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Polymeric world inspired by history of natural environment and biomaterials
Polymeric world inspired by history of natural environment and biomaterials
Looking around nature, we see many beautiful patterns. For example, while snowflakes are composed of water molecules, biological tissues are assembled from various small molecules, revealing geometric macro-structures. This does not originate solely from the material itself, but is the result of strong environmental influences. In fact, life has evolved to adapt to changing environments, resulting in diverse spatial patterns and rhythms.
Research to create patterns from soft materials such as polymers has a long history. These patterns contain physics and mathematics that transcend scales, and living organisms incorporate these principles to function and grow. In our recent research, we discovered a phenomenon in which polysaccharides, a biopolymer, reconstruct their own patterns. In particular, we are working on a phenomena, "meniscus splitting", in which a single interface splits into multiple. In this work, we have uncovered characteristics of pattern formation, such as symmetry breaking, asynchrony, and universality independent of polymer species. Here, why and how are patterns created? Our theme is to understand the significance of the underlying laws and universality that transcend scales underlying materials.
DRY & WET: polysaccharides express splitting phenomena
DRY & WET: polysaccharides express splitting phenomena
We are investigating the mechanism via which polysaccharides reproduce geometric patterns beyond molecular scale in vitro. In particular, by controlling physicochemical conditions, we are exploring the law of pattern formation exhibited from agueous solutions of polysaccharide under dry environment. In anon-equilibrium environment, polymers are reorganized in both micro and macro forms. Looking back at the fact that actual living organisms survive with maintaining their body moisture even in a dry environment, it should hold the key to unraveling the evolution of biopolymers that have migrated from water to land.
Biomacromolecules 2016, Sci Rep 2017, J Colloid Interf Sci 2019, Polymer J 2020 (Focus Review), Adv Mater Inter 2023, Adv Sci 2025, etc
Pattern formation in soft materials and design of advanced materials
Pattern formation in soft materials and design of advanced materials
Regardless of whether it is a biopolymer or a synthetic polymer, most of soft materials can bemorphologically controlled by stress at the materials’ interface. Only small environmental differences,such as slight changes in mechanical energy, can change shapes and patterns, e.g., spatial/temporal self-similarity. These patterns can be used as novel bioinspired materials that can efficiently adapt to the external environment.
Based on the exploration of natural beauty, the ultimate goal is to understand the significance of the lawsin these phenomena. We are investigating one of the biggest enigmas of natural science, why does life create patterns?
Sci Rep 2015, Sci Rep 2017, Adv Funct Mater 2018, Small 2020, ACS APM 2022, Langmuir 2024, etc
Artificial photosynthetic gels
Artificial photosynthetic gels
We are trying to fabricate artificial photosynthetic gels converting solar energy into high-energy chemical substance. The gels are designed by involving an electronic transmission circuit to generate hydrogen and oxygen when visible light and water are supplied. In design of the system, the necessary components of the circuit such as sensitizer, electron-acceptor and catalytic nanoparticles are not dispersed like solution systems, but the components are integrated in polymer network with close arrangement by using electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction. The integrated gel system could be defined as artificial chloroplasts.
Soft Matter 2009, Adv Funct Mater 2010, Small 2011, Angew Chem Int Ed 2019, Chem Commun 2024, Chem Commun 2024 (Feature Article), etc
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