• Our goal is "bio-inspired engineering" to create new functions that exhibit functions beyond the nature systems by learning from their superior functions and incorporating them into creating materials and devices. For example, the development of surface treatment and adhesives learned from mussels, the development of anti-biofouling substrates learned from pitcher plants, the design of non-platinum catalysts for highly active fuel cells (hydrogen, enzymes, microbes, etc.) learned from hemoglobin, and needle-type biosensors learned from biological needles.

Based on electrochemistry and polymer chemistry, I provide technologies and expertise in the energy, biotechnology, and electrical and electronic fields, including metal-air batteries, fuel cells, surface treatment, adhesion, biosensors, etc.

• 　Using laser fabrication, we are developing techniques to enhance material surface properties and functionality. For example, to create a functional interface, we aim to clarify, by way of simulation and experimentation, the phenomenon that occurs when the surface of a material is irradiated using a laser beam.
• 　We expect that the results of our research will be widely applicable, including biomedical devices.
• ■　Creation of biocompatible surfaces
• 　Materials used for artificial organs, vessels, and other bio-implants require excellent tissue and cell biocompatibility. Therefore, we are exploring the creation of biocompatible surfaces using a new laser irradiation process in this study.
• 　We have succeeded in imparting a biologically active function to titanium-based materials by applying the laser irradiation technique. When such a material that has a biologically active function is inserted in a living body, hydroxyapatite (the principal constituent of bones and teeth) precipitates on the surface. Using the laser irradiation technique, we can manufacture bone-adherent implants, and we envisage their application to artificial joints or dental implants.
• 　This research aims to discover such breakthrough solutions for biomedical applications using the laser irradiation technique.

• Recently, many tunnel magnetoresistance devices with high magnetoresistance effect are reported. These are expected to be applied to high sensitive magnetic sensors. There are many magnetic sensors with variety of the mechanism, in order to meet the demand of the very wide range of sensing magnetic field. However, there is no magnetic sensor which has high sensitivity, easy to use, operation at room temperature and low cost. Only a magnetic sensor with tunnel magnetoresistance devices can satisfy all the demand in principle. As the device has very wide range of the sensing magnetic field, it can be designed for any demand to the sensors.

For example, this device can sense a bio-magnetic field easily at room temperature, so that it could be replaced SQUID device, which is popular now but is very expensive and not easy to use personally. Therefore, by using this device, we expect we can conduct effective collaborative research in medical field.

• 　Using laser fabrication, we are developing techniques to enhance material surface properties and functionality. For example, to create a functional interface, we aim to clarify, by way of simulation and experimentation, the phenomenon that occurs when the surface of a material is irradiated using a laser beam.
• 　We expect that the results of our research will be widely applicable, including biomedical devices.
• ■　Creation of biocompatible surfaces
• 　Materials used for artificial organs, vessels, and other bio-implants require excellent tissue and cell biocompatibility. Therefore, we are exploring the creation of biocompatible surfaces using a new laser irradiation process in this study.
• 　We have succeeded in imparting a biologically active function to titanium-based materials by applying the laser irradiation technique. When such a material that has a biologically active function is inserted in a living body, hydroxyapatite (the principal constituent of bones and teeth) precipitates on the surface. Using the laser irradiation technique, we can manufacture bone-adherent implants, and we envisage their application to artificial joints or dental implants.
• 　This research aims to discover such breakthrough solutions for biomedical applications using the laser irradiation technique.

• 　Using laser fabrication, we are developing techniques to enhance material surface properties and functionality. For example, to create a functional interface, we aim to clarify, by way of simulation and experimentation, the phenomenon that occurs when the surface of a material is irradiated using a laser beam.
• 　We expect that the results of our research will be widely applicable, including biomedical devices.
• ■　Creation of biocompatible surfaces
• 　Materials used for artificial organs, vessels, and other bio-implants require excellent tissue and cell biocompatibility. Therefore, we are exploring the creation of biocompatible surfaces using a new laser irradiation process in this study.
• 　We have succeeded in imparting a biologically active function to titanium-based materials by applying the laser irradiation technique. When such a material that has a biologically active function is inserted in a living body, hydroxyapatite (the principal constituent of bones and teeth) precipitates on the surface. Using the laser irradiation technique, we can manufacture bone-adherent implants, and we envisage their application to artificial joints or dental implants.
• 　This research aims to discover such breakthrough solutions for biomedical applications using the laser irradiation technique.

• We are developing a new continuous flow type process for supercritical reactions. Under the supercritical state, the organic molecules and metal salt aqueous solutions are miscible and water molecule works as an acid/base catalyst which leads to rapid reactions. In order to apply such new reaction fields to an industrial process, it is necessary to establish the process design basis by understanding phenomena in the reaction fields, on the basis of phase equilibrium, flux and reaction kinetics theory. So while developing a process, we are doing research for the establishment of the process design basis.

Examples are a process for the synthesis of organic modified nanoparticles (MPs), a process for the pretreatment and solubilization of biomass in the supercritical/subcritical water and a process for the refinery of heavy oil in the supercritical water.