Interfacial phenomena, in which water molecules are deeply involved, are critical subjects in basic and applied research in a wide range of fields, including physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, biology, geology, and astronomy.
We lead basic research in unveiling these academically and practically fascinating phenomena of water at atomic/molecular levels. We have tackled the challenge of building human knowledge and basic theory that are of fundamental importance for innovative development toward the 22nd century.

Water molecules are one of the most familiar and abundant molecules in nature, and they typically aggregate (adsorb) on the surfaces and interfaces of various substances. Under such circumstances, water molecules behave quite differently from those in gas and liquid phases, and an unexpected molecular process sometimes occurs. There are many important applications where surfaces/interfaces play crucial roles: photocatalytic reactions, friction, adhesion, chemical and physical processes in interstellar/stratospheric environments, electrification in thunderclouds, and biological phenomena woven by DNA, protein, and cells, etc. To elucidate molecular-level characters and functions of water molecules in these heterogeneous processes, a basic understanding is necessary about the peculiar hydrogen-bond structures of the interfacial water systems. In these symmetry-breaking systems, adsorption geometry and molecular orientation are key structural parameters that determine the functional properties of interfacial water molecules.