Materials

Teaching matter new tricks

Inorganic, organic, and hybrid materials are all being studied at Kyushu University for just about every application imaginable, and perhaps for some yet to be imagined.

Steel and concrete for buildings and infrastructure, composites for aerospace applications, and polymers and metals for withstanding high-pressure hydrogen are just a few examples of materials being investigated to better understand their structural properties.

In the area of electronics, researchers are looking into carbon nanotubes, metal oxides, polymers, dielectrics and more for applications such as semiconducting and energy conversion.

Going to the nanoscale, molecules that self-assemble to achieve specific functions, thermal transport in graphene, and molecular brushes for low friction technologies are some of the topics being investigated.

Another area of activity is biomaterials, including biofunctional materials to inhibit diseases, biocompatible soft materials for medical devices, and sustainable plant materials.

This and more materials-related research at Kyushu University are additionally supported by facilities including a microscopy center and beam line to characterize material structures and a center to facilitate the sharing of materials with collaborators.

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