Dr. Sumio Iijima, Director of the Research Center for Advanced Carbon Materials, AIST

Dr. Sumio Iijima, Director of the Research Center for Advanced Carbon Materials of Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) received the 2002 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics from the Benjamin Franklin Institute(Pennsylvania, USA) on April 25th 2002.

The award is for "the discovery and elucidation of the atomic structure and helical character of multi-wall and single-wall carbon nanotubes, which have had an enormous impact on the rapidly growing condensed matter and materials science field of nanoscale science and electronics."

Major Achievements of Dr. Sumio Iijima

Benjamin Franklin Medal The Benjamin Franklin Medal was established in 1824 funded by Franklin's inheritance. Every year the most eminent scientists and technologists in the following six categories are selected to receive this award: Life Science, Engineering, Geoscience, Chemistry, Physics, Computer and Cognitive Science. The Benjamin Franklin Institute is a non-profit organization founded in Philadelphia, USA, in commemoration of Benjamin Franklin, famous for his 1824 experiment on electrical discharge in which he flew a kite in a thunderstorm. The institute is actively involved in various projects with a view to the promotion and diffusion of science and technology. Amongst the winners of Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics are found Nobel Laureates for Physics such as Horst Stormer, Daniel C. Tsui, William Philips, Carl Wieman, Serge Haroche (Michelson award) and Herbert Walther (Michelson award), that indicates the award's venerable authority at a global level. Past Japanese laureates include Dr. Akira Tonomura (Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics in 1999), Dr. Reona Esaki (1961) and Dr. Akito Arima (1990).

Taking advantage of electron microscopy techniques, Dr. Iijima discovered the carbon nanotube, a new material layer of carbon, in a carbon electrode subjected to arc discharge in 1991. The carbon nanotube has a tubular structure with a diameter in the order of nanometers, and is the fourth form of carbon after diamond (3-dimensional structure), graphite (2-dimensional structure) and carbon 60 (C60: spherical structure). Dr. Iijima proposed models for the mechanism behind nanotube growth and bending, through detailed structural analyses. He also discovered the capillary phenomenon, whereby foreign substances become incorporated into the nanotubes, and synthesized single-wall carbon nanotubes. These achievements created a global research boom in the field of carbon nanotechnology. In addition to such academic researches, the possibility of industrial applications has been explored since the discovery of the carbon nanotube which has a unique structure and physical properties. Research focus is placed on the potential for its usage as a hyper efficient electron source because of its microstructure and carbon composition, and various R&D projects of flat panel displays are in progress by exploiting such specifications. The carbon nanotube is also expected to be applied in such fields as ultra-high-strength materials, fuel cells, ultra-sensitive sensors, high-resolution STM prones, catalytic and absorbent materials, and pharmaceuticals for its crystal completeness and microstructure. Dr. Iijima is currently involved in research at NEC, Meijo University, JST and AIST, as an internationally recognized pioneer of this field. His efforts in the discovery of nanotube have opened up a new scientific field, which covers the basic material science research to practical application and have had a significant impact on both scientific and industrial communities.