NAKAGAWA ShintaroSpecially Appointed Associate Professor
- Laboratory
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Structure & Physics
- Research Theme
- Creation of soft materials with precisely controlled structure and elucidation of structure-property relationship
- Research Keywords
polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer synthesis, rubber, gel, X-ray scattering, viscoelasticity, mechanical property, natural macromolecules
Overview of Research
Soft materials, such as plastics, rubber, and gels, are often composed of long, chain-like polymer molecules. A diverse range of properties and functions emerge depending on the structure and connectivity of these chains. Life itself, including our own bodies, is supported by soft materials.
I am conducting research focused on the relationship between the structure (particularly the connectivity of polymer chains) and the physical properties of these materials. My research approach involves leveraging polymer chemistry techniques to synthesize soft materials with precisely controlled structures. By analyzing their structure and properties, I aim to reveal the structure-property relationship of soft materials and the underlying principles governing them. I also seek to apply this knowledge to create novel materials that exhibit unprecedented properties.
Charge
- School of Science:
Biological Science course (Macromolecular Functions), Core Laboratories - Graduate School of Life Science:
Division of Soft Matter, Soft Matter Materials Science
Message
Synthesizing a polymer material with a structure that no one in the world has ever seen before, measuring its structure and properties with your own hands, and discovering new insights from the data – there will be challenges, but I guarantee the excitement! Let’s enjoy the world of polymers together.
Representative Publications
Guo, X.; Zhang, D.; Yoshie, N.; Nakagawa, S.*; “Single-Molecule Reactor Based on the Excluded Volume Effect of Bottlebrush Polymers” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147, 23910–23916. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c06532
Zhou, J.; Takahashi, K.; Nozaki, K.; Yamamoto, Y.; Katashima, T.; Yoshie, N.; Nakagawa, S.*; “Crystallization of Strictly Linear Poly(ethylene-ran-acrylic acid) Copolymer: Impacts of Pendant Group Insertion and Hydrogen Bonding” Macromolecules 2024, 57, 10176-10191. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.4c01250
Nakagawa, S.*; Aoki, D.; Asano, Y.; Yoshie, N.; “Module-assembled elastomer showing large strain stiffening capability and high stretchability” Advanced Materials 2023, 35, 2301124. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202301124
Huang, X.; Nakagawa, S.; Houjou, H.; Yoshie, N.*; “Insight into the role of hydrogen bonds on the mechanical properties of polymer networks” Macromolecules 2021, 54, 4070–4080. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00120
Huang, X.; Nakagawa, S.; Li, X.; Shibayama, M.; Yoshie, N.*; “A Simple and Versatile Method for the Construction of Nearly Ideal Polymer Networks”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2020, 59, 9646-9652. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202001271
Refer to HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS DIRECTORY
Note
<Office Hour>
– Time: Anytime during the lecture period
– Place: Frontier-AMLS, 6F
Please contact in advance by E-mail.
E-mail: snaka[at]sci.hokudai.ac.jp
Affiliation
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Department of Advanced Transdisciplinary Sciences, Soft & Wet Matter Science
- Frontier Research Center for Advanced Material and Life Science, Global Collaboration Unit, Soft Matter Collaborative Research Unit