shinohara Research on the effect of hybrid material structures on thermoelectric properties using process- & nano-technologies and data science, and development of thermoelectric power devices with hybrid structures. Dream of researchers on thermoelectric materials High-throughput investigation for energy related materials Masahiro Goto Investigation of energy related novel materials such as thermal management, thermoelectric, tribocoatings by the combination of materials informatics and combinatorial sputter coating techniques. Ubiquitous thermoelectric materials research Yoshiki Takagiwa 1) Theoretical calculations for materials screening and machine learning predictions for better performance. 2) The development of low-cost and non-toxic thermoelectric materials for practical applications worldwide. Heat & Current flows Heat & Current flows Process technology Nano technology Data science Heat flow Separation of paths for heat and current flows Current flow Single-phase material Hybrid material

Hydrogen Production Materials Group We have been pushing forward with Hydrogen Society. However, there are many issues that remain to be solved. One of them is the high cost of producing hydrogen. Hydrogen Production Materials Group focuses particularly upon the key materials of hydrogen producing devices, in order to realize the price reduction and to offer technical advantages. URL http://www.nims.go.jp/eng/research/group/hydrogen-production/ Chikashi Nishimura Development of Ni-based alloy and intermetallic catalysts for steam reforming of methane and methanol. We try to develop new catalysts utilizing microstructure control. Reforming catalysts Ya Xu Alloy Membranes for Hydrogen Purification Chikashi Nishimura Development of membranes based on vanadium alloys to produce highly pure hydrogen for PEFC. We try to apply our membranes for hydrogen separation at low R&D of phase-separated alloy catalysts for the high-throughput production of hydrogen fuels from CH4 and CO 2. Hideki Abe Hybrid membranes for electrolysis Jedeok Kim Development of organicinorganic hybrid membranes for high temperature water electrolysis. Interfacial Energy Conversion Group We are carrying out fundamental studies on the methods to construct functional phases by the assembly of atoms, molecules, nanoclusters and cells mainly at solid/liquid interfaces for interfacial energy conversion processes such as electrocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry. Hidenori Noguchi Surface design towards highly efficient electrocatalyst Hidenori Noguchi New Principles for Advancing Energy Conversion/Storage Mechanisms Ken Sakaushi Interfacial Design of Highly Efficient Peorvskite Solar Cells Masatoshi Yanagida / Yasuhiro Shirai Charge transport layer & Interface Development of charge transport layer (CTL) for the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells by characterizing interface between perovskite and CTL. Material & device developmentz Developing materials and device fabrication processes that contribute to high efficiency and durability improvement of perovskite solar cells. Explore new catalysts, using computational science and advanced measurements, to elucidate the energy conversion mechanism and design a new catalysts. In situ characterization Hidenori Noguchi By combining use of rationally-assembled model materials and DFT-based analysis, new principles to advance energy storage/conversion mechanisms are investigated. Appling in-situ characterization methods for the surface and interface while controlling various environmental fields to understand the basic mechanism of the environment and energy materials.

Interface Computational Science Group We investigate essential processes in energy & environmental issues through novel theoretical, computational and data-science techniques associated with first-principles calculations. URL http://www.nims.go.jp/group/nscs/ SEI films in battery Elucidation of characteristics of SEI films. J. Electrochem. Soc. (2015). Interfaces of Solid electrolyte Demonstration of origin of interfacial resistance in all-solid-state batteries. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2017). Superconcentrated electrolyte Elucidation of promising superconcentrated electrolytes & seach for novel electrolytes. Nat. Energy (2016), Nat. Energy (2018). Perovskite solar cell Elucidation of interfacial charge transfer and degradation of Perovskite solar cells. JACS (2015), ACR (2016), JPCL (2017). Inhomogeneous catalyst Analysis of interfaces of oxide/semiconductor catalysts. JACS (2016), Anal. Chem. (2017). Informatics for battery materials Randy Jalem Development of efficient search methods for ion conductor ceramics by Bayesian optimization. Sci. Rep. (2018). Advanced Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials Group Aiming for the most sophisticated industrial use in energy storage and electron imaging, our research thrust is focused in two types of nanometerials: (i) Fundamental research on two-dimensional graphene and graphene composites for energy storage applications in supercapacitors and (ii) Development of one-dimensional metallic compound nanowires for applications in electron emission. URL http://www.nims.go.jp/eng/research/group/1d-nanomaterials/ Jie Tang Graphene Supercapacitors and Next-Generation Electron Emitters Jie Tang Performance improvement of graphene electrodes as capacitor Hiroaki Isago Theoretical search and assessment of low-dimensional materials Taizo Sasaki We explore and develop the synergistic processes for the exfoliation and high-density stacking of graphene for high-energy-density supercapacitors using graphene nano-composite. The nano-electron emitter realizing low-voltage and ultra-high brightness are also being developed. We develop stable p-conjugated electron acceptors with high affinity with graphene electrodes to greatly improve their performance as capacitor. Search of new low-dimensional materials and prediction and assessment of their properties are performed with the theoretical methods.