About US
School of Informatics and Engineering, the University of Electro-Communications, Jun Nakamura
We are conducting research on atomic-level material design using computer simulations.
One of our current major projects is the development of non-metallic catalysts for fuel cell cathodes (oxygen reduction).
Recent topics
Media Release
Dec 16, 2021 (Introduced in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun and many other media)
This page is currently under construction and incomplete (please forgive me)
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Click here for an introduction to the laboratories for graduate study (Japanese)
This is a reference material for the third year students of Cluster III
This is the old website (slightly more informative than this one)
Research Area
Main Research Projects in the Laboratory
Exploration of oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells
A fuel cell is a device that uses hydrogen as a fuel to reduce the oxygen in the air to water to generate electrical energy. The end product is water, so fuel cells have attracted much attention as a clean energy source. However, the use of platinum as a reduction catalyst is extremely expensive, and the durability of fuel cells is not very high, which is a barrier to their widespread use. Our laboratory is working on the atomic-level design of oxygen reduction catalysts that have better performance than Pt and can be fabricated with commonly available materials. Some of the results have already led to practical applications.
Design of a catalyst for synthesizing methane from carbon dioxide
Humans and other animals and machines use oxygen as a kind of fuel for their activities and emit carbon dioxide as a waste product. On the other hand, plants have the ability to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide when they are exposed to light, and this is why the carbon cycle on Earth is so well established. In recent years, however, this cycle has been disrupted by advanced industrialization. We are trying to design catalysts at the atomic level that can convert the excess carbon dioxide produced into other fuels.
van der Waals superlattice:.
Basic theory of stacking control by using anomalous electronic states at the edge
In recent years, two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, which is a typical example of the planar structure of carbon, have been attracting attention because of their unique electronic state. We have been conducting research to develop new materials and devices that make use of the "edge state", which is created by reducing the dimensions of the two-dimensional material to one dimension.
van der Waals superlattice:.
Control of the interconversion function of electrons, light and heat
under construction
The Mysterious Behavior of Water
under construction
Search for carbon-based electronic and optical materials
under construction
My classes (in japanese)
中村が担当する授業のお知らせなど
Now, what do you want to do ?
"Go ahead. Either that, or go ahead anyway."
by jun
© 2021