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. (YouTube)
Current Interest (2026)
- 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-)
e. K+ transport property in polymer electrolytes (2024-)
f. Rb+ transport property in polymer electrolytes (2025-)
g. Zn2+ transport property in polymer electrolytes (2026-) - Development of rechargeable proton batteries
a. anode materials such as MXene etc.
b. cathode nanomaterials such as Prussian Blue Ananogues etc.
c. electrolyte with organized structure
d. charge transfer modulation for active materials (2025-) - Gas sensors and other sensors
- Mechanically Induced Alignment and Ion Transport in Lyotropic Polymer Films (2026-)
- Ion switching by coordination compounds (Dr. Aoki, Assistant Professor)
- Collaboration: Electrochemical catalysts for fuel cells, water electrolysis, methanation, and CO2 reduction
- Collaboration: Flow batteries and Supercapacitors
Movies
Review articles
- Y. Nagao*
Advancing Sustainable Energy: Structurally Organized Proton and Hydroxide Ion-Conductive Polymers
Curr. Opin. Electrochem., 44, 101464(9 pages) (2024) YouTube
- Y. Nagao*
Proton-Conducting Polymers: Key to Next-Generation Fuel Cells, Electrolyzers, Batteries, Actuators, and Sensors
ChemElectroChem, 11, e202300846 (27 pages) (2024) YouTube
- V. Sharma, P. Upadhyay, L. C. T. Cao, Y. Nagao, V. Kulshrestha
Innovative Integration of MXenes in Ion-Conductive Polymer Membranes: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications
Nanoscale, accepted, (2025) YouTube - A. F. Fuzlin, S. Aynharan, N. N. A. Hafidz, N. M. Ghazali, M. Diantoro, Y. Nagao, A. S. Samsudin
Advances in Gel Biopolymer Electrolytes: Sustainable Polymers for Energy Storage Application
Polym. Adv. Tech., 36, e70319 (41 pages) (2025) YouTube - G. K. Weldegebrieal, P. Tangthuam, W. Lao-ian, J. Kasemchainan, R. Pornprasertsuk, I. In, Y. Nagao, W.-R. Liu, S. Kheawhom
Sodium-Ion Batteries: from Conventional to Anode-Free Configurations: Materials, Mechanisms, and Future Prospects
J. Energy Storage, accepted, (2025) YouTube
Timeline of Achievements
Years 2014 – present,
Electrochemical appilcation (Fuel cells, battery, supercap etc.)
- Z. Wang, Y. Nagao*
Effects of Nafion impregnation using inkjet printing for membrane electrode assemblies in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
Electrochim. Acta, 129, 343 – 347 (2014)
- N. N. A. Hafidz, N. M. Ghazali, N. F. Mazuki, M. Diantoro, Y. Nagao, K. Aoki, A. S. Samsudin
Graphene Oxide-Enhanced Alginate-PVA Biopolymer Electrolytes with Improved Proton Conductivity and Electrochemical Stability for Supercapacitor Applications
Solid State Ionics, 429, 116956 (16 pages) (2025) - L. C. T. Cao*, K. Aoki, S.-H. Hsu, S. Boonruang, Y. Nagao*
Porosity-controlled MXene anodes for enhanced rate and long cycle life performance in aqueous proton batteries
Chem. Eng. J., 520, 165882 (15 pages) (2025)
Years 2010 – present,
Electrochemical reaction (ORR, HER, NRR, CO2RR etc.)
- C. H. Chang, T. S. Yuen, Y. Nagao*, H. Yugami
Electrocatalytic activity of Iridium Oxide nanoparticles coated on carbon for oxygen reduction as cathode catalyst in PEFC
J. Power Sources, 195, 5938 – 5941 (2010)
- Md. T. Islam, M. I. Hossain, K. Aoki, Y. Nagao, Md. M, Hasan, M. Rahaman, A. Aldalbahi, M. A. Hasnat
Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 by SnS⎸PTFE⎸Pt Surface in an Aqueous Imidazole Medium: Catalysis and Kinetics
ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 7, 3125 – 3136 (2024) - M. H. Sawal, A. A. Jalil, T. A. T. Abdullah, N. S. Hassan, M. B. Bahari, N. M. Izzudin, N. W. C. Jusoh, Y. Nagao, K. Aoki, M. N. Chong, S. Rajendran
n-n heterojunction CdS/FST photoanode for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting
Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 104, 336 – 343 (2025)
Years 2020 – 2022,
OH- transport in polymer thin films
- U. Salma, Y. Nagao*
Alkaline stability of ether bond free fluorene based anion exchange polymer containing cycloaliphatic quaternary ammonium groups
Polym. Degrad. Stabil., 179, 109299(1-9) (2020)
- F. Wang, D. Wang, Y. Nagao*
OH- Conductive Properties and Water Uptake of Anion Exchange Thin Films
ChemSusChem, 14, 2694 – 2697 (2021) - F. Wang, S. Nagano, M. Hara, Y. Nagao*
Hydration and OH-/Br- Conduction Properties of Fluorene-Thiophene-Based Anion Exchange Thin Films Tethered with Different Cations
ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., 4, 5965 – 5974 (2022)
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)
Year 2015 – 2019 ,
Molecular weight dependence of proton conductivity
- 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)
- K. Takakura, Y. Ono, K. Suetsugu, M. Hara, S. Nagano, T. Abe, Y. Nagao*
Lyotropic ordering for high proton conductivity in sulfonated semialiphatic polyimide thin films
Polym. J., 51, 31 – 39 (2019)
Year 2013 – 2020,
Oriented Nafion thin film on different substrate surface
- Y. Nagao*
Highly Oriented Sulfonic Acid Groups in a Nafion Thin Film on Si Substrate
J. Phys. Chem. C, 117, 3294 – 3297 (2013)
- Y. Ono, Y. Nagao*
Interfacial Structure and Proton Conductivity of Nafion at the Pt-deposited Surface
Langmuir, 32, 352 – 358 (2016)
- U. N. Shrivastava, K. suetsugu, S. Nagano, H. Fritzsche, Y. Nagao, K. Karan
Cross-Correlated Humidity Dependent Structural Evolution of Nafion Thin Film Confined on Platinum Substrate
Soft Matter, 16, 1190 – 1200 (2020)
Year 2012 – 2018 (Associate Professor at JAIST) ,
Highly proton conductive molecularly oriented and organized polymers
- 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)
- 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 2006 – 2011 (Assistant Professor at Tohoku Univ. and Kyoto Univ.),
Enhancement of the proton conduction by oriented 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)
Years 2001 – 2006 (Student at Univ. of Tsukuba and Kyushu Univ.),
Highly proton conductive coordination polymers
- 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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