Hiroo Inokuchi
Hiroo Inokuchi ( Japanese 井口 洋 夫 , Inokuchi Hiroo ; born February 3, 1927 in Dambara, Hiroshima ; † March 20, 2014 in Tokyo ) was a Japanese chemist . He was a professor at Tokyo University and the Institute of Molecular Science ( IMS) of the Japanese National Institutes of Natural Sciences .
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Inokuchi has been researching the electronic structures of organic compounds, especially molecules with a benzene ring, since the late 1940s . He was one of the first to research the electrical conductivity between such molecules, demonstrating the great application benefits this can have for electronic components. His basic research played an essential role in the development of organic electronics , which work with molecules as switching elements. B. in mobile phones and flat screen TVs, right up to OLED displays.
Hiroo Inokuchi also conducted research on the electrical resistance of powdered carbon in certain controlled environments, even at a time when organic materials were still generally considered non-conductive.
Building on the fact that the structure of the organic molecule Violanthrone-2 is similar to the basic hexagonal structure of pure carbon, Inokuchi's experiments played the leading role in the discovery of semiconducting properties of organic materials, which he later called " organic semiconductors ".
Inokuchi's research was also instrumental in discovering that bromine or iodine , when added to an organic material such as perylene-3 , significantly increases its electrical conductivity.
In 1975, Inokuchi worked at the Japanese National Institutes for Natural Sciences in establishing the world-renowned Institute for Molecular Science and became its director.
Awards (selection)
- 1994 appointment to Bunka Kōrōsha, person with special cultural merit
- 2001 Order of Culture
- In 2007 he received the Kyoto Prize in the high technology category .
Web links
- Biography on the website of the Inamori Foundation (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Inokuchi, Hiroo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 井口 洋 夫 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese chemist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 3, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dambara, Hiroshima |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 20, 2014 |
| Place of death | Tokyo |