• General metallic biomaterials, such as stainless steels and conventional CoCr alloys, show a high Young's modulus ten times higher than that of human bones. This is an unfavored feature because it causes the so-called "stress shielding effect" when they are used as implants. β-type Ti alloys have a relatively lower Young's modulus, but they come with a compromise of low wear resistance. The current novel CoCr-based alloys are a breakthrough; they exhibit both a low Young's modulus similar to human bones and a high wear and corrosion resistance. Moreover, they exhibit superelasticity with a huge recoverable strain over 17%, also showing promise as shape memory alloys.

It is the first time that a low Young's modulus, a high corrosion and wear resistance, and a superior superelastic behavior are simultaneously obtained in a single material. The current novel CoCr-based alloys are promising for biomedical applications such as total hip or knee joint replacements, bone plates, spinal fixation devices, and vascular stents.

• Recently, we have developed a novel Cu-Al-Mn based shape memory alloy with high SM properties and with a ductility twice higher than that in Nitinol . Furthermore, this novel SM alloy needs no die for the shape setting and is fabricated with relatively low cost. Very recently, we have successfully developed a device to cure ingrown toenail by using this SM alloy.

Very recently, we established a fabrication process for the Cu-Al-Mn sheet, wire and bar with 0.1 - 20mm in thickness or diameter. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application with this new SM alloy.

• Our research group investigates creation of functional oxides and their functionalities. We synthesize thin films by pulsed laser deposition and sputtering methods and bulk specimens, and develop their novel synthetic routes. Recently, we are studying electrically conducting rare earth oxides, transparent room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors, and layered superconductors with monatomic Bi layer. We will develop our materials design by extending materials range and performing oxide heteroepitaxy.

Collaborative research in fields of oxide electronics with novel electric conducting oxides and oxide spintronics with ferromagnetic semiconductors and novel ferromagnetic oxides.

• Peptides are formed through the enzymatic actions in living organisms, but difficulty exists to form peptide by non-enzymatic actions. Here we report the success of peptide formation under anhydrous, high P and T conditions. We were successful to form 11-mer of glycine and 5-mer of alanine. They are important constituents of spider silk, which is a candidate of next generation of carbon fibers. Therefore, our techniques have potentials to apply making new carbon fibers without biotechnology.

• To realize IoT society, it is required the sensors, which function without battery charge. We study on energy harvesting materials using our knowledge about materials mechanics and numerical simulation such as finite element method. We recently address to develop energy harvesting devices, which can recovery the unharnessed　energy around us as electrical energy.

• Nakagawa group has dedicated to pursue scientific principles for molecular control of interface function occurring at polymer/other material interfaces and to put them into practice in nanoimprint lithography promising as a next generation nanofabrication tool. We are developing advanced photo-functional materials such as sticking molecular layers for "fix by light", UV-curable resins and antisticking molecular layers for "preparation by light", fluorescent resist materials for "inspection by light", and hybrid optical materials "available to light" and new research tools such as mechanical measurement systems to evaluate release property of UV-curable resins.

Our research aims at creating new devices to control photon, electron, and magnetism.

• Hybrid materials that show multi-functions of polymer and nanoparticles are expected to be used in future industries, and thus many research and development have been actively conducted. However, since the affinity of polymer and inorganic nanoparticles is very low, in most of the cases, properties of different materials are incompatible in the hybrid materials. To create the hybrid materials with incompatible multi-functions has been considered a difficult task.
• However, by using supercritical fluid technology, we have succeeded in making hybrid materials with incompatible multi-functions.

Now, variety of hybrid materials are being developed, including
・Transparent, flexible, high reflective index, and high fabricability,
・Flexible, high heat conductivity, low electric resistivity, and high fabricability.

• The high-temperature strength in Co-based alloys is inferior to that in Ni-based superalloys due to no available ’ phase for strengthening Co-based alloys. We have found a new intermetallic compound Co3(Al,W) ’ phase, and /’ Co-Al-W-based wrought and cast alloys show excellent high-temperature strength. The /’ Ir-Al-W-based alloys are also available for high-temperature uses at over 1100 °C. The Co-based alloys also have good wear resistance. For example, friction stir welding (FSW) of high-softening-temperature materials such as steels and titanium alloys is possible using a Co-based alloy tool. We hope to conduct collaborative research with willing company for a practical application of the Co- or Ir-based alloys for high-temperature uses including FSW applications.