Creation of New Photofunctional Materials Based on Cooperative Effects
Our research attempts to create highly functional and high-performance materials based on polymers, liquid crystals and light. Using liquid-crystalline polymers and block copolymers, we try to control microscopic structures at the molecular level and improve macroscopic properties of materials. The main target of our project is to create light energy conversion materials such as photovoltaic and photomobile materials.
News
| 2024. 11.9 | Spatially selective actuation of polymer films through two-photon absorption processes published in Nature Communications has been reported in various mass media and scientific media. (Details) |
| 2024. 11.7 | We published a paper on spatially selective actuation of polymer films through two-photon absorption processes in Nature Communications. (Details) |
| 2024. 9.11 | Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) Conference 2024 was held at Toyama University. (Photo) |
| Kohei Matsumoto received the Best Poster Award (Kosai Award) and Tomoka Ishikawa received the Best Student Poster Award (Wakaba Award). (List of poster award winners) | |
| 2024. 7.26 | We had a party at the end of the first semester, 2024. (Photo) |
| 2024. 5.29 | Ryu Ushiyama received “Dean Award” and won its scholarship. (Photo) |
| 2024. 5.24 | We published a paper on sunlight-driven smart windows with a wide temperature range of optical switching based on chiral nematic liquid crystals. (Paper) |
| 2024. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Ryu Ushiyama, Yumeka Ogawa, Haruka Hirose, Mayu Mizuno. (Photo) |
| 2024. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2024. 3.19 | Kai Nemoto received the Alumni Association Award. (Photo) |
| 2023.10.22 | We succeeded in inducing motions of polymers in liquid nitrogen with light. (Paper) |
| 2023. 9.12 | Kanae Yamazoe received the Best Student Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) Conference 2023 held at Kagurazaka Campus of Tokyo University of Science. (List of poster award winners) |
| 2023. 8.23 | Prof. Jingxia Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) visited us. (Photo) |
| 2023. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Tomoka Ishikawa, Masayuki Sato, Kai Nemoto, Kohei Matsumoto. (Photo) |
| 2023. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2022. 9.16 | Yuko Kadowaki received the Best Poster Award (Kosai Award) and Kuniaki Miyamoto received the Best Student Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) Conference 2022 held on-line. (List of poster award winners) |
| 2022. 8.17 | We published a paper on sunlight-driven autonomous smart windows. (Paper) |
| 2022. 7.25 | Prof. Ikeda gave a Keynote talk (ILK-1-AI) at International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC) 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal on July 24 - 29. (Program) |
| 2022. 7.25 | Assoc. Prof. Ube wrote an article 'Polymers and Liquid Crystals’ for Voices from Young Researchers in EKISHO 2022 July issue, published by the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS). |
| 2022. 5.25 | Kazuma Ito received “Dean Award” and won its scholarship. |
| 2022. 5.21 | Prof. Ikeda gave Plenary Lecture at Society for Chemistry and Micro-Nano Systems. |
| 2022. 4.15 | Presentation ceremony for the 54th Ichimura Prize. |
| 2022. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Kazuma Ito, Sho Inoue, Sota Suzuki, Kanae Yamazoe. (Photo) |
| 2022. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2022. 3.11 | Prof. Ikeda received The 54th Ichimura Prize in Science for Distinguished Achievement. (Achievement) (List of recipients) |
| 2021. 9.17 | Marie Yoshida received the Best Poster Award (Kosai Award) and Hidehiro Yoshida received the Best Student Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) Conference 2021 held on-line. |
| 2022. 5.21 | Yuko Kadowaki received “Dean Award” and won its scholarship. |
| 2021. 4. 6 | Prof. Ikeda received The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Awards for Science and Technology in Research Category. (Commendation) (Achievement) (List of recipients) |
| 2021. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Yuko Kadowaki, Hiroki Terata, Yusuke Nakata, Kuniaki Miyamoto. (Photo) |
| 2021. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2020.10.30 | Ikumi Suka received the Best Poster Award (Kosai Award) and Kosei Matsuda received the Best Student Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) Conference 2020 held on-line. |
| 2020. 9.19 | Title of 'Honorary Member' was conferred on Prof. Ikeda by Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS). (Certificate) |
| 2020. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Ryoga Ito, Ryutaro Yamamoto, Hidehiro Yoshida, Marie Yoshida. (Photo) |
| 2019. 9. 4 | Naoki Urazoe received the Best Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Conference 2019. (Photo) |
| 2019. 6.24 | Ikumi Suka received "Dean Award" and won its scholarship. |
| 2019. 5. 1 | Prof. Ikeda received SPSJ Award for Outstanding Achievement in Polymer Science and Technology (2018). |
| 2019. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Ikumi Suka, Tomonao Sugawara, Kosei Matsuda and Yuki Matsuda. (Photo) |
| 2019. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2019. 1.15 | Title of 'Fellow of Chemical Society of Japan (FCSJ)' was conferred on Prof. Ikeda by Chemical Society of Japan. (Photo) |
| 2018.12.15 | Dr. Ube gave an invited talk at 1st Glowing Polymer Symposium in KANTO (GPS-K2018). |
| 2018. 9. 6 | Prof. Ikeda received The Japanese Photochemistry Association Award for Distinguished Contribution to Photochemistry for 2018. (Photo) |
| 2018. 8. 7 | Naoki Urazoe received "Dean Award" and won its scholarship. (Photo) |
| 2018. 7.25 | Prof. Ikeda received The JLCS Award for Distinguished Achievement and Contributions from Japanese Liquid Crystal Society for 2018. |
| 2018. 7.10-13 | 22th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD 2018) was held in Jeju, Korea. Takaya Suzuki, Haruna Tsunoda, Shunya Ogikubo, Romu Nakayama and Masaya Matsushita gave poster presentations at ADMD 2018, and Haruna Tsunoda and Romu Nakayama received the Best Poster Award. (Photo) |
| 2018. 5. 1 | Dr. Ube received Award for Encouragement of Research in Polymer Science; The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2017). |
| 2018. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Junpei Imai, Naoki Urazoe, Keigo Naito and Shotaro Miyazaki. (Photo) |
| 2018. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2018. 1.12 | Seminar by Prof. Gwenael Rapenne (Universite Paul Sabatier, France). |
| 2017. 9.13 | Haruna Tsunoda received the Best Poster Award (Wakaba Award) at Japanese Liquid Crystal Conference 2017. |
| 2017. 9.13 | Dr. Ube gave a Young Researcher Award lecture at Japanese Liquid Crystal Conference 2017. |
| 2017. 9.12 | Shota Sasaki received the Best Poster Award at Young Researchers Symposium on Photosynergetics. |
| 2017. 9. 6 | Prof. Duncan Bruce (The University of York, UK) visited us. (Photo) |
| 2017. 8. 4 | Dr. Toru Ube and Dr. Hiroaki Ozawa are promoted to Associate Professors. |
| 2017. 7.24-26 | 21th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD 2017) was held in Nagoya, Japan. Shota Sasaki, Naoto Yanahashi and Haruna Tsunoda gave poster presentations at ADMD 2017, and Shota Sasaki received the Best Poster Award. (Photo) |
| 2017. 5.29 | Dr. Ube gave an invited talk at 66th SPSJ annual meeting. |
| 2017. 4.21 | Dr. Ube received Young Researcher Award of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society. |
| 2017. 4. 1 | Dr. Ozawa joined our lab. |
| 2017. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Shunya Ogikubo, Romu Nakayama, Masaya Matsushita and Takuya Yoda. (Photo) |
| 2017. 3.27 | Citation of an original paper published in Nature exceeded 1,000 times. |
| 2017. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2016.12.15 | Shota Sasaki received Poster Presentation Award at 6th CSJ Chemistry Festa 2016. |
| 2016.10.19-21 | 20th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD 2016) was held in Shanghai, China. Kazuma Kojima, Gaku Hashimoto, Shota Sasaki and Naoto Yanahashi gave poster presentations at ADMD 2016, and Gaku Hashimoto received the Best Poster Award. (Photo) |
| 2016. 6.20 | Takaya Suzuki received "Dean Award" and won its scholarship. (Photo) |
| 2016. 5.27 | Seminar by Prof. Lei Jiang (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician). |
| 2016. 5.13 | Dr. Ube received CSJ Presentation Award at the 96th CSJ Annual Meeting. |
| 2016. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Takaya Suzuki, Haruna Tsunoda, Ryota Misawa and Ken Minagawa. (Photo) |
| 2016. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony.(Photo) Shota Sasaki and Takahito Kosaka played a valedictory role on behalf of the graduating students of Department of Applied Chemistry and Graduate School of Applied Chemistry, respectively. |
| 2016. 3.17 | Mr. Yasuyuki Demachi (alumnus of Ikeda Lab at Tokyo Institute of Technology) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2016. 3. 3 | Seminar by Dr. Ken Yoshimura (Sumitomo Chemical Co., Japan). |
| 2015.10.22-25 | 19th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD 2015) was held in Geongju, Korea. Kyohei Kawasaki, Takahito Kosaka, Kazuma Nojima and Gaku Hashimoto gave poster presentations at ADMD2015, and Kawasaki received Poster Presentation Award. |
| 2015.10. 2-7 | 8th International Liquid Crystal Elastomer Conference (ILCEC 2015) was held in Erice, Italy. Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk. |
| 2015. 7.27 | Shota Sasaki (B4) was selected as a scholarship student of Yoshida Scholarship Foundation. |
| 2015. 6.22 | Shota Sasaki received "President Award" and Naoto Yanahashi received "Dean Award". They won each scholarship. (Photo) |
| 2015. 4.18-22 | Prof. Ikeda gave a plenary talk at Symposium on Liquid Crystal Photonics (SLCP 2015) held in Shenzhen, China. |
| 2015. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Shota Sasaki and Naoto Yanahashi. (Photo) |
| 2015. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2015. 1.21 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at the 2nd Asian Conference on Liquid Crystals (ACLC 2015). |
| 2014.11.11 | Title of ‘Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)’ was conferred on Prof. Ikeda by Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. |
| 2014. 9.18 | Citation of an original paper published in Science exceeded 1,000 times. |
| 2014. 9.12 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at Advances in Liquid Crystal Science (ALCS2014). |
| 2014. 9.5 | Prof. Ikeda gave a lecture at Muroran Institute of Technology. |
| 2014. 8.17-21 | SPIE Liquid Crystals XVIII (SPIE Optics + Photonics) was held in San Diego, California, USA. Prof. Katayama gave an invited talk. |
| 2014. 7.23-25 | 18th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD2014) was held in Sendai, Miyagi. Masahiro Kaneko, Kiyohide Takado, Kyohei Kawasaki and Takahito Kosaka gave poster presentations at ADMD2014, and Takado received Poster Presentation Award. |
| 2014. 7.17 | Prof. Ikeda and Dr. Ube wrote a News&View article in Nature. |
| 2014. 7. 6-9 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at the 7th Italian–Japanese Workshop on Liquid Crystals held in Ravenna, Italy. (Circular, HP) |
| 2014. 6.23 | Gaku Hashimoto and Kazuma Nojima received "Dean Award" and won its scholarship. (Photo) |
| 2014. 4.18 | Prof. Ikeda gave a seminar on photomobile polymer materials at Institute for Molecular Science (The 859th IMS colloquium). |
| 2014. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Kazuma Nojima and Gaku Hashimoto. (Photo) |
| 2014. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2014. 3.19 | Celebration party for graduation with Dr. Isa Nishiyama of DIC. (Photo) |
| 2014. 2.10 | Discussions and party with R&D staffs of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (Drs. Hideyuki Ikehira, Jun Oguma and Osamu Goto). |
| 2014. 1.27 | An article on photomobile polymer materials is reported in the Graphic Science Magazine 'Newton'. |
| 2013.12.20 | Dr. Ube gave an invited talk at the Young Scientists Forum of Polymer · Hybrid Materials Research Center, Tohoku University. |
| 2013.12. 7 | Prof. Ikeda gave a lecture on photomobile polymer materials at Bunkyo-Ward Science College for children. |
| 2013.11.25 | Prof. Ikeda gave a plenary talk at the 9th Korea–Japan Symposium on Frontier Photoscience – 2013 (KJFP2013) held in Seoul, Korea. |
| 2013. 9.30 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at the Optics of Liquid Crystals 2013 (OLC 2013) held in Hawaii, US. |
| 2013. 9.23 | Prof. Ikeda gave a plenary talk at the International Symposium on Photochromism 2013 (ISOP 2013) held in Berlin, Germany. |
| 2013. 9.10 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at the 7th International Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Conference 2013 (ILCEC7) held in Shanghai, China. |
| 2013. 7. 9 | Lecture by Mr. Hideki Niino (Former President, Permachem Asia). (Photo) |
| 2013. 6.27 | Kiyohide Takado gave a poster presentation at ADMD2013. (Photo) |
| 2013. 6.27-28 | 17th International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD2013) was held in Shanghai, China. Prof. Katayama gave an invited talk. |
| 2013. 6.19 | Prof. Ikeda will gave an invited talk at the European Polymer Congress (EPF 2013) held in Pisa, Italy. (Photo) |
| 2013. 6.13 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at the 11th Mediterranean Workshop and Topical Meeting "Novel Optical Materials and Applications" (NOMA 2013) held in Cetraro, Italy. |
| 2013. 4.20 | Prof. Ikeda gave a plenary talk at the Symposium on Liquid Crystal Photonics (SLCP 2013) held in Chengdu, China. There was a big earthquake. |
| 2013. 4. 9 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting (USA). |
| 2013. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Kyohei Kawasaki and Takahito Kosaka. (Photo) |
| 2013. 3.24 | Graduation ceremony. (Photo) |
| 2013. 3.22 | Cherry blossom viewing (Hanami) at Rekisen Park. (Photo) |
| 2013. 3.18 | Seminar by Dr. Isa Nishiyama (DIC, Japan). (Photo) |
| 2012.12.19 | Prof. Huai Yang (Peking University, China), Prof. Yanlei Yu (Fudan University, China), and Dr. Masuki Kawamoto (RIKEN, Japan) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2012.12.15 | Prof. Peter Palffy-Muhoray (Kent State University, USA) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2012.12.13 | Dr. Haruyoshi Takatsu (DIC, Japan) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2012.11. 8 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at ACP2012 (China). |
| 2012. 8.24 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at ILCC2012 (Germany). |
| 2012. 8. 2 | A party for the end of semester with Haga lab. (Photo) |
| 2012. 7.27 | Kiyohide Takado (B4) was selected as a scholarship student of Yoshida Scholarship Foundation. |
| 2012. 7.25-27 | 6th Japanese–Italian Workshop on Liquid Crystals. (Photo) |
| 2012. 6.28-29 | International Symposium on Advanced Display Materials and Devices (ADMD2012). (Photo) |
| 2012. 5.25 | Prof. Lachezar Komitov (Gothenburg University, Sweden) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2012. 5.24 | Prof. Zhengguo Cai (Donghua University, China) visited our lab. (Photo) |
| 2012. 4. 1 | Warm welcome to our new group members: Masahiro Kaneko and Kiyohide Takado. (Photo) |
| 2012. 3.24 | Hiroto Okazaki and Nana Takayanagi graduated. (Photo) |
| 2011.10.13 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at IMID2011 (Korea). |
| 2011. 9.20 | Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at OLC2011 (Armenia). |
| 2011. 9. 6 | Prof. Ikeda gave a keynote talk at ILCEC (Portugal). |
| 2011. 8.25 |
Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at SPIE Optics + Photonics (USA). |
| 2011. 6.30 | Prof. Ikeda gave a plenary talk at ADMD 2011 (Japan). |
| 2011. 4.18 |
Prof. Ikeda gave an invited talk at HPRG 51st Meeting (UK). |
| 2011. 4. 1 |
We started a new laboratory. |
Publicity
Graphic Science Magazine "Newton"
Shoko Journal
TV-U Fukushima "E! KIBUN"
Monthly Chosun "Top Class"
Keymans Net
Kagaku Shimbun
News Letters of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research
Nikkei Trendy
NHK World Radio Japan
Japan for Sustainability
RSC Chemical Science
WIRED VISION
JST Science Links Japan
Nature Asia Materials
EE Times Japan
Otona no Kagaku
Kodomo no Kagaku
RSC Chemistry World
Nanowerk
ACS Chemical & Engineering News
Nature Chemistry
Asahi Shimbun, NHK(7/20 6:00 pm News), Nikkei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Kyodo News, Jiji Press
Hokkaido Shimbun, Kahoku Shimpo, To-o Nippo Press, Akita Sakigake Shimpo, Yamagata Shimbun, Iwate Nippo, Fukushima-Minpo,Shimotsuke Shimbun, Ibaraki Shimbun, Kanagawa Shimbun, Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun, Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, Shizuoka Shimbun, Gifu Shimbun, Niigata Nippo, Kitanippon Shimbun, Fukui Shimbun, Chubukeizai Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun, Kyoto Shimbun, Kobe Shimbun, Sanyo Shimbun, Chugoku Shimbun, San-in Chuo Shimpo, Shikoku Shimbun, Tokushima Shimbun, Kochi Shimbun, Nishinippon Shimbun, Oita Godo Shimbun, Miyazaki Nichinichi Shinbun, Saga Shimbun, Nagasaki Shimbun, Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, Shimbun Akahata. Yahoo News, Nifty News, Goo News, Rakuten News, Livedoor News, Goo Business, Biglobe News, Exite News, ZAQ News
[Contacts]
Research and Development Initiative, Chuo University
1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
Prof. Tomiki Ikeda Tel: +81-3-3817-1631; Fax: +81-3-3817-1631; e-mail: tikeda _at_ tamacc.chuo-u.ac.jp
Dr. Toru Ube Tel: +81-3-3817-7361; e-mail: ube _at_ tamacc.chuo-u.ac.jp (convert "_at_" to @)