Special Study Group on Corrosionand Lifetime of Materials

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Prof. Yagi received the 2025 Reviewer Certificates from Wiley.

This refers to Professor Yagi’s peer review of two papers in Advanced Materials, 12 in Advanced Functional Materials, one in Advanced Energy Materials, and two in ChemPhysChem in 2025.

A Short Communication by Research Associate Jittraporn Saengkaew et al., entitled “Optimizing electrode porosity for enhanced electrochemical performance of α-KxMnO2 composite positive electrode in rechargeable magnesium pouch cells” has been accepted for publication in Materials Today Communications.

This study investigated the effects of roll-pressing on the structure and electrochemical performance of α-KxMnO2 composite positive electrodes in rechargeable magnesium pouch cells. Moderate densification improved the initial discharge capacity, whereas excessive compaction increased polarization and reduced capacity. The findings highlight the importance of balancing particle contact and ionic transport pathways, providing key insights into composite electrode design for rechargeable magnesium batteries.
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A scientific paper on CO2 electroreduction by our Ph.D. student Jiaying Yan et al. has been accepted for publication in Materials Reports: Energy.

We have developed a binder-free Bi/Zn electrode for the electrolytic reduction of CO2 to formate using a galvanic displacement reaction. We demonstrated that the formation of Bi(III) complexes with citrate ions promotes the formation of plate-like Bi domains with high 012 orientation. This study provides new insights into the role of additives in electrode fabrication and proposes design guidelines for efficient binder-free electrodes.

A review article by Panagiotis Herodotou, a ph. D. student who spent two months interning at the Yagi Laboratory from University of Cyprus, and colleagues regarding the prospects for implementing systems incorporating Mg rechargeable batteries has been accepted for publication in Electrochimica Acta.

A special feature article titled “Suppression of Electrolyte Decomposition in Magnesium Rechargeable Batteries by Controlling the Catalytic Activity of Positive Electrode Active Materials” has been published in Ceramics Journal (the Ceramic Society of Japan ).

This study clarifies that Fe ions in spinel-type oxides effectively suppress the oxidative decomposition of electrolytes and elucidates the mechanism behind this effect. The first-principles calculations essential to this research were performed by groups led by Professor Masanobu Nakayama of Nagoya Institute of Technology and Professor Yoshitaka Tateyama of Institute of Science Tokyo.
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A paper on CO2 electrolytic reduction by our Ph.D. student Jiaying Yan and colleagues has been selected for the back cover of Small Science.

Our Ph.D. student Jiaying Yan was selected as a participant in Asian Deans’ Forum “The Rising Stars Women in Engineering Workshop 2025”.

Dr. Jittraporn Saengkaew has joined our laboratory as a Project Researcher.

A scientific paper on CO2 electroreduction by our Ph.D. student Jiaying Yan et al. has been accepted for publication in Small Science.

We have developed a metal Bi nanoflower catalyst for the highly efficient electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate using electrochemical techniques. We have elucidated how defects and small-angle grain boundaries in metal Bi can significantly enhance catalytic performance. This study explains why the activity of materials with the same composition may differ significantly, and suggests guidelines for the design of catalysts for efficient CO2 electrolytic reduction.
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A scientific paper on magnesium rechargeable battery simulations by our former Project Assistant Professor, Dr. Atsushi Tamura et al., has been accepted for publication in Mater. Today Commun.

Through simulations and experiments using COMSOL Multiphysics® modeling software, we clarified the effects of the surface topography of the magnesium negative electrode and the transport properties of magnesium ions on the deposition behavior of magnesium in magnesium rechargeable batteries, and provided design guidelines for achieving uniform magnesium metal deposition. The design guideline for the realization of uniform magnesium metal deposition was presented. This result was achieved in collaboration with Dr. Mandai of NIMS.

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