The research unit is aiming at developing novel nanomaterials and their applications for biomass conversion, catalysis, and chemical devices such as hydrogen generators, gas sensors, light emitting devices, and batteries. The materials that we are developing include metal oxides, metal sulfides, noble metal-loaded oxides, metal halides, redox clusters, and graphene oxide. Tuning of their size, structure, and morphology leads to the creation of various functional materials with optimized catalytic, electrocatalytic, ion/electron-conducting, and optical properties.