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Quantum Molecular Science Lab
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Designing luminescent molecules through theory, starting from electrons and molecular vibrations.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the relationship between electrons and vibrations through theory.
The Quantum Molecular Science Lab (Sato Lab) is a lab in the Theoretical Research Division of the Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry.
The lab conducts theoretical research ranging from fundamental problems in physical chemistry to applications, focusing especially on phenomena involving the interaction between electrons and molecular vibrations.
The lab theoretically elucidates the mechanisms of luminescent molecules, catalysts, thermoelectric materials, and solar cells, and designs new molecules.
Key terms
- Vibronic coupling
- The mutual influence between the electrons in a molecule and the vibrations of its atoms. It affects how readily light emission and reactions occur.
- Phosphorescence
- Light that a molecule emits slowly, over a relatively long time, after absorbing light.
- Radical
- A molecule with an unpaired electron. Usually does not emit light.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab takes on a wide range of themes centered on the theory of vibronic coupling (the interaction between electrons and molecular vibrations) and its applications. These include theoretical calculation of emission rates and spectra, theoretical design of luminescent molecules, thermoelectric materials, and two-photon absorption materials, elucidation of the mechanisms of catalysts and organic thin-film solar cells, and theoretical design of solvent-free mechanochemical reactions.
*Illustrative imageMaking Solids Glow Brightly
Luminescent molecules with π-electron systems stop emitting light when they overlap in the solid state. Through structural analysis and theoretical calculation, the lab showed that arranging associates of Pt complexes and anions alternately with cations avoids this overlap and strengthens room-temperature phosphorescence in the solid.
*Illustrative imageBrightening Luminescent Radicals
Luminescent radicals are attracting attention as new emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Attaching dendritic polymers to them raised the luminescence efficiency from 2% to 63%. The lab also clarified, using quantum chemical calculations, why the efficiency and color change.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Quantum Molecular Science Lab consist of faculty, researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTohru Sato
- Program-Specific Associate ProfessorNaoki Haruta
- Program-Specific Assistant ProfessorWataru Ota
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Cesium hexachlorotellurate(IV) under UV light” Timesand2333 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Making Solids Glow Brightly: “Luminescent hyalite opal (Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Province, mid-Tertiary; Zacatecas, Mexico) )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Brightening Luminescent Radicals: “Dendrímero” Oherrero74 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Materials Analytical Chemistry Lab): “Moseley Hall Chemistry Lab” Mbrickn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Reaction Engineering Lab): “Toyota Mirai fuel cell stack and hydrogen tank SAO” Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Inorganic Structural Chemistry Lab): “Laser glass sculpture caffeine molecule” E. Goodman / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Organic Molecular Transformation Lab): “Iron(III)-chloride-hexahydrate-sample” Benjah-bmm27 / Public domain (cropped)
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