Researcher

Kohei Shimokawa
Assistant ProfessorMaterials and Energy
- Mentor Information
- Professor
- Tetsu Ichitsubo (Institute for Materials Research)
Research Fields | Energy materials, Electrochemistry |
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Research Subjects |
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Academic Society Membership | The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials, The Electrochemical Society of Japan |
Research Outline | |
Sunlight is almost the only energy source for the Earth where we live. Thus, “how to store and utilize solar energy” is one of the most important issues for achieving a future sustainable society. I have been studying next-generation rechargeable batteries using multivalent ions such as magnesium. The rechargeable battery is a technological energy-conversion system that can bi-directionally convert electrical and chemical energies. On the other hand, there is a biological energy-conversion system, photosynthesis, which can convert light energy to chemical energy. In this work, focusing on the similarities of the battery and photosynthesis as energy conversion systems, I will develop (i) novel energy conversion/storage devices combining these two systems and (ii) energy conversion science for the interdisciplinary research of biology and technology. To address the energy and environmental issues, which is a question about the relationship between life and technology, interdisciplinary approaches would be essential. This study aims to open a new field of energy conversion science in the interdisciplinary area between biology and technology for constructing a framework of a future society where people live in harmony with nature. |