Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

Industries worldwide face intense pressure to enhance sustainability, reduce carbon footprints, and improve resource efficiency. Regulatory mandates for emissions reduction and the rising cost of energy are driving a global shift towards advanced material solutions. This technology offers a strategic advantage by enabling breakthroughs in critical areas like battery performance, CO2 sequestration, and chemical process optimization, positioning licensees to meet evolving market demands and gain a competitive edge in the race for green innovation.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Enables Novel Functionality: Creates new functional materials by efficiently incorporating specific substances through unique void structures, a capability difficult to achieve with conventional materials.

02

Enhances Performance and Efficiency: Achieves superior performance and high efficiency in applications such as gas adsorption, ion conduction, and catalytic activity, surpassing existing materials through unique void design.

03

Establishes a Robust IP Foundation: Patentability was confirmed after rigorous comparison with four prior art documents, overcoming strict examiner objections to provide a strong, stable IP foundation for business development.

Market Opportunity
Next-Generation Batteries
$2B–$20B globally (AI est.)
Growing demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the need for high-performance stationary energy storage systems are driving this market.
EV battery manufacturers Grid-scale energy storage developers Consumer electronics battery suppliers
CO2 Separation and Capture
$1.5B–$13.5B globally (AI est.)
Achieving decarbonization targets urgently requires the evolution and adoption of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies.
Industrial gas suppliers Carbon capture technology developers Chemical plant operators
High-Performance Catalysts
$1B–$10B globally (AI est.)
Demand is increasing for catalysts that enable more efficient chemical processes, energy savings, and reduced environmental impact.
Petrochemical companies Specialty chemical manufacturers Automotive catalyst producers
Sensors and IoT Devices
$0.5B–$6.5B globally (AI est.)
The market for next-generation sensors and IoT devices is expanding, driven by demand for higher sensitivity, miniaturization, and lower power consumption.
Sensor manufacturers IoT device developers Wearable technology companies
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects novel ionic solids with specific void structures, covering a broad technical scope across 30 claims. Its novelty and inventiveness were rigorously examined and confirmed through two rounds of examiner objections, resulting in a robust and stable intellectual property right that is difficult for competitors to circumvent or invalidate.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the material composition and void structure. White space exists in developing novel device architectures that integrate these solids, optimizing large-scale manufacturing processes, or combining them with other material classes for synergistic effects.

Economic Impact
~$1.0M/year estimated operational cost reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

In CO2 capture processes, this technology could reduce the frequency of existing adsorbent replacement and regeneration energy consumption. For example, assuming a CO2 capture plant uses 100 tons of adsorbent annually, with replacement and regeneration costs of ~$10,000/ton (AI est.). If this technology extends adsorbent lifespan by 1.5x and reduces regeneration energy consumption by 20%, the annual cost reduction is estimated at (100 tons × ~$10,000/ton (AI est.)) × (1 - (1/1.5 + 0.2)/2) ≈ ~$1.0M (AI est.).

Speed to Market
5× faster than in-house development
This technology's fundamental research has been established by a national R&D agency, with extensive academic validation data. Developing a similar technology in-house from scratch would require at least 5 years for material design, synthesis optimization, characterization, and practical validation. However, licensing this patent allows immediate utilization of the established technical foundation, enabling companies to start directly from the application development phase for their products, potentially reducing time-to-market to approximately 1.0 year.
Competitive Positioning

X: Functionality & Application Scope
Y: Environmental Contribution & Economic Value

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Technology Licensing
Licensees could significantly shorten product development lead times and achieve early market entry by obtaining implementation rights for this technology.
🔬 Joint Research & Development
Collaboration with the rights holder could accelerate material development tailored to specific application needs, solving technical challenges and fostering new product creation.
📦 High-Performance Material Supply
A business model could involve manufacturing and supplying high-performance ionic solids, based on this technology, as intermediate materials to battery, catalyst, and adsorbent manufacturers.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🧪 Pharmaceuticals & DDS
Targeted Drug Delivery Systems
This technology could be applied to drug delivery systems by encapsulating active pharmaceutical ingredients within its voids, controlling release rates and targeted delivery within the body. This has the potential to reduce side effects and maximize therapeutic efficacy.
💧 Water Treatment & Purification
High-Efficiency Water Purification Filters
It could serve as a high-performance filter material for selectively adsorbing and removing harmful substances and heavy metal ions from water. This has the potential to contribute to safe water supply, efficient industrial wastewater treatment, and reduced environmental impact.
⚡ Electronic Devices
Next-Gen Solid Electrolytes & Capacitors
Leveraging its high dielectric constant and ion conductivity, this technology could be applied as a next-generation compact, high-efficiency capacitor or solid electrolyte. This has the potential to enhance the performance of IoT devices and wearable electronics.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 24-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Evaluation & Proof of Concept
Duration: 5 months
Evaluate the technology's suitability for the licensee's existing products and development roadmap, conducting small-scale Proof of Concept (PoC). This phase involves defining specific performance targets and validation plans.
Phase 2: Application Development & Prototype Construction
Duration: 11 months
Based on PoC results, optimize material design to meet the licensee's product requirements and establish a prototype manufacturing process. This phase involves iterative characterization and performance validation.
Phase 3: Demonstration & Mass Production Preparation
Duration: 8 months
Conduct demonstration tests using the developed prototype to confirm reliability and durability. Simultaneously, establish a supply chain and quality control system for mass production.
Technical Feasibility
This technology involves ionic solids with void structures formed via specific synthesis routes, which are highly compatible with existing material manufacturing techniques. The patent claims detail specific synthesis conditions and structural features, enabling licensees to consider scaling up the synthesis process relatively easily. Utilizing general-purpose reaction and analytical equipment can facilitate efficient adoption while minimizing large-scale new capital investment.
Success Scenario
If this technology is integrated into a CO2 capture system, it could increase CO2 adsorption capacity by 1.5 times and reduce regeneration energy consumption by 20% compared to existing adsorbents. This is estimated to reduce overall plant operational costs by ~$1.0M annually (AI est.), significantly contributing to CO2 emission reduction targets.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-516272
REGISTRATION NO.
7599174
FILING DATE
2020/04/24
GRANT DATE
2024/12/05
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/04/24
PATENT HOLDER
国立研究開発法人科学技術振興機構
Examination History
2023年04月13日
出願審査請求書
2024年03月19日
拒絶理由通知書
2024年04月25日
意見書
2024年04月25日
手続補正書(自発・内容)
2024年08月06日
拒絶理由通知書
2024年08月13日
手続補正書(自発・内容)
2024年08月13日
意見書
2024年11月12日
特許査定