Tsutomu (Tom) Miyasaka

Tsutomu Miyasaka, Professor, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, Japan; Fellow, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Japan

Biography: Tsutomu (Tom) Miyasaka received his Doctor of Engineering from The University of Tokyo in 1981. He joined Fuji Photo Film, Co., conducting R&Ds on high sensitivity photographic materials, lithium-ion secondary batteries, and design of an artificial photoreceptor, all of which relate to electrochemistry and photochemistry. In 2001, he moved to Toin University of Yokohama (TUY), Japan, as professor in Graduate School of Engineering to continue photoelectrochemistry. In 2006 to 2009 he was the dean of the Graduate School. In 2004 he has established a TUY-based company, Peccell Technologies, serving as CEO. In 2005 to 2010 he also served as a guest professor at The University of Tokyo. Currently he is a professor of TUY and a fellow of Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) of The University of Tokyo.

Miyasaka’s research has been focused to light to electric energy conversion involving photochemical processes by enhancing rectified charge transfer at photo-functional interfaces of semiconductor electrodes. He has contributed to the design of low-temperature solution-printing process for fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells and solid-state hybrid photovoltaic (PV) cells. Since the discovery of the organic inorganic hybrid perovskite as PV material in 2006 and fabrication of high efficiency PV device in 2012, his research has moved to R&Ds of the lead halide perovskite PV device.

Miyasaka has promoted the research field of perovskite photovoltaics by organizing international conferences and by publishing many papers on enhancement of PV efficiency and durability, overall citation number of which is reaching more than 5,500 times. He was awarded a Ministry of Science & Education prize in 2009 on his achievements of green sustainable solar cell technology. In 2017 he received Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ) Award and Clarivate (Thomson Reuter) Citation Laureate in 2017 on his research of perovskite photovoltaics. He is presently directing national research projects funded by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).