Research Overview

The goal of our research is to understand design principles of nanoporous media for highly selective and efficient chemical sensing. We strive to establish novel methods for self-organized fabrication of nanostructured materials of controlled morphologies and chemical properties, and to understand the separation/sensing/catalysis mechanisms within such nanostructured materials at the molecular level. Fundamental knowledge gained in our research will permit us to develop nanoporous materials for highly-efficient detection, removal, and recovery of chemical species relevant to environmental and energy sciences. These materials will facilitate the sustainable development of our society through improvement of water quality, energy utilization, and critical material recycling.

We are mainly interested in materials comprising nanostructured molecular pathways such as nanopores and nanodomains with dimensions close to molecular and ionic sizes. Such materials have been employed in numerous applications relevant to environmental and energy sciences on the basis of their unique permeability based on “nanoconfinement effects” – enhancement of steric, electrostatic and chemical interactions within the confined spaces. Our research goals are to understand molecular-level mechanisms behind the unique permeability of nanospaces, and to develop highly efficient separation/sensing media based on the fundamental understanding of molecular penetration through the nanostructures.