Researchers

Profile

Functional measurement Smart lab

Professor TAKATA Masaki
International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart
Concurrent : Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials
Themes
  • Next generation SR facility project
  • Innovation of structural science through the development of X-ray visualization technology
Keywords
Next Generation Synchrotron Radiation, Structural Materials Science, Powder X-ray Diffraction, Maximum Entropy Method, Charge Density Analysis
Research Activities

Innovation of structural science through the development of X-ray visualization technology

The properties and functions of materials are determined by the distribution and movement of the electrons within them. Conventional structural science has clarified the atomic arrangement of materials. I have succeeded in precisely mapping the electron density distribution and the electrostatic potential in materials by combining X-ray diffraction experiments using high-brilliance SR X-rays with the maximum entropy method. This makes it possible to visualize the interaction between the atoms and molecules in materials. So far, I have applied our X-ray nano visualization technology to various functional materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), fullerenes, superconductors, dielectrics, multiferroics, boron compounds, and ceramics.

Examples of X-ray nano visualization technology: (a) O2 molecule adsorbed in MOF and (b) protein (ubiquitin) encapsulated in a molecular cage.