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Interfacial Energy Process Lab
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The lab takes on energy problems with molten salts and electrochemistry.
AboutAbout the lab
Shaping the future of energy through electrochemistry.
The Interfacial Energy Process Lab (Nohira Lab) is an electrochemistry lab at the Institute of Advanced Energy.
Aiming to solve energy problems, the lab conducts new research based on electrochemistry.
Using molten salts and ionic liquids, the lab works on CO2 capture and utilization, the production and recycling of energy materials and functional materials, and the development of safe rechargeable batteries.
Lab visits are accepted at any time.
Key terms
- Molten salt
- A salt melted at high temperature into a liquid. It conducts electricity well and allows electrolysis that cannot be done in ordinary aqueous solutions.
- Ionic liquid
- A salt that is liquid even at room temperature. It is hard to burn and hardly evaporates, so it makes a safe electrolyte.
- Electrodeposition
- Depositing a metal or other material as a film on an electrode surface by electrolysis.
ResearchResearch themes
To make renewable energy such as solar power the main primary energy source for humanity, the lab conducts electrochemistry-based research that spans fundamentals through to practical application. Using electrolysis of molten salts and ionic liquid electrolytes, it develops new methods for producing materials and new rechargeable batteries.
*Illustrative imageMaking diamond from CO2
The lab dissolves CO2 and water in molten salt and electrolyzes them, producing carbon and hydrogen simultaneously, and has developed a synthesis method in which only diamond grows. Diamonds a few micrometers in diameter have been obtained, and the lab is optimizing conditions to make them larger.
*Illustrative imagePlating titanium in molten salt
Titanium is an excellent metal that resists corrosion and heat, but it is difficult both to produce and to process. As a way to coat even substrates with complex shapes with a titanium film, the lab is developing a plating method in molten salt.
*Illustrative imageDirectly forming silicon films for solar cells
Today's solar cells are made by slicing silicon ingots thin, so the loss from cutting (kerf loss) is a major problem. The lab is developing a new manufacturing method that deposits a crystalline silicon film directly on a substrate by molten salt electrodeposition.
*Illustrative imageSafe rechargeable batteries made from abundant resources
The large-scale introduction of renewable energy requires large rechargeable batteries. Using abundant resources such as sodium and potassium together with low-flammability ionic liquid electrolytes, the lab studies new rechargeable batteries such as potassium secondary batteries.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Interfacial Energy Process Lab are faculty, project professors, researchers, doctoral students, master's students, fourth-year undergraduates, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorToshiyuki Nohira
- Program-Specific Associate ProfessorHironori Nakajima
- LecturerTakayuki Yamamoto
- Assistant ProfessorYutaro Norikawa
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: “Molten salt extraction line” United States Department of Energy / Public domain (cropped)
- Making diamond from CO2: “Detail, CVD diamond (cropped)” Kugel / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Plating titanium in molten salt: “Titanium crystals” Hi-Res Images of Chemical Elements / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Directly forming silicon films for solar cells: “Detail of polycrystalline silicon solar cell” Elvis untot. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Safe rechargeable batteries made from abundant resources: “Na-ion battery scientist2” Tavo Romann / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (工業電気化学): “Bumblebeeelectroplating” Huravaleriia / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (エネルギープロセス工学): “Solar panels - geograph.org.uk - 5893008” Alan Hughes / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (触媒設計工学): “Secretary Perry and Scientists Discussing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at NETL ( )” U.S. Department of Energy from United States / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (反応工学): “Toyota Mirai fuel cell stack and hydrogen tank SAO” Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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