Research Results
Dec 18, 2024
- Press Release
- Research Paper
- Paper / PressRelease
- Joint research results
Press Release Issued on Research Results by Grad. Student Kyosuke Yamada and Prof. Yutaka Amao (Osaka Metropolitan Univ.)
Development of Artificial Photosynthesis Technology for Producing Biodegradable Nylon from Biomass-Derived Compounds and Ammonia
Key Points of This Research
- Focusing on the chemical structure of biodegradable plastic raw materials, amino acids with similar structures were selected as raw materials for biodegradable nylon.
- Successful synthesis of a biodegradable nylon precursor* utilizing solar energy.
(*Precursor: A substance that precedes and undergoes a chemical reaction to form another substance.)
Summary
Instead of conventional plastics synthesized from fossil resources, biodegradable plastics made from biomass-derived compounds are drawing significant attention. Similarly, nylon used in umbrellas, fishing lines, and sportswear is also made from fossil resources, which does not decompose in nature after use and leads to environmental pollution; therefore, alternative materials are highly desired.
Professor Yutaka Amao and Graduate Student Kyosuke Yamada (1st-year Master's Course, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University) at the Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Osaka Metropolitan University, focused on the chemical structure of biodegradable plastic raw materials and selected amino acids with similar structures as raw materials for nylon-type biodegradable plastics. They developed an artificial photosynthesis technology to synthesize a biodegradable nylon precursor using a biomass-derived compound and ammonia. Furthermore, they successfully synthesized this precursor by utilizing solar energy.
The research results were published online in Sustainable Energy & Fuels an academic journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, on November 12, 2024.
Furthermore, it was selected for the Inside front cover of Issue 2 of the same journal, published on January 21, 2025.
This cover represents the conceptual image where L-alanine, produced from ammonia and biomass-derived substances utilizing solar energy, serves as the raw material to form a nylon net.
By introducing a biocatalyst for amino acid production into a photo-redox system, we successfully synthesized a biodegradable nylon precursor from a biomass-derived compound. Although the experiments required a continuous and steady effort, I feel great joy in achieving these results. I hope this research will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the resolution of environmental pollution.
Graduate Student Kyousuke Yamada
Publication Information
| Journal: | Sustainable Energy & Fuels |
|---|---|
| Paper Title: | A photo/biocatalytic system for visible-light driven L-alanine production from ammonia and pyruvate |
| Authors: | Kyosuke Yamada, Yutaka Amao |
| URL: | https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01215A |
Funding Information
This research was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research (23H05404), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (22H01872, 22H01871), and the Institute for Fermentation, Osaka (G-2023-3-050).
⇒All Press Release (PDF:1.0MB)
Research Inquiries
Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Osaka Metropolitan University
Professor: Yutaka Amao
TEL: +81-6-6605-3726
E-mail: amao[at]omu.ac.jp (Please change [at] to @)
Media Inquiries
Public Relations Division, Osaka Metropolitan University
Contact: Tani
TEL: +81-6-6605-3411
E-mail: koho-list[at]ml.omu.ac.jp (Please change [at] to @)
SDGs
