Event Date
Thursday, 30 January 2014 12:00 am ~
Report
On January 30, 2014, the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER) organized “I²CNER & ACT-C Joint Symposium” with Advanced Catalytic Transformation program for Carbon utilization (ACT-C) of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) at I²CNER Hall, Ito Campus of Kyushu University. The symposium was attended by more than 177 people, including many international guests .
After opening remarks by Prof. Yukio Fujiki, Executive Vice President of Kyushu University, Prof. Petros Sofronis, Director of I²CNER, and Prof. Toyoki Kunitake, Director-General of ACT-C, had presentations to introduce their research activities. Director Sofronis warmly welcomed all the participants to the symopsium and expressed his sincere gratitude for their support of the Institute. After his explanation about the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), he emphasized that the Institute’s mission is to contribute to the creation of a sustainable and environmentally-friendly society by conducting fundamental research for the advancement of low carbon emission and cost effective energy systems, and improvement of energy efficiency.
After the greetings, the plenary lecturers were given by Prof. Ei-ichi Negishi of Purdue University, 2010 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, and Prof. Benny D. Freeman of University of Texas at Austin had Plenary Lectures. In Prof. Negishi’s lecture, he discussed highly selective synthesis of various conceivable types of mono-, di-, and oligoenes which can be achieved via alkyne elementometalation. He also focused on the recent advances in Zr-catalyzed asymmetric carboalumination of alkenes (ZACA) reaction. Prof. Freeman discussed structural features important in the use of polymers as rate-controlling membranes for gas separations. He concluded that the polymers can be exquisitely tuned to have favorable permeation properties.
Session 1 featured four topical lectures, the first of which was given by Prof. Seiji Ogo, I2CNER, Kyushu University. Prof. Ogo proposed a model for the water-oxidation and recovery systems of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of the photosystem II (PSII enzyme upon damage of the system during H₂O oxidation process. Dr. Shinji Inagaki, Toyota Central Research and Development Labs. Inc., reported the construction of organic-based nanoporous photocatalysts for CO₂reduction, and H₂and O₂evolution from water using light-harvesting PMOs. Prof. Thomas Rauchfuss, I2CNER, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, featured the most recent advances in the modeling of the [FeFe]- and [NiFe]- hydrogenases, the two most important and widely occuring enzymes. He also introduced the new concept, called “I²CNER Hypothesis,” that the Fe-H-Ni center is really a terminal Fe-hydride with a weak interaction with Ni. Dr. Yuichiro Himeda, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, discussed their recent results on CO₂hydrogenation with Ir, Rh, Ru, and Co complexeswith proton-repsponsive ligands.
Session 2, including four topical lectures, began with a lecture by Prof. Kei Inumaru, Hiroshima University. Prof. Inumaru gave a talk with a theme of “Mesoporous Silica – Based Composite Materials for CO₂Adsorption and Photoreduction.” He prensented their recent preliminary results on CO₂adsorbents and photoreduction of CO₂. Prof. Ikuo Taniguchi, I2CNER, Kyushu University, proposed “Preferential CO₂separation over H₂with Poly (amidoamine) Containing Polymeric Membranes” as one of the promising solutions to mitigate CO₂ emissions. Prof. Teruhisa Ohno, Kyushu Institute of Technology, highlighted “Photocatalytic Reduction of CO₂using water over Morphology controlled Brookite TiO₂and Nanocomposite Photocatalyst of g-C3N4 and WO3.” He discussed the results of the photoelectrochemical system, composed of co-catalysts loaded g-C3N4 and WO3 electrodes. Prof. Paul Kenis, I2CNER, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, focused on their recent efforts to understand and improve catalysts and electrodes for conversion of CO₂to CO.
During Q&A sessions after each lecture and the poster session after all sessions, participants actively exchanged their opinions concerning their research activities. The symposium concluded successfully thanks to all the participants’ cooperation.
Program
– I²CNER & ACT-C Joint Symposium –
Greetings
Vice President of Kyushu Unviersity, Yukio Fujiki
Director of I²CNER, Petros Sofronis
Director-General of JST ACT-C, Toyoki Kunitake
Plenary Lectures
– Prof. Ei-ichi Negishi, Purdue University, Nobel Laureate
“Magical Power of d-Block Transition Metals as Catalysts for Organic Synthesis. Principles and Examples”
– Prof. Benny D. Freeman, University of Texas at Austin
“Polymer Membranes for CO₂Separations”
Session 1
– Prof. Seiji Ogo, I2CNER, Kyushu University
“Inspired by Nature — New Energy Sources from Photosystem II and Hydrogenase Model Complexes”
– Dr. Shinji Inagaki, Toyota Central Research and Development Labs. Inc.
“Light-harvesting photocatalysis system for CO₂reduction mimicking natural photosynthesis”
– Prof. Thomas Rauchfuss, I2CNER, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“Using Models to understand How Hydrogenase Enzymes Work -the I²CNER Hypothesis”
– Dr. Yuichiro Himeda, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
“Catalyst Design for Interconversion of CO₂and Formic Acid on the Basis of Proton-Responsive Ligand”
Session 2
– Prof. Kei Inumaru, Hiroshima University
“Mesoporous silica – based composite materials for CO2 adsorption and photoreduction”
– Prof. Ikuo Taniguchi, I2CNER, Kyushu University
“Preferential CO₂separation over H₂poly(amidoamine) containing polymeric membranes”
– Prof. Teruhisa Ohno, Kyushu Institute of Technology
“Photocatalytic Reduction of CO₂Using Water Over Morphology Controlled Brookite TiO₂And Nanocomposite Photocatalyst of g-C3N4 and WO3”
– Prof. Paul Kenis, I2CNER, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“Catalysts and Electrodes for Efficient Conversion of CO₂into CO”
Reception & Poster Session
