Prof. Yu-I HsuTaiwan
Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Osaka
| 2019 to present | | Assistant Professor, The University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan |
| 2022 to present | | Associate Professor, The University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan |
| 2004 - 2008 | | Department of Bioengineering, Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan |
| 2010 - 2012 | | Department of Biobased Materials Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan |
| 2012 - 2015 | | Department of Biobased Materials Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan |
| 2015 - 2018 | | Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of biomedical engineering, Research institute, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan |
| 2018 - 2019 | | Project Researcher, Department of biomedical engineering, Research institute, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan |
| 2025 | | The 7th International Symposium of Materials in Regenerative Medicine (ISOMRM), Young Investigator Competition Merit Award |
| 2024 | | 69th Polymer Research Conference (Kobe) Young Scientist Lecture |
| 2023 | | Japan Society of Polymer Science Encouragement Award for Polymer Research |
Polymer synthesis; Polymer chemistry; Biodegradable polymer; Biobased polymer; Bioplastic; Biomaterials
Research advances the design and development of sustainable and functional polymeric materials based on biodegradable and bio-derived polymers. By integrating molecular design, structure–property relationships, and application-oriented evaluation, it delivers polymer systems that balance mechanical performance, functionality, and environmental compatibility. Spanning fundamental polymer chemistry to applied materials engineering, the work places particular emphasis on marine-degradable plastics, stimuli-responsive hydrogels, and bio-based composites.
Salt-Responsive Biopolymer Composites for Controlled Disintegration and Sustainable Materials Design
TBA TBA
Green and Sustainable Polymer Materials/TBA
Plastic pollution in oceans has become a serious global challenge. Although biodegradable plastics are often proposed as solutions, many do not break down in seawater because they were designed for microbes found on land, not in marine environments. This gap highlights the need for materials that function well during use but reliably disintegrate once they reach the ocean.
Here, we present a design concept for seawater‑responsive bioplastics made from plant‑derived polymers. Instead of relying on microbial degradation, our materials physically disintegrate or dissolve in seawater due to changes in salt concentration. The approach uses ionic interactions: the films remain stable in fresh water but lose integrity in seawater, where salt ions weaken the ionic bonds. We examined two film systems. A starch–cellulose film with ionic interactions rapidly disintegrated in seawater, whereas films without such interactions remained intact. A second system combined ionic and permanent chemical bonds, enabling stability in fresh water while still allowing controlled disassembly in salty environments.
Importantly, all components used in this work are renewable, plant‑derived, and biodegradable, making them attractive for sustainable packaging and disposable applications. While these materials are not intended to replace high‑performance plastics directly, they provide a new conceptual framework for designing plastics that respond intelligently to their environment.