Research

We create materials where individual atoms and tiny clusters are placed on surfaces to form active interfaces. These interfaces act as the first contact point between a material and reacting molecules. By controlling how atoms are anchored and connected to their surroundings, we design materials that can guide chemical reactions in a more predictable way.

This direction focuses on synthesis. It provides the material foundation for our work in chemical gas sensors, thermal catalysis, electrocatalysis, and mechanism studies.

We develop materials and devices that detect chemical signals by converting interactions at the surface or interface into measurable responses. When target molecules reach the sensor, they interact with active sites in the material and change its physical or electrical properties. By designing these active interfaces, we control how molecules are recognized and how this recognition becomes a sensor signal.

This direction focuses on applying atomic interfaces to sensing platforms for health, environmental monitoring, and safety applications.

We study how materials change while they are working. In sensors and catalytic systems, the active surface can respond to gases, heat, voltage, or reaction products in real time. By tracking these changes under realistic conditions, we identify which atomic sites are active, how reaction pathways evolve, and why a material performs well or fails.

This direction focuses on connecting material structure to function during operation. These insights help us refine atomic interfaces and build clearer design rules for future sensing and catalytic materials.