Naruo SASAKI (佐々木 成朗)

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 5500000, indirect: 1650000)
The compression response characteristics of graphene/C60/graphene interface nanostructures was discussed. First, we focused on the compressive properties of the nanostructure in which a single C60 molecule is sandwiched between graphene sheets. Comparing the effective spring constant of the entire interface system with those of single C60 and of C60-graphene interlayer, it was clarified that the C60/graphene interface system can be regarded as a series spring of C60 single molecule spring and C60-graphene interlayer spring. Next, we focused on the graphene sheet, which is a component of the interface structure, and we developed an effective potential function that coarse-grained the Tersoff potential function, which represents a covalent bond. As a result, we succeeded in increasing the calculation speed of graphene adhesion to 10,000 times that of the conventional Tersoff function.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area), Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 44100000, indirect: 13230000)
This research project focused on the construction of international joint research network, "π-Hub", as a part of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas "π-Figuration". To promote active international research exchanges, we supported the invitations of overseas researchers as well as the short-term stays of domestic researchers in overseas research groups. We also organized and supported international symposiums, which were held in overseas research organizations. Through these efforts, joint researches with a total of 40 overseas research institutes with researchers from 17 countries were carried out, and thus, we have formed a tight and strong π-Hub network.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area), Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 29200000, indirect: 8760000)
Elucidation of nanomechanics of π-figurated molecular machine and proposal of precise measurement method have been performed as follows: We developed a model potential suitable for high-speed simulation of friction at the graphene interface, and succeeded in reducing the calculation time to about 1 / 10,000 of the previous one. We proposed a color AFM method to convert tip-surface interaction information into RGB color data and visualize it. We also proposed tribo-phonon spectroscopy (TPS) to detect energy dissipation dynamically using QCM-AFM. The polymer solution containing carbon nanotubes was stretched using a microfluidic device in order to produce a new cell scaffolding material. The compression and friction properties of the sumanene thin film adsorbed on the gold surface were evaluated by molecular dynamics method.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 3900000, indirect: 1170000)
In order to investigate the influence of graphene curvature on superlubricity, molecular mechanics simulation of peeling process of monolayer graphene sheet adsorbed onto the graphite substrate was carried out. As the initial orientation angle of the graphene adsorption is varied little by little from the AB stacking orientation, the effect of lattice mismatch of the surface contact area appears, and the mean lateral force during the surface contact process markedly decreases to about 0 pN for the orientation angle of 9 deg. For larger orientation angle, the mean lateral force changed only slightly around 0 pN.