Pioneering Scientist Hideki Shirakawa Passes Away at 90
By Editor • September 3, 2026 • 1 min read
Hideki Shirakawa, a renowned Japanese scientist and Nobel laureate, died at the age of 90 on August 24 due to complications from a metastatic liver tumor and cancer. His groundbreaking work in chemistry earned him the Nobel Prize in 2000 for the invention of conductive polymers.
Born in Tokyo, Shirakawa graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1961. His pivotal discovery occurred while working as an assistant at the same institute, where he accidentally created a conductive form of polyacetylene. This finding revolutionized the understanding of polymers, which were previously thought to be nonconductive.
Shirakawa's innovations contributed significantly to the development of lithium-ion batteries and modern electronics, influencing technologies like touch screens and mobile devices.
Source: www.japantimes.co.jp
#conductive polymers #Hideki Shirakawa #Nobel Prize #polyacetylene #University of Tsukuba
