Research Interests
Innovating for a Greener Future through Advanced Materials Science
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Yuki NAGAO E-mail：ynagao”atmark”jaist.ac.jp ［Research fields］ Protonics, Polymer Chemistry, Coordination Chemistry ［Keywords］ Proton, Self-assembly, Battery, Fuel Cells, Sensors |
Research summary
Securing diverse energy resources is an urgent issue for resource-poor Japan to achieve sustainable development. And it is a dream of mankind to create hydrogen and oxygen from common water, and to create carbon materials using carbon dioxide as a resource. A hydrogen society is necessary for the decarbonized society that is rapidly progressing in the world. We are researching ion-conducting polymer materials, inorganic materials, and organic-inorganic hybrid materials using interfaces that can be applied to fuel cells, batteries, and sensors that support the hydrogen society. Let’s contribute to a hydrogen society together with us.
Current Interest (2025)
- Research on fuel cell performance improvement
a. Proton transport property in polymer organized structure (2012-)
b. OH– ion transport property in polymer thin films (2017-)
c. Li+ transport property in polymer organized structure (2022-)
d. Na+ transport property in polymer organized structure (2023-) - Development of rechargeable proton batteries
- Electrochemical catalysts for fuel cells, water electrolysis, and CO2 reduction
- Gas sensors
- Research on external force response sensors using ion transport
- Ion switching by coordination compounds (Dr. Aoki, Assistant Professor)
Review articles
- Y. Nagao*
Progress on highly proton-conductive polymer thin films with organized structure and molecularly oriented structure (Selected as Editor’s choice)
Sci. Tech. Adv. Mater (STAM), 21, 79 – 91 (2020)
- Y. Nagao*
Proton-Conductivity Enhancement in Polymer Thin Films (Invited Feature Article, Selected as Cover art)
Langmuir, 33, 12547 – 12558 (2017).
Timeline of Achievements
Year 2021 (JAIST) – , Study on hydroxide transport in polymer thin films
- F. Wang, D. Wang, Y. Nagao*
OH- Conductive Properties and Water Uptake of Anion Exchange Thin Films (Selected as The Cover Feature)
ChemSusChem, 14, 2694 – 2697 (2021)
Year 2012 (JAIST) – , Found the molecularly oriented and organized polymer structures with high proton conduction
- Y. Nagao*, J. Matsui, T. Abe, H. Hiramatsu, H. Yamamoto, T. Miyashita, N. Sata, H. Yugami
Enhancement of Proton Transport in an Oriented Polypeptide Thin Film
Langmuir, 29, 6798 – 6804 (2013)
- K. Krishnan, H. Iwatsuki, M. Hara, S. Nagano, Y. Nagao*
Proton conductivity enhancement in oriented, sulfonated polyimide thin films
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2(19), 6895 – 6903 (2014) 
- K. Krishnan, H. Iwatsuki, M. Hara, S. Nagano, Y. Nagao*
Influence of Molecular Weight on Molecular Ordering and Proton Transport in Organized Sulfonated Polyimide Thin Films
J. Phys. Chem. C, 119, 21767 – 21774 (2015)
- Y. Ono, R. Goto, M. Hara, S. Nagano, T. Abe, Y. Nagao*
High proton conduction of organized sulfonated polyimide thin films with planar and bent backbones
Macromolecules, 51, 3351 – 3359 (2018).
Years 2016 – 2017, Metal-Organic Coordination Network Thin Film and Covalent Organic Network Thin Film
- Metal-Organic Coordination Network Thin Film by Surface-Induced Assembly
S. Laokroekkiat, M. Hara, S. Nagano, Y. Nagao*
Langmuir, 32, 6648 – 6655 (2016)
- Fabrication and Characterization of Cross-linked Organic Thin Films with Nonlinear Mass Densities
M. A. Rashed, S. Laokroekkiat, M. Hara, S. Nagano, Y. Nagao*
Langmuir, 32 , 5917 – 5924 (2016)
- Multilayer Growth of Porphyrin-Based Polyurea Thin Film Using Solution-Based Molecular Layer Deposition Technique
S. M. Nizam Uddin, Y. Nagao*
Langmuir, 33, 12777 – 12784 (2017)
Years 2007 – 2011 (Tohoku Univ. and Kyoto Univ.), Found the enhancement of the proton conduction in polymer thin films. (Created a concept of Nanoprotonics)
- Y. Nagao*, N. Naito, F. Iguchi, N. Sata, H. Yugami
Synthesis of oligomeric poly[(1, 2-propanediamine)-alt-(oxalic acid)] and anomalous proton conductivities of the thin films
Solid State Ionics, 180, 589 – 591 (2009) - Y. Nagao*, F. Iguchi, N. Sata, H. Yugami
Synthesis and Proton transport property of Poly(aspartic acid) thin film on SiO2 substrate
Solid State Ionics, 181, 206 – 209 (2010) 
Years 2001 – 2006 (Univ. of Tsukuba and Kyushu Univ.), Found high proton conduction in coordination polymers (Related to the Metal Organic Frameworks)
- Y Nagao, R Ikeda, S Kanda, Y Kubozono, H Kitagawa
Complex-plane impedance study on a hydrogen-doped copper coordination polymer: N, N′-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) dithiooxamidato-copper (II)
Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 379 (1), 89-94 (2002) - H Kitagawa, Y Nagao, M Fujishima, R Ikeda, S Kanda
Highly proton-conductive copper coordination polymer, H 2 dtoaCu (H 2 dtoa= dithiooxamide anion)
Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 6 (4), 346-348 (2003) 
Publication
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