Research

Our research goal is to develop functional nanomaterials for energy- and healthcare-applications. One of the biggest advantages of nanomaterials is that the property can easily be tuned by modifying their structure and composition. In order to design materials such that they have specific properties, it is critical to understand how the smallest unit which composes materials – molecules – change the property. In other words, our research goal is

(1) to understand the material from chemical perspectives, (2) to properly design the material for specific purposes, and (3) to convert raw matter into functional materials.

Designing materials as we desire is one of the most fascinating research area, and some of the most useful applications for new materials are their energy- and healthcare-related applications. We would like to focus on developing organic-inorganic nanocomposites for (1) energy-related applications to transfer, save, and convert energy more efficiently via developing catalysts for organic reactions, electric/magnetic switches, and sensors for chemicals; and (2) healthcare-related applications to develop materials which help keeping the environment clean or to understand, control, and modify the mechanisms inside the cells. Furthermore, based on the current knowledge, it is extremely important that we seek for the next steps to design more efficient and functional materials either by combining various existing properties or by discovering novel properties.