Eri Sakuta from the Graduate School of Science was awarded the 2nd L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Japan Fellowship for 2007.
Congratulations.
The L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Japan Fellowship was established by L'Oréal Japan in cooperation with the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO with the aim of encouraging young Japanese women scientists to continue their research activities at educational and research institutions in Japan. Eligible recipients are women scientists in the fields of materials science and life science who are currently enrolled in or planning to enroll in a doctoral program.
We would like to introduce the profile and research of the award recipient, Ms. Sakuta.
This information was excerpted from the L'Oréal Japan website.
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Eri Sakuda
<Place of origin> Fukuoka Prefecture
<Date of Birth> January 19, 1980 (27 years old)
<Affiliation> Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
<Research Fields> Photochemistry, Functional Materials Chemistry
<Research Content> Creation of molecular systems with boron as a cross-linked core and elucidation of their photo-functional properties.
Boron is an atom that appears alongside carbon and nitrogen in the periodic table. Each of these atoms has a different number of electrons, and compounds containing boron, in particular, exhibit a unique electronic structure not found in other elements. For this reason, various compounds containing boron have been synthesized in recent years, and organic compounds containing boron are especially promising for applications in electronic and luminescent materials. However, fundamental chemical research on boron remains relatively limited.
In this research, we synthesize various compounds that can utilize the properties of boron atoms and conduct basic research on their photo-functional properties (mechanisms and structures that emit light in response to external stimuli), focusing on the role of electrons on the boron atom. Compounds containing boron atoms have a property that readily accepts electrons, and are therefore expected to be useful as light-emitting elements for EL displays that directly convert electricity into light, as well as as light-emitting sensors.
*Crosslinking refers to the part that connects molecules together.
<As a female researcher...>
The shock I felt when I saw a liquid glowing in the chemistry club's experiment upon entering high school is the origin of my current interest in research. My research on boron atoms, which I have been pursuing since my fourth year of university, has quickly attracted attention from overseas, but I am not content with the status quo and am actively expanding the scope of my research activities by conducting collaborative research with universities and companies both domestically and internationally. I am determined to become a researcher who can be active on an international level, without being confined by the label of being a woman, sticking to my beliefs, and having a broad perspective without being biased towards any particular field. I would like to offer the message to my juniors that "hard work pays off."
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L'Oréal Japan's website
http://www.nihon-loreal.co.jp/_ja/_jp/index.aspx
Please also check the Hokkaido University website for more information on this news.
http://www.hokudai.ac.jp/shinchaku.php?did=144
