Japanese Scientist, Nobel Chemistry Prize Winner Hideki Shirakawa Dies At 90
Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa, known for his pioneering work on conductive polymers, has passed away at age 90. His research enabled the development of flexible, conductive plastics used in modern electronics like solar cells and mobile screens.
Why it matters
Shirakawa's work fundamentally changed materials science, leading to the creation of lightweight, flexible electronic components used globally.
Japanese scientist Hideki Shirakawa, co-winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering and developing conductive polymers, has died. He was 90.The discovery by Shirakawa and two fellow American scientists, Alan Heeger and Alan MacDiarmid, demonstrated that plastic could conduct electricity like metal and be used in applications such as electronics.Shirakawa died on August 24, according to the University of Tsukuba, where he taught and researched after joining in 1979. The university did not specify a cause of death.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in