Sustainable Materials Laboratory

The Sustainable Materials Laboratory (SusMatLab) is committed to advancing sustainable technologies through innovative materials design.

We focus on addressing environmental challenges by transforming biomass and plastic waste into functional materials that promote a circular economy.

Our research combines polymer and colloid science with environmental engineering principles to develop technologies for water purification, metal recovery, catalysis, sensing, materials reinforcement, and more. We utilize abundant biomass-derived feedstocks such as cellulose, chitosan, and their derivatives, while pioneering chemical pathways to upcycle plastic waste into novel, high-value precursors for functional material design.

Through our research and educational initiatives, we strive to establish a foundation for sustainable resource management and the creation of next-generation materials that support a cleaner, more resilient future.

Sustainable materials from waste

Our research is driven by a vision of recycling and upcycling waste. Natural polymers extracted from biomass waste serve as renewable and eco-friendly building blocks for next-generation materials. At the same time, the global challenge of plastic pollution inspires us to develop smart methods for converting plastic waste into functional feedstocks.

By integrating chemistry, materials science, and environmental engineering, we design innovative materials for water purification, catalytic systems, environmental sensing, ground improvement, and more. Through creative science and sustainable thinking, we aim to transform waste from an environmental burden into a source of solutions for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Materials form Waste Plastic

To ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and promote material circulation, there is a growing need for efficient methods to convert plastic waste into higher-value chemicals and to develop scenarios for their utilization. We are developing such conversion methods to create functional materials applicable in environmental and civil engineering.

Functional Materials from DNA

Nucleic acids (DNA) can be extracted from fish milt, a waste product of the fishery industry. The unique chemical structure of DNA makes it attractive for applications involving metal ion binding and the formation of metal nanostructures, which are useful in nanoelectronics and catalysis. Recently, we have focused particularly on the design and application of DNA hydrogels as functional materials.

Materials from marine waste

Chitin is an inexpensive and abundant polysaccharide that can be extracted from marine waste such as shrimp and crab shells. Chitosan, a cationic polymer derived from chitin via deacetylation, has been widely explored for use in food, cosmetics, and environmental applications. Its positive charge—uncommon among biomass-derived polymers—makes it a unique choice for constructing functional systems in combination with anionic polymers or colloids.

Char adsorbents from waste

Carbon materials can be produced from plastic and biomass waste via hydrothermal or pyrolysis processes. Bulk carbon materials such as chars—with their high porosity—are used for environmental cleanup, especially for adsorbing pollutants from water and soil. Controlled thermal decomposition also allows the production of carbon nanomaterials like carbon dots, which can be applied in sensing.

Soil improvement by biomass polymers

Biomass-derived polymers are increasingly used as eco-friendly functional materials across agriculture, environmental, and chemical engineering fields. We are developing methods to improve soil, sand, and clay using treatment formulations based on renewable polymers derived from biomass waste. These systems offer sustainability and environmental compatibility, and can also be used for soil pollution control.

Contact :

Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University

Tel: +81-52-789-4771

Email : zinchenko@urban.env.nagoya-u.ac.jp