Carbon material (cone-shaped graphitic whisker) generated in plant cell which works as microtube reactor

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Wood science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Saito Yukie 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 准教授 (30301120)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 齋藤 継之 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 准教授 (90533993)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HAMANE Daisuke 東京大学, 物性研究所, 特任専門職員 (20579073)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUMOTO Rika 東京工芸大学, 工学部, 教授 ; YAMADA Hajime
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 木質バイオマス / カーボン材料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cone-shaped graphitic whiskers (CGW) are easily produced by carbonization of woody plants, via heat treatment at >2000°C together with SiC, which works as nuclei for a stable growth of CGWs. Our crystallographic study with transmission microscopy characterized CGWs as super-helical cone stack of graphene. The intercalation behavior and contract-expand mobile behavior of CGW were revealed and the mechanisms were clarified. The density gradient centrifugation method was used to successfully separate CGWs from impurities. This can be further applied for sample preparations for measurements of their unrevealed unique properties. Plant-cell-mimic "microreactor" was synthesized with biopolymer and the generation mechanism of CGWs in plant cell cavity was discussed.

Free Research Field

植物材料科学