Leading-edge Polymers

Developing new polymers with beneficial functions improving efficiency in the use of resources and creating new industries

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of “Responsible Consumption and Production” also means that we make efforts towards achieving a sustainable society that strikes a balance between the environment and economy. Through groundbreaking synthesis techniques using molecular catalysis, the Leading-edge Polymers project will develop, from plants, biomass, and fossil resources, biopolymers having new functionalities, and lead efforts towards their commercialization.

Polyethylene and other polyolefins make up about 70% of all polymers used in our world today. To further broaden its potential, the project will develop functional polyolefin materials that have excellent adhesive properties with other materials, develop acrylic resins used in organic glass, create super engineering polymers with high-strength and high-temperature heat resistance properties, and develop the technology for creating high-toughness peptide polymer materials that combine strength and flexibility. These efforts will, through collaboration with the industry, promote efficiency in the use of resources as well as bring innovation in the chemical industry.

Polymeric materials that abound in our life and products such as plastic bottles were created from accumulation of research into materials. Development of a polymer database has been difficult, but collecting information on the structures and performance of pure materials and building up foundational technology will lead to pioneering the next-generation manufacturing. If we can establish such a foundation, it will be possible to predict outcomes and create molecular designs that more closely meet expectations. To deliver expected outcomes, CSRS will work closely with scientists of plants, metabolism and fermentation, and speedily use the research results in a sweeping process leading up to collaboration with companies.