Environmental problems like global warming cause people to suffer increasingly. We believe PCP/MOFs can solve them.
Innovation does not occur without someone’s dream. Strong passions lead to innovation, and it forms our future.
We don’t expect others to make breakthroughs. We will create what was not in the world yesterday.
BusinessMaterials
We provide solutions using PCP/MOFs to solve customers’ problems. We support customers through not only supply of the materials but also R&D services including evaluation like tests of gas adsorptions, contract synthesis, and joint development.
Business image
Process Flow
A basic process flow for employment of our materials is shown below. Please feel free to contact us if you hope for other schemes.
Discussion
We hear customers’ problems and needs and judge whether solutions using PCP/MOFs meet them or not.
Feasibility Study
We select candidates of PCP/MOFs through investigation of reports/patents and simulations. In addition, the brief estimation for the advantage of employment of PCP/MOFs is given. Sometimes, we may propose other novel porous materials if it seems that PCP/MOFs are not the best materials to solve customers’ problems. Not to hold by using PCP/MOFs is Atomis’s feature because we know PCP/MOFs well.
Proof of Concept
In this step, you can find out potentials of PCP/MOFs which are not described in reports. We provide a small amount of samples to evaluate them by customers. Of course, we also can accept basic tests in our lab.
Demonstration
We supply a larger amount of samples, and customers evaluate the ability as devices/systems. In some cases, we also can try to establish the devices themselves.
Commercialization
Options
Evaluation of adsorption/desorption of gases
Contract synthesis of PCP/MOFs in an industrial-scale
Joint development
BusinessImpacts
In impact business, not “materials” but “services” and “systems” based on PCP/MOFs are our products. We believe distributed systems make logistics of gas more efficient because transportations in long distances are often necessary in concentrated ones.
We aim to establish innovative logistic systems for gas by utilizing novel containers for high-pressure gas, which are called CubiTan®. As another target in this business, we are developing distributed carbon recycling systems that CO₂ is directly captured from air (DAC) and the conversion of them into formic acid and/or methanol in one pot in catalysts based on PCP/MOFs.
Distributed Gas Resources Utilization(DGRU)
CubiTan® has useful features in terms of weight, size, and cubic shape (suitable to tier), and they lead to more efficient transportation than traditional metal vessels.
In addition, to be installed IoT modules on CubiTan® is contributed to established smart logistics systems. It enables everyone to manage stocks, to short-circuit sales orders, and to monitor transporting statuses.
In these days, direct capture of CO₂ from air (DAC) is focused on because the technology may help us from global-warming. But it is not efficient to transport CO₂ as a gas which has low density to facilities for the conversion of CO₂.
To solve the problem, we are developing materials based on PCP/MOFs for carbon recycling. If we choose metals with the catalytic ability as the components of PCP/MOFs, they may be able to not only capture CO₂ but also convert it into methanol and/or formic acid as liquids in one pot. As you know, liquids have higher density than gases, and we believe the system realizes a sustainable world.
Technologies
Porous Coordination Polymer(PCP)
Porous coordination polymers, which are called PCPs, are composed of metals and organic ligands. It may be more popular to call the compounds as MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks). The materials have numerous porous whose orders of pore sizes are from 10-10 to 10-9 m with regularity. PCP/MOFs are different from other porous materials such as activated carbons and zeolites in terms of having high surface areas and flexible structures. They lead to interesting properties for example, selective separation between specific molecules and drastically improvement of storage capacity of gas. This is why researchers continuously have studied PCP/MOFs in various ranges of fields and applications as below.
Application
Storage
H₂ storage, CH₄ storage, Noble gas storage, C₂H₂ storage, Heat pumps, Drug delivery, Aroma control
Separation
CO₂ separations, Pollutant removal, Metal recovery, Water production, O₂ separations, Fluorine recovery, VOC separations, Odor removal
Fluorescent elements, Solar battery materials, Cancer therapeutics
Catalysis
CO₂ reduction, Alcohol oxidation
Technology Platform
Our knowledge is based on studies by Prof. Kitagawa who is a famous researcher in PCP/MOFs, and he has joined us as a scientific Advisor. Of course, Atomis has developed our own technical strength as below other than the connection with Kyoto University.
Computational Platform
One of our quarries to propose candidates of PCP/MOFs is a database that is called as POROS™. The current POROS™ knows more than 100,000 species of crystalline porous materials containing PCP/MOFs, COFs, POPs, and zeolites etc.
It learns about ideal properties of materials from reports. In addition, we input practical data, for example, costs and stability.
Thus, we can propose the best PCP/MOFs based on POROS™ for each customer.
In general, the solvothermal process is known as a traditional method for the synthesis of PCP/MOFs in lab scales. But it does not meet as promising mass-productive one because it needs a large amount of organic solvents and the reaction must be carried out under high temperature and high pressure.
In contrast, we have original procedures to produce PCP/MOFs with a low burden on the environment and reasonable costs. We have completed the pilot plant which can produce Max 20 t/Y of PCP/MOFs in 2023.
Our knowledge and equipment will help customers employ PCP/MOFs in practical uses.
PCP/MOFs are porous materials having interesting properties like small pore sizes, high surface areas, and flexible structures. The features lead to various functions such as storage, separation, adsorption, and so on.
Today, people are suffering from environmental crises. We think PCP/MOFs play an important role to tackle their problems. This is why we are developing the technology.
Greeting
Atomis is a startup from Kyoto University since 2015. Atomis is arisen from studies of Prof.Susumu Kitagawa, who is a pioneer for PCP/MOFs.
In general, deep techs for new materials must face many difficulties to succeed because a huge investment for development of mass-production processes and establishment of production facilities is essential. It also makes harder that no one knows appropriate answers as applications, devices, and systems to use them thoughtfully.
In spite of such kinds of hurdles, we are going forward by using novel porous materials including PCP/MOFs because we believe they have enough potential to lead a bright future.
Outline
Company Name
Atomis Inc.
Representative
CEO, Daisuke Asari
Established
February, 10th, 2015
Headquarter
7-4-9 Minatojima-minamimachi, chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Capital
￥100,000,000
Business
Manufacturing and sales of PCP/MOFs
Proposal of logistic system for gas based on CubiTan®
Proposal of distributed carbon recycling system
Team
Leadership
Profile
Daisuke Asari
Representative Director, CEO
Career
Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering in Kyoto University
R&D in Aventis Pharma Co., Ltd and Sanofi-Aventis Co., Ltd. (currently as SANOFI Inc.) R&D and new business development in Nitto Denko Corporation
Profile
Dai Kataoka
Director, COO
Career
Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering in Kyoto University MBA in Indiana University
R&D and technical sales in Kuralay Co., Ltd.
Profile
Shunichi Naka
Administration Manager, CFO
Career
Graduated from Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies in Kobe University
Starting the career at Overseas Sales at Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Ltd. Then at Kaneka Co, working as the head of Accounting at Kaneka HQ as well as CFO at its Europe Holding Co. And joined to Atomis, 2024.
Profile
Masakazu Higuchi
Founder (currently as Privy. Counsellor)
Career
Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering in Kyoto University
PhD in Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Program-Specific Assistant Processor in Department of Chemical System Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo Program-Specific Research Center Associate Professor in iCeMS (Kyoto University)
Profile
Susumu Kitagawa
Scientific Advisor
Career
Graduated from Graduate School of Engineering in Kyoto University
PhD in Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Executive Vice President and Distinguished Professor in Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University
Profile
Kenji Sumida
Senior Science Fellow
Career
Graduated from department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley MBA from University of California, Berkeley
PhD at lab. of Prof. Jeffrey Long (authority in the study of porous coordination polymers) in department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral fellow at lab. of Prof. Kitagawa, in iCeMS, Kyoto University Independent research fellow (for studies about the higher order structure of PCP/MOFs) in University of Adelaide
Board Members
Representative Director, CEO
Daisuke Asari
Director, COO
Dai Kataoka
Administration Manager, CFO
Shunichi Naka
Outside DirectorMiyako Capital Co., Ltd.
Hiroaki Okahashi
Outside DirectorSBI Investment Co., Ltd.
Tetsuya Seiki
Outside DirectorSPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd.
Hidenori Yagyuda
Outside Corporate AuditorMiyako Capital Co., Ltd.
Satoshi Yamaguchi
Advisors
Professor in Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo
Takashi Uemura
Professor of Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University
Satoshi Horike
Assosiate Professor in Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University
