Nobel Laureate Hideki Shirakawa, Pioneer of Conductive Polymers, Dies at 90

Hideki Shirakawa, the Japanese chemist who shared the 2000 Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on conductive polymers, has died at the age of 90. His research fundamentally transformed materials science and paved the way for modern flexible electronics.

3 Sept, 08:17 — 3 Sept, 12:30

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Why this matters

Shirakawa's discovery fundamentally transformed materials science by proving that synthetic plastics could be engineered to conduct electricity, bridging the gap between insulators and metals. This breakthrough directly enabled the development of lightweight, flexible modern electronics such as OLED displays, organic solar cells, and capacitive touchscreens, securing his legacy as a foundational figure in contemporary applied chemistry.

Key entitiesHideki Shirakawa Alan Heeger Alan MacDiarmid Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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ndtvMostly Factual1h ago

Japanese Scientist, Nobel Chemistry Prize Winner Hideki Shirakawa Dies At 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.

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japan-timesMostly Factual1h ago

Nobel-winning Japanese scientist Hideki Shirakawa dies at 90

Shirakawa, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2000 for developing conductive polymers, a key component of modern touch screens, died late last month.

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mainichi-englishMostly Factual5h ago