Supramolecular characterization of Cellulosics by Electron Microscopy by Dr. Yu Ogawa

NTU MSE Seminar Hosted by Professor Chen Xiaodong

Abstract

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth and has been used in numerous applications throughout human history, from paper and textiles to pharmaceuticals and food additives, and more recently as renewable nanomaterials, known as nanocelluloses. The exceptional properties of cellulose stem from their unique hierarchical architectures. Characterizing cellulosic materials at the nanoscale is crucial for establishing structure-property relationships but remains extremely challenging, as their intricate, often heterogeneous supramolecular/crystalline structures are difficult to describe. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts to develop electron microscopy (EM)-based characterization methods for cellulosics. I will also provide an overview of our newly established EM facilities at MPIKG..

Biography


Dr. Yu Ogawa
Group Leader
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG)

Dr. Yu Ogawa is a Max Planck research group leader (MPRGL, W2) in the Department of Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. Yu received his Ph.D. degree in Biomaterials science from the University of Tokyo in 2014, where he also received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He started his independent career as a research scientist at Cermav-CNRS in 2018 and moved to MPIKG as a W2 research group leader in 2024.