We are always interested in many scientific aspects ranging from fundamental chemistry to industrial-scale production. Toward practical use, we have developed some prototypes (e.g., low-k materials, low thermal expansion materials, E-papers, antibacterial films, electrocatalysts) by using nanoporous materials which are produced in a large-scale industrial operation. In addition, we are currently exploring new chemical and physical properties originated from the nanoporous structures with extensive collaborations with many research groups all over the world.

In the field of materials chemistry, extensive effort has been spent synthesizing high-performance materials that often rely on noble and precious metals. We focus on the design and development of new materials and operating environments to attain these high performances, but using cheap and Earth abundant materials like SiO₂ and TiO₂. Our materials design approach includes the dissolution/recrystallization of conventional materials, deposition of functional particles like MOFs in solids, and simple integration of conventional materials. We are using these materials to investigate multiple applications including: 
 

The role of nanoparticle shape can be as important as crystal chemistry in determining the electronic and catalytic properties of inorganic clusters and nanoparticles. Yet the chemistry governing shape at this length scale is not well understood, especially in binary and ternary materials. We are using a combination of simulation, structural analysis and high-precision synthetic techniques to discover a common origin of shape in different nanomaterials systems, with special attention on classes of materials useful for enhanced light absorbance and catalysis. 

We treat these nanocrystals as “building blocks” for a new class of functional, porous architectures that can be completely assembled from the bottom up. Over the years many synthetic methods have been developed to generate particles with exquisite control of shape and size in metal, dielectric and semiconductor materials. Our focus is on arranging these building blocks into precisely ordered lattices, where they become the component "atoms" of new, functional porous materials with unusual physical and chemical properties that cannot be found in nature. We are interested in both the fundamental science of self-assembly, and diverse applications including bio-molecular sensing, metamaterials and plasmon-enhanced catalysis.