Challengingfortomorrow

The IChO is a chemistry fair that brings together high school students selected from 80 countries and regions around the world. In 2019, it will be held in Paris, France. Japan’s world-class track record in the event includes winning gold medals for five consecutive years. Following in the footsteps of earlier teams, the four students selected from around Japan hope to carry on this splendid record. Four training camps are scheduled in the run-up to the main midsummer event, and the first of these was held at the TDK Technical Center.

“I didn’t know anything about TDK,” says Takumi Nishino. Although the students seemed unfamiliar with the company, they would never normally have the chance to spend time in a corporate R&D center, so their visit was a completely fresh experience. “When I came here, I was surprised to see such a comprehensive lab,” remarked Ryoichi Hirashima.

The training camp took place over two days, with an overnight stay in a hotel. The four members of the team met for the first time and initially appeared uneasy, but all share the same goal of becoming scientists in the future. They soon got over their nerves and set to work. On the first day, the team conducted a chemical experiment involving organic analysis. This experiment entailed detecting the amount of acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®) compound present in an Aspirin tablet. On the second day, the team carried out an inorganic complex synthesis experiment. The experiments were difficult, and part of one of them is outlined below.

The Challenge: Inorganic Complex Synthesis Experiment

The inorganic complex synthesis experiment required participants to produce three types of complex and record the fluorescent color of each. Finally, an ultraviolet lamp was used to determine which complexes are used in the ink of a 50 euro note.

“At the IChO, entrants have to successfully conduct three experiments in five hours,” explains Professor Akira Nagasawa, chair of the IChO Sub-committee.　“The key point is to instantly grasp the essence of the experiment and quickly devise a course of action.” For this reason, one of the main goals of training is to hone skills in drawing up appropriate plans for experiments and efficiently implementing them.

Things didn’t go smoothly at first. “There was lots of equipment we had never seen before,” admits Masahiro Ofuchi, “and we were puzzled about which pieces to use and how to use them.” When some students’ hands shook as they performed intricate tasks, the instructors casually stepped in to provide guidance.

Watching the students silently intent on the tasks before them during the experiment, it was amusing to hear the comment of two past team members who had come to support this year’s entrants: “That takes us back!”

Mahiro Suematsu, who carries out experiments on a weekly basis in his school’s Chemistry Club, found the training highly stimulating. “Unlike Chemistry Club, at the IChO you have to quickly produce results on the spot,” he noted. “I managed to do it in that tense atmosphere.”

After the experiments were completed each day, the instructors gave lectures, pointers on experiments, and guidance on preparing answers. The four students focused on these long sessions with no break in concentration. They made an excellent start on their preparations for the main event, and all left with expressions of fulfillment on their faces.