2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Space application of GaN photocatalyst
| Project/Area Number |
21K05154
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 34030:Green sustainable chemistry and environmental chemistry-related
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| Research Institution | Sophia University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | 宇宙機コンタミネーション / 光触媒 / GaN / TiO2 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Spacecraft contamination refers to contamination that adheres to the outer surface of a spacecraft, and when it adheres to the mirrors and lenses of a telescope, it leads to a decrease in the reliability of observation data. However, there is no effective method to remove spacecraft contamination. In this study, we examined the possibility of removing spacecraft contamination using gallium nitride (GaN) photocatalyst, which is promising as a photocatalyst because GaN has almost the same quantum efficiency as titanium dioxide (TiO2). However, like TiO2, GaN is unable to completely oxidize and decompose aromatic compounds in a vacuum. This is because benzene rings cannot be decomposed by GaN without oxygen. Therefore, it has proven difficult to use GaN as a spacecraft contamination removal method.
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| Free Research Field |
薄膜 光触媒
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
宇宙機コンタミの問題の重要性は一般には知られていないが、宇宙分野では広く認識されて来た。しかし、宇宙ビジネスにおいては、まず宇宙機を作り発射させ目的地に無事送り届けることが最優先されるため、宇宙機コンタミ対策はいつも後手に回ってきた。その対策は宇宙機コンタミの発生しにくい材料選定や、打ち上げ前の地上での宇宙機搭載機器の焼き出しによるコンタミ物質の低減化にとどまっており、効果は十分とは言えない。本研究は光触媒が宇宙機コンタミを除去する積極的な方法として使えるかどうかを調べる初めての試みである。その結果、GaNの光触媒としての可能性を見出し、光触媒を宇宙利用する場合の必要条件を明らかにできた。
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