Manabu TANAKA
(Associate Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University)

Polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell application have been investigated. We have synthesized novel thermally-, mechanically-, and chemically-stable sulfonated polyimides and sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s to achieve high proton conductive, low gas permeable, and high durable electrolyte membranes.

Solid Polymer Electrolytes are essential materials for all-solid-sate lithium ion batteries. We are investigating synsthesis of novel polymer electrolytes, facbiration of coin cells using the polymer electrolyte membranes, and evaluation of battery perfromance.
Recently, next-generation batteries, including linium air battery, are also studied.

For clean and highly efficient hydrogen production, we are develoiping novel anion exchange membranes and applying them to water electrolysis. With the cooperation of external researchers, we are also promoting the use of computational science and materials informatics in AEM research.

Polymer membranes for the separation of carbon dioxide, a typical greenhouse effect gas, are studied. We have prepared fluorinated polyimide membranes containing small molecules, which have good affinity and diffusivity of carbon dioxide, to give novel gas separation membranes with high permeabilityy and selectivity to carbon dioxide.

Ultrafine polymer nanofibers bearing several tens to several hundreds nanometer-diameters have been prepared by an electrospinning method. We are applying the polymer nanofibers to environmental- and energy-related field by utilizing unique nanofiber characteristics such as super surface area effect, nanosize effect, and super molecular alignment effect.

Novel anion conductive polymer electrolyte membranes had been investigated for alkaline fuel cells, which offer many advantages over proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The membranes, which were developed through the collaborative research with automobile company, showed highest conductivity among the other reported anion conductive membranes.

Polymer photoresists (photosensitive resins) and related materials for next generation lithography technobology had been studied with Intel Corporation. We combined electron beam lithography and supercritical carbon dioxide development techniques to obtain thinner nano-patterns.

Electrodes modified with functional polymer brushes had been prepared to apply for the ELISA biosensor system. The system is worked at the collaborative biochemistry and immunology research groups for practical applications.

Unique magnetic materials based on organic polymers bearing stable radicals (unpaired electron spin) and their applications had been studied. We had succeeded the arrangement of radical polymer particles on micro-patterned substrates, evaluation of magnetic properties of single radical polymer molecules by magnetic force microscope, and measurement of conductive characteristics of radical polymer chains by connecting with gold nanoparticles.