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2007 Kyoto Prize Laureates 
Advanced Technology Category
Prize Field: Materials Science and Engineering Dr. Hiroo Inokuchi Dr. Hiroo Inokuchi initiated pioneering research on electrical conduction between molecules with benzene rings, and established the scientific foundation for studying the electrical conductivity of organic materials. Further, he systematically elucidated the electronic structure of a wide variety of organic materials by photoelectron spectroscopy. Through a series of such research efforts, he established the academic basis for studying organic molecular electronics and made fundamental contributions to the subsequent development of the field. Pioneering and Fundamental Contributions to Organic Molecular Electronics The 2007 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology focuses on the field of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Hiroo Inokuchi will receive the award for his pioneering and fundamental contributions to organic molecular electronics. Dr. Inokuchi has been elucidating the electronic structures of organic compounds since the late 1940s. He focused his attention on organic molecules with benzene rings* and initiated pioneering research on electrical conductance between such molecules, demonstrating that they could serve as useful materials for electronic components. This basic research played an essential role in the development of organic electronics, and has found applications in a wide range of commercial products, including mobile phones and flat-screen TVs. Among these, the organic electroluminescent (EL) panel, characterized by high image definition on a thin, flat screen, has attracted considerable attention as a possible next-generation replacement for today’s liquid-crystal display (LCD). He also investigated the electrical resistance of pulverized carbon powders in a controlled environment at a time when organic materials were considered insulators that would not conduct electricity. Focusing on the fact that the structure of an organic molecule called violanthrone** has similarities to the hexagonal basal plane of pure carbon, Dr. Inokuchi carried out various experiments, ultimately playing a lead role in the discovery of semiconductive properties in organic materials - which he later named "organic semiconductors." He also played a major role in the discovery that bromine or iodine added to an organic material such as perylene*** causes a significant increase in the material's electrical conductivity. In 1975, Dr. Inokuchi helped establish the Institute for Molecular Science - a world-class center for research on the electrical properties of molecules - and has made substantial contributions to the development of the field through his leadership. The development of organic semiconductors offers future promise in areas ranging from flexible, low-cost solar cells to electronic "skin" that could give robots a humanlike ability to "feel" temperature or pressure. Dr. Inokuchi's pioneering efforts and groundbreaking contributions have made possible these advances and the continued development of organic molecular electronics. Notes: |
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