Research Area

• Physical Chemistry at Materials Interfaces

Research Subjects

• Interfacial Chemistry by Nonlinear Vibrational Spectroscopy
• Fundamental Study of Electrocatalysts for Li-O₂ Secondary Battery
• Relationship between the Functionalities and Surface Structures of Soft Matter
• Oxidative Degradation of Biomolecules in Low-level Ozone
• Elucidation of Mechanisms of Photosynthesis

Overview of Research

Our research interests are focused on the physical chemistry occurring at the surface or interface of various functional materials. Our research approach is based on many highly surface-sensitive techniques, such as sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, single-molecule spectroscopy, infrared reflection spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), atomic force microscope (AFM), in combination with conventional methods in electrochemistry and interfacial chemistry. For example, to develop electrocatalysts for the secondary battery and fuel cell with high energy conversion efficiency, we are unraveling the reaction mechanism and kinetics on the electrode/solution interface. We are also studying the photo-induced chemical reaction in biological systems to understand the physical chemistry principle for photosynthesis. These studies will lead us to deep understanding about the mechanism and dynamics of chemical reactions on the surface/interface and to develop novel materials.

Selected Publications

• In situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Study of Oxygen Reduction Reaction on a Gold Electrode Surface in a Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), Liu, C.; Ye, S. J. Phys. Chem. C, 120, 25246–25255 (2016).
• Interfacial Structure of Soft Matter Probed by SFG Spectroscopy, Ye, S.; Tong, Y.; Ge, A.; Qiao, L.; Davies, P., Chemical Record, 14, 791-805 (2014).
• Preferential Adsorption of Solvents on Cathode Surface of Li-ion Batteries, Yu, L.; Liu, H.; Wang, Y.; Kuwata, N.; Osawa, M.; Kawamura, J.; Ye, S. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 52, 5753-5756 (2013).
• Photosystem II Does Not Possess a Simple Excitation Energy Funnel: Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy Meets Theory, Shibata,Y.; Nishi, S.; Kawakami, K.; Shen, J. R.; Renger, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 135, 6903-6914 (2013).

Contact Information

“Please delete “/” after “@” in a mail address.”
Shen YE
(TEL: +81-22-795-6567, Email: ye.shen@/tohoku.ac.jp)
Yutaka SHIBATA
(TEL: +81-22-795-6568, Email: shibata@/m.tohoku.ac.jp)
Kenichi INOUE
(TEL: +81-22-795-6569, Email: ken-ichi.inoue@/tohoku.ac.jp)

@Homepage: http://web.tohoku.ac.jp/orgphys/index.html