| Citation | Winner of the 2016 Japan Prize, Hosono has four major and highly distinct achievements. First, he discovered amorphous transparent oxide semiconductors with 40 times higher carrier mobility than a-Si:H. These oxides are now the switches in most smartphone displays. Second, he discovered iron-based superconductors which exist despite the general (accepted) incompatibility of magnetism and superconductivity. Third, he discovered stable, inorganic electrides with exceptionally low work-functions but strong chemical and thermal stability. Finally, he demonstrated that these electrides weaken N-to-N bonds, significantly lowering the reaction conditions of the Haber-Bosch synthesis of ammonia from N2, with great advantage for society. |