Dr. Yoshikuni TERAMOTO

Associate Professor

Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture

Kyoto University

Research Overview

See also Google Scholar

We have been advancing systematization of fundamental structure-physical property correlations at the molecular/molecular aggregate level of biomass constituents and application of these components to new functional materials [Molecules 2015, etc.], mainly from the viewpoints of polymer science. Since joining Gifu University in 2013, we are developing applications to life science, and newly adding a processing perspective.


The latest projects can be roughly divided into the following three directions:

I. Functionalization of nano-cellulose and nano-chitin

Since 2014, we have proposed simple ideas to convert biomass materials to biomedical materials while properly utilizing knowledge of polysaccharide polymer complexation as well as appropriately processing. So far we have reported

  • Highly stretchable/temperature responsive hydrogel with cellulose nanofiber as high density crosslinking point [Polymer 2016]
  • Chitinous micro-patterning cell culture substrates[Biomacromolecules 2017]
  • Application of cellulose nanofibers as micro-fluidic paper analytical device (μPAD) module [ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 2018]

II. Proposal of new evaluation methods for biomass composite systems (WPC and wood itself)

Based on experiences of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosics [Biotechnol. BIoeng. 2008; Biores. Technol. 2008] and polymer blends of polysaccharides [Carbohydr. Polym. 2010, 2014], we are trying to clarify the component existence mode of biomass composite system. Recently, we have succeeded in spectroscopic detection of binding site of cellulosic filler with compatibilizer in wood plastic (WPC) for the first time.

III. Higher-order structural design and functional materialization of cellulose derivatives

We have been working on this subject for a long time [Molecules 2015]. In recent years, we have established the concept of dynamically controlling the orientation behavior of local segments of derivatives by processing method as well as molecular structure. As a result, optical [Cellulose 2011; Macromolecules 2013] and electrical [Cellulose 2016] functional materials have been designed. Recently, we have discovered circular dichroism reversal phenomenon induced by compression processing for cholesteric liquid-crystalline immobilized materials [J. Mater. Chem. C. 2018; RSC Adv. 2018]. More recently, it has also succeeded for the first time in preparation of microsphere of cellulose-based molecular cholesteric liquid crystal [Biomacromolecules 2018].