Dr. Takayuki Sugimoto won the "Best Poster Presentation Award" at the 26th Fall Meeting of the Ceramic Society of Japan (Shinshu University, 4-6 Sep. 2013).

Award-winning presentation is "Evaluation of electrical conductivity of Ba_0.6Sr_0.4Zr_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ by impedance spectroscopy ".

Dr. Sugimoto measured impedance spectroscopy of Ba_1-xSr_xZr_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ. He presented that the partial substitution of Sr for Ba site in proton conducting BaZr_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ is effective to improve electrical conduction property not only at bulk but also at grain boundary. Combining SEM measurements, he clarified that the origin of the improvement of electrical conductivity at the grain boundary was improvement of sintering property by Sr substitution. The research was highly evaluated not only from the viewpoint of fundamental science such as development of new materials or analysis of mechanism of new function, but also as an important milestone for development of new intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Dr. Sugimoto also won the “excellent presentation award” at the Meeting of the Ceramic Society in Kanto district two years ago. This is the second time for him to receive the presentation prize.

This work is partly supported by Nihon University Strategic Projects for Academic Research.