2026 Keynote Speaker
Prof. Takaaki Tomai
Tohoku University, Japan
Prof. Takaaki Tomai is a Professor at
the Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary
Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan. He received his
Ph.D. in Science from The University of Tokyo in 2008
and was awarded prestigious JSPS fellowships for both
domestic and international research. He was appointed as
an Assistant Professor in Tohoku University in 2010. In
2023, he was appointed as a Professor in Tohoku
University. His research expertise spans supercritical
fluid chemistry, hierarchical nanomaterials design, and
environmentally friendly chemical processes. He is
particularly known for his work on hydrothermal and
supercritical synthesis techniques applied to energy
materials, catalysis, and carbon recycling.
Prof. Tomai leads the Nanomaterials Process Data Science
Division at Tohoku University, where he integrates data
science with chemical process engineering to accelerate
materials discovery. His research aims to contribute to
carbon-neutral industrial systems through innovative
material conversion technologies.
He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles,
with over 3,000 citations and an h-index of 30. He
serves on the editorial board of Biochar (Springer
Nature) and actively participates in several
professional societies including the Society of Chemical
Engineers, Japan. His interdisciplinary approach bridges
fundamental science and sustainable innovation.
Prof. Yimin Chao
Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, China
Yimin Chao was appointed as a
Professor in the School of Chemistry at University of
East Anglia on the basis of an established track record
in investigating nanostructured systems from the basic
physical and chemical mechanisms of synthesis, through
their optical and electronic properties to scientific
and industrial applications. Dr Chao has a wide range of
experiences in synthesis of nanoscale materials,
analysis of their impacts on environmental and
biological systems, and sustainable applications.
Since 2001, he has published over 100 papers in leading
international refereed journals such as Nature
Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. He has presented
his research results in more than 50 international
conferences, either as Plenary speaker or Keynote
speaker. Funding from the Royal Society/Wolfson
Foundation and the University enabled the setting up of
the Sustainable Energy Innovation Laboratory of which he
is the Head. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of
Chemistry (FRSC), Chair of Chemical Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology Network in RSC. He is serving as a member
of UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Peer Review College
and Sift/interview Panel College, and EPSRC Peer Review
College, and also acting as funding reviewer for various
other funding bodies, such as Leverhulme Trust, Cancer
Research UK, National Natural Science Foundation of
China, and Saudi Arabic government. Current research
themes include design and functionalization of Si
quantum dots (Si-QDs), and their applications in lithiun-ion
batteries and thermoelectric modules.