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Environmental and Energy Materials Engineering Lab
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The lab studies materials that generate electricity from heat, as well as materials for nuclear power.
AboutAbout the lab
Developing new materials through both experiment and computation
The Environmental and Energy Materials Engineering Lab (Muta Lab) conducts research aimed at developing future resource and energy materials that are kind to the environment and people.
In addition to evaluating and analyzing the physical properties of materials using light, sound, heat, and quantum beams, the lab also performs computer simulations such as molecular dynamics calculations.
On its research introduction page, the lab broadly divides its research targets into the development of thermoelectric materials, which convert heat directly into electricity, and research on quantum energy materials related to nuclear technology.
The lab pursues research every day toward solving global environmental and energy problems such as global warming and energy depletion.
Key terms
- Thermoelectric materials
- Materials that use the thermoelectromotive force of solids to convert heat directly into electricity.
- Seebeck effect
- The phenomenon in which a thermoelectromotive force arises in a solid. It is the principle behind thermoelectric conversion.
- Fast reactor
- A nuclear reactor expected to serve as a next-generation nuclear technology.
NewsLab news
A paper by Prof. Muta and colleagues was published in JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS
A paper by Associate Professor Kitano and colleagues was published in Materials
A paper by Prof. Muta and colleagues was published in JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
A paper by Prof. Muta and colleagues was published in IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
ResearchResearch themes
Aiming to develop future resource and energy materials that are kind to the environment and people, the lab evaluates and analyzes the physical properties of materials using light, sound, heat, and quantum beams. It also uses computer simulations in materials science, taking on the development of new materials through both experiment and computation.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping materials that convert heat into electricity
The lab searches widely, from metals to ceramics, for thermoelectric materials that convert heat directly into electricity through the thermoelectromotive force of solids (the Seebeck effect). Thermoelectric conversion is attracting attention as a clean form of power generation that produces no waste, and as a waste-heat recovery technology.
*Illustrative imageResearch on quantum energy materials
Based on the view that nuclear technology is essential to keep global warming from advancing, the lab conducts research aimed at advancing current light-water reactor technology and establishing fast reactor technology, which is expected to be a next-generation nuclear technology.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Environmental and Energy Materials Engineering Lab consist of faculty members, administrative assistants, graduate students, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorHiroaki Muta
- Associate ProfessorKatsuhisa Kitano
- Assistant ProfessorToshiki Kondo
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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: “Thermoelectric Seebeck power module” Gerardtv / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Developing materials that convert heat into electricity: “Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator for Lunar Surface Operations (rtg-beautyshot)” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Research on quantum energy materials: “Núcleo del reactor nuclear RA-3, «Ciencia ficción», by Luis Gauna Pereira” Gaunper / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Energy Materials Lab [Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research]): “Electrode Slurry Mixing” RudolfSimon / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Carbon Neutral Engineering Lab): “SolarPoweredEVCharging” Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Quantum Beam Biomaterials Engineering Lab): “Superconducting magnet cutaway 2” Hzofia74 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Symbiotic Urban Planning Lab): “Green Space in Surulere 01” ReoMartins / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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