Mitsubishi Corporation sold 50% of Frontier Carbon Corporation shares to Denka

AK&M 25 April 2024 13:40 Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Denka Company Limited (Denka) announced the signing of a joint venture agreement in the field of fullerenes, carbon molecules that form the basis of advanced materials in the field of nanotechnology. Under the terms of the agreement, Denka acquires from MC a 50% stake in Frontier Carbon Corporation (FCC), a company engaged in the production and sale of fullerenes.
Fullerenes are nanoscale allotropes of carbon, whose atoms with a single or double bond are connected into hexagonal rings of spherical shape, resembling a football in appearance. They have excellent conductive and thermal properties and can dissolve in ordinary organic solvents at room temperature, which makes them effective conductors in organic thin-film solar cells (photovoltaic cells in which a thin film of an n-type organic semiconductor is used as an energy generating layer). Research is also underway on their application as an electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells (photovoltaic cells made of materials with a perovskite crystal structure, coated with a liquid form and baked on a thin glass or plastic substrate), which attract attention as a new generation photovoltaic technology. The use of sensors for smartphones and other new features indicate a great growth potential in the field of fullerenes.
Fullerenes are also used for various technologies and products in pharmacology (anti-cancer and anti-HIV drugs), cosmetology (anti-aging cosmetics), in the production of lithium-ion batteries with a long service life, hydrogen storage materials for fuel cells, superconducting materials, artificial diamonds.
Since the founding of Frontier Carbon Corporation (FCC) in 2001, the company has gained a foothold in the fullerene market for commercial use. The company holds a patent for the substance fullerene, and other patents related to fullerenes. At the same time, the main patent for fullerenes is owned by the United States, covering the production and sale of fullerenes, including products using fullerenes (patent number US7,494,638B1/US8,101,149B1).
According to MS, Denka can contribute to the growth of the FCC by having significant experience in the field of carbon nanomaterials and the production of acetylene soot, a highly conductive carbon material used in high-voltage cables and lithium-ion batteries. 
Denka plans to spread the potential of fullerenes in electronics, biopharmaceuticals, as well as in the field of ICT and energy.

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is an integrated enterprise that develops and manages business together with its global network of about 1.8 thousand group companies. MC has 8 business groups that work in almost all industries: environmental energy, materials solutions, mineral resources, urban development and infrastructure, mobility, food processing, smart living and energy solutions. It operates in 90 countries around the world. The headquarters is located in Tokyo (Japan).
Denka Company Limited (Denka) is a Japanese chemical company founded in 1915 and headquartered in Tokyo, producing organic and inorganic chemicals, cement, special cement additives, electronic component transfer materials and food packaging materials. The company employs more than 4,500 employees.
Frontier Carbon Corporation (FCC) is a Japanese company founded in 2001 as a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation with financial support from the Nanotech Partners Private equity fund in nanotechnology. Manufactures and sells fullerenes and related products as a supplier of industrial materials.