A Journey with Polymers

Keiji Fujimoto (Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry)

Rereading a book you read long ago can sometimes lead to new discoveries. Even though the same words are written, new images are evoked, and you feel as if you have grasped something new. You might have a similar experience of new sensations when appreciating works of art like paintings or Buddhist statues, or when watching movies or plays. I believe this is because my inner self has changed. Perhaps the heavens are testing me, asking, “How about this time? Have you learned a little something?”

It is a wonderful thing when a person becomes interested in something. Why you are drawn to it is based on your own sensibilities. But you must be careful not to get completely swept away. Whether the subject is nature or a person, there is a powerful truth within it. Therefore, if you are so moved that you lose yourself, your perspective narrows, you lose humility, and nothing good comes of it. However, most of the things that once held such great interest are eventually forgotten. Among them, there are things that you do not forget for a long time, things that stick in the back of your mind. By repeatedly engaging with them, they reach a deep place within you and become a “matter of concern” to which you are bound. Then, a new world opens up before your eyes, and you fall in love with it, wanting to master this path. As you age, many such matters of concern accumulate within you. They merge, and from the chaos, something tangible emerges. The reason new images emerge when you reread a book is that your inner self has been polished and enriched. To take the time to understand something on a deep level, and then to elevate it to the point where something new springs forth from it—this, I believe, is what it means to engage in scholarship. People value such a sincere posture and attitude. Although it is quite difficult, I believe it is something of great importance to the universe.

One of my matters of concern is the polymer. A polymer is a chain-like molecule in which elements are connected by covalent bonds. Because they are giant molecules, they possess properties that small molecules do not. Consider a group of 100 people. If they exist individually, they are like small molecules; if the 100 people join hands to form a chain, this corresponds to a polymer. When many polymer chains coexist, forces begin to act between them, and they can form tangible objects ranging from soft to hard. In fact, if you look around, you will find a surprising number of things made from polymer materials.

Many polymers also exist in nature, such as polysaccharides like cellulose, DNA, and proteins. On the other hand, it is not clear how nature produced such polymers. In a polymer made of 100 people, if the individual people can be swapped and reconnected, a huge variety of polymers can be created. This is what gives polymers their individuality. For example, in an immune response, antibody molecules are produced that bind to foreign substances that have entered the body. Antibodies leverage their properties as polymers to create polymers that are a perfect fit for each of a vast number of different foreign substances. I feel an endless fascination with how new properties emerge from such richness. That is why I hold a sense of awe for the existence of polymers and their functions, which arise precisely because they are polymers. I strive to understand even a small part of this, to expand the images within myself, and to connect this to the creation of things with new “forms and functions.” Indeed, the world of polymers is wonderful.

In our actual research, we do not simply talk about our feelings or impressions. Instead, we speak with scientific rigor so that third parties can verify our findings, and we actually create polymers using the power of chemistry. We value the stance of nurturing the polymers we design and create into something useful. They may not be useful right away, but I hope to release seeds into the world that will one day blossom. The path of pursuing scholarship is not one you walk alone. In our laboratory, each person conducts research on their own theme. Like-minded people gather, conduct their respective research, and sharpen each other’s skills in their quest to master polymers. They become friends, trust each other, and learn important things that cannot be conveyed in words. While teaching and talking with one another, they slowly and deliberately establish their own “style.” They are elevating themselves into beings who can be of service.

We learn from nature to create polymer materials. The path of scholarship is continued by those who have mastered this way. How wonderful scholarship is!