Wanted! Graduate Chemistry Student (Doctoral or Master course)
Laboratory of Electrochemistry of Soft-Matters at Nagasaki University, Japan

We welcome new graduate students, both master & doctoral, and talented and energetic
young post-doctoral fellows, regardless of their country of origin. We provide a Ph.D.
course scholarship (1.8 million JP-yen/year) after a competitive selection. E-mail me now.
After an Internet interview, let us discuss your entrance exam Plan and possible externalfinancial support. We also welcome Joint-application for JSPS young PD.
2021 AugProf. Takamasa Sagara
Laboratory of Dynamic Molecular Chemistry
Graduate School of Engineering
Division of Chemistry and Materials Science
Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, JapanMajor
Analytical ElectrochemistryElectrochemistry Molecular Assembly
Hydrogel Soft-robotics
Spectro-electrochemistry

Main Research

1. Design and Construction of Molecular Robots using MolecularEngine at Electrified Interface: A reversible high-speed movement of ahydrogel soft-robot with a large amplitude should be realized. The hydrogel may
crawl like an amoeba by electrochemical control.（right-lower figure）
B. Wang, H. Tahara, T. Sagara, “Driving quick and large amplitude contraction ofviologen-incorporated poly-L-lysine-based hydrogel by reduction”, ACS Appl. Mater.
Interfaces 2018, 10, 36415–36424 and “Enhancement of deformation of redox-activehydrogel as an actuator by increasing pendant viologens and adding filler orcounter-charged polymer”, Sens. Actuators, B 2021, 331, 129359: 1-13.

2. Electrochemistry of Viologens: from Ionic Liquid to
Self-Assembled Monolayers: From ionic liquids to organizedmonolayers, color change and fast electron transfer of viologen redox areattractive. Viologen redox is also used to drive the molecular robot.
T. Sagara, T. Tahara, “Redox of viologen for powering and coloring”, Chem.
Rec. 2021, 21, XXX (+1-15). H. Tahara, …, T. Sagara (+ 5 authors), “A
redox-active ionic liquid manifesting charge-transfer interaction between aviologen and carbazole and its effect on the viscosity, ionic conductivity, andredox process of the viologen”, Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 4872-4882.

3. Electroreflectance Spectroscopy at Electrified Interface
T. Sagara, “UV-visible reflectance spectroscopy of thin organic films atelectrode surfaces”, Advances in Electrochemical Science and Engineering,Vol. 9 (2006), Chap. 2 (pp. 47-95).

Other Research topics:
Electrochemically Driven Oil Droplet in Water, Phase Transition ofOrganic Monolayer by Redox Reaction, Surface Modification of ITO
electrode with Redox-Active Monolayer, Gold Nanoparticles at
Electrified interfaces, and Bio-electrochemistry.
Research Key Words
Molecular robot, Viologen, Hydrogel, Electroreflectance methods, Functional Electrode
Note
Researchmap: https://researchmap.jp/read0043411?lang=en
Lab HP: https://www.cms.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/lab/douteki/en/index.html
Dr. Sagara was born in 1960 in Tokyo, graduated from Yokohama
National Univ., and obtained a Ph. D. (Engineering) from Graduate
School of Engineering of The Univ. of Tokyo in 1987. He joined
Nagasaki Univ. as an Associate Professor and was promoted to a full Professor in 2004. He received theExcellent Young Chemist prize from the Chemical Society of Japan in 1994. His research was supported by thePRESTO (JST) grant in 1999–2003. He was the Editor-in-Chief (2008–2013) of Review of Polarography. He iscurrently the president of the Polarographic Society of Japan. He was awarded as the best reviewer of grant
screenings. He edited and wrote a basic chemistry textbook “University Basic Chemistry for the Faculty ofScience and Engineering”, 2019.