Faculty of Textile Science and Technology Research Activity2015｜Shinshu Universi

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Functional Polymer ScienceNecklace-shaped supramolecules and cellulose/chitin nano-whiskersDivision of Chemistry and MaterialsI am pursuing two principal areas of research. The first involves utilization of necklace-shaped supramolecules called polyrotaxanes in order to develop functional materials such as gels, fibers, and films through chemical modification. The second involves applications of nano-whiskers, that is, rod-like microcrystal particles of cellulose obtained primarily from trees and plants and those of chitin from crab and shrimp shells for use as reinforced nanocomposites.Jun ArakiAssociate ProfessorAssociate Professor Araki took his current position in 2012 after working as a JST-CREST postdoc researcher, a technical advisor to Advanced Softmaterials Inc., and an assistant professor under the Shinshu University Young Researchers Empowerment Project. His areas of specialization include supramolecular chemistry and polysaccharide chemistry.Polyrotaxane and cellulose/chitin nano-whiskers are both materials with diverse future potential. These carbohydrate-based, eco-friendly, and biodegradable components will nd wide application in society.Outlook for researchGraduates are employed primarily by chemical and material manufacturers.Outlook for students after graduationA certain polyrotaxane derivative, that is, a nano-sized necklace molecule with a width of 1 nanometer, can be used to form a exible lm that has been utilized to paint cell phones.Cellulose nano-whiskers from plants (left). These nano-sized bers have an elastic modulus higher than that of steel. They can form a liquid crystal that shows vivid birefringence between crossed polarizers (right).Functional Polymer ScienceThe beginning of a New Polymer Synthesis: Materials by Molecular and Reaction Design Division of Chemistry and MaterialsFibers, plastics, rubbers… common materials are composed of macromolecules (polymers) built up from hundreds and thousands of small molecules. Our research focuses on creating new polymer materials by designing functional molecules and their reactions. For example, we aim the development of a facile method to synthesize a polymer from a higher fatty acid made from plants materials in order to create a new rubber from biomass. Depending on how we design the molecules to be used in the synthesis, we can create new materials that we could not be previously imagined. We are busy working hard making experiments every day. Yasuhiro KohsakaAssistant ProfessorDr. Kohsaka received his Ph. D. in Engineering from The Tokyo Institute of Technology. He worked as a JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (DC-1) and then as an assistant professor in Osaka University, before starting his current position at Shinshu University in 2015. In general, polymeric materials is a product of the petroleum industry. However, we also design polymers from natural products, aiming to develop a sustainable system by developing new synthetic technologies. Synthetic chemistry is very interesting, as it can be used to create many materials, such as the advanced materials used in medicine and solar cells, and everyday products made from bers and rubber. Outlook for researchYou can learn the logic that is needed in science, the English language, the way to make presentations, and the knowledge that future researches need. As this laboratory was only established in 2015, no students have graduated yet. However, this type of knowledge is indispensable in our society. Outlook for students after graduationFig. 1. Synthetic research on uorescent polymers. Polymers composed of a single monomer and those of two dierent monomers in alternating sequence showed dierent uorescent emission colors. Fig. 2. A polymer prepared from a β-amino acid derivative was a solution under acidic conditions and a low temperature, but become insoluble at higher temperatures. 45

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