According to Shinshu University, Professor Domen has long been researching the generation of clean hydrogen, and after focusing on water splitting using sunlight, he devised a hydrogen production method using powdered photocatalysts, which he published in the British scientific journal Nature in 2006. The powdered photocatalysts developed by Professor Domen are in the form of fine particles, and can split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a single reaction step.

　Using sunlight makes it possible to extract hydrogen without emitting carbon dioxide, and it has attracted international attention as a decarbonization technology. However, to produce hydrogen on a large scale at low cost, it is necessary to further improve the energy conversion efficiency.

　As part of this, Shinshu University has been selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Regional Core and Distinctive Research University Strengthening Promotion Project," and is planning to begin a large-scale demonstration experiment in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture. The facility will install water splitting panels on a 5,000 square meter plot of land and promote the production of hydrogen and oxygen, making it one of the largest demonstration experiments in Japan.

　The Clarivate Citation Laureates are awarded to researchers whose published papers have been cited frequently and who are considered to be of Nobel Prize-level merit. In 2024, 22 people from around the world, including Professor Domen, were the recipients of the award. Among Japanese recipients, Okihide Hikosaka, Distinguished Researcher at the National Eye Institute in the United States, was also selected for his research on the basal ganglia, which is central to learning behavior.

reference:[Shinshu University] Professor Domen Kazunari receives Clarivate Citation Laureate Award