Electrocatalysis
In recent years, the progression of global warming has necessitated the development of a sustainable energy system that does not emit carbon dioxide and does not use fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are crucial for achieving this, but their output varies with the weather and time of day. Therefore, electrochemical energy conversion and storage methods are considered key technologies for storing large amounts of surplus electricity. Specifically, the cathodic reactions in electrolysis cells, which produce hydrogen from water and organic fuels from carbon dioxide through the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Carbon Dioxide Reduction (CO2RR), are gaining attention. I aim to contribute to the realization of a sustainable energy system by researching electrode catalysts for these reactions.
Materials
Throughout my research career, I have gained experience in employing metal nanoparticles, nanostructured metal films, and conductive polymers as electrode catalysts, possessing knowledge and know-how in cross-disciplinary catalyst design spanning both inorganic and organic fields. Recently, I have been working on creating hybrid interfaces that leverage the unique properties of inorganic materials, such as specific adsorption capabilities, and organic materials, such as three-dimensional molecular conformations, aiming to develop catalysts with higher performance than existing HER and CO2RR catalysts.
Electrpodeposition & Electropolymerization
There are various methods for electrode fabrication, but my research primarily focuses on electrochemical film formation techniques, such as electrodeposition and electropolymerization. This preference stems from their being wet processes, which are more compact and cost-effective than chemical vapor deposition that requires a vacuum environment. Additionally, since film formation occurs on conductive surfaces, the resulting film surfaces are all conductive, and the ease of thickness control is also a significant advantage.