| At our laboratory, with urban environmental and other social needs in
mind, we are conducting research activities involving substantially reductions
in energy and environmental and resource loads by increasing the performance
of analytical instruments, reducing their size with the use of external
funds, and then aiming to channel our research results back into society
through academic, business, and governmental cooperation. For example, we are engaged in the development
of an advanced mass spectrometer, capable of directly handling minute amounts
of gases, solids and liquids, including nano/submicrons suspended fine
particles as samples, and also analyzing a variety of chemical species as a
mass spectrum. We are developing a new
chemical ionization method in which the subjects to be analyzed are not limited
to those expected to exist in samples, but the detection of all substances
desorbed from the samples, regardless of whether known or unknown, is intended.
In addition, we are conducting basic
research on pretreatment for analysis, such as gas absorption and liquid-liquid
extraction, in order to implement the basic design of "Lab on a
Chip", in which chemical reactions and analytical functions are
accumulated on a piece of microchip. Furthermore,
we are also conducting research useful for a safe and secure urban life, such
as specifying the production area (Traceability) of food via stable isotope
ratio mass spectrometry. Finally, we are
also conducting fundamental research based on molecular spectroscopy, to ensure
familiarity with the chemical properties of environmental substances. |