2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
Organic Materials Laboratory III
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Junko Morikawa / Syuichi Akasaka / Minoru Ashizawa / Takashi Iwahashi / Tadashi Kawamoto / Shun Omagari / Massimilia Zamengo / Atsushi Isobe / Riku Takahashi / Fulati Ailifeire
- Class Format
- Experiment
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- MAT.P352
- Number of credits
- 002
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Understanding the principle of experiments and the obtained meanings of the properties by the experiments is essential in material science and engineering. The learning of fundamental skills of chemical and physical measurement operation is required for the correct and safe experiments. In this experiment course, the following topics will be covered: understanding of fundamental photophysical characteristics of absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence for organic molecules; measure the characteristics of PLLA with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), understand the principles of those measurements, discuss the relationship between the micro-structure and thermal and mechanical (temperature- and frequency-dependence) characteristics; handling and evaluation of biomacromolecules (hydrogels).
The aims of this course are to make students get the basics for organic and polymeric materials through the learning of experimental operations, principles and comparison between the theoretical and experimental data, in order to improve their skills and understandings from the viewpoints of general education covering the wide area from the basics to the advanced research of science and engineering.
Additionally, the number of students may be restricted due to the limitation of a laboratory space. The learning quarters and orders could be also changed. Students can learn whole themes in Experiments of Organic and Polymeric Materials I, II and III in a different order, by taking all courses of Experiments of Organic and Polymeric Materials at 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. acquire fundamental skills of chemical and physical measurement operations,
2. understand the chemical reactions and analysis,
3. understand the meanings of measured properties and their principles,
4. understand the relation between the conditions of sample preparation and their properties,
5. understand the experimental methods, data analysis and discussion based on obtained data,
and learning the basics for more advanced experiments.
Keywords
Organic and polymeric materials, material engineering, experiment, operation of chemical experiment, analysis method, property measurement, numerical calculation
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students work in teams throughout this course and conduct a series of experimental themes. The learning quarters and orders could be also changed. Students can learn whole themes in Experiments of Organic and Polymeric Materials I, II and III in a different order, by taking all courses of Experiments of Organic and Polymeric Materials at 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters. Written reports must be submitted by designated dates. Students must read the experiment textbook before the start of each experiment to ensure safety and smooth running.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | General Guidance |
Explanation of precautions, grouping, schedule, reports, etc. for the experiment. |
| Class 2 | Introduction to photochemistry (4 sessions) |
Prepare samples of organic fluorescent dyes and understand introductory photochemistry. |
| Class 3 | Introduction to photochemistry |
Measure absorption and fluorescence spectra as well fluorescence lifetimes, and understand the photochemical implications. |
| Class 4 | Introduction to photochemistry |
Measure photodegradation and quantitatively analyze the result. Additionally, analyze all accumulated experimental data. |
| Class 5 | Introduction to photochemistry |
Discuss the analyzed results and their implications, and make a presentation. |
| Class 6 | Micro-structures and properties of poly-L-lactide (PLLA) (4 sessions) |
Measurement of the characteristics of PLLA with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Understanding of the principles of those measurements. Discussion of the relationship between the micro-structure and thermal and mechanical (temperature- and frequency-dependence) characteristics. |
| Class 7 | Micro-structures and properties of PLLA (2/4) |
Day 2: Microstructure analysis by wide-angle X-ray diffraction of PLLA |
| Class 8 | Micro-structures and properties of PLLA (3/4) |
Day 3: Measurement of temperature and frequency dependence of viscoelasticity of PLLA |
| Class 9 | Micro-structures and properties of PLLA (4/4) |
Day 4: Measurement of thermal and mechanical properties of PLLA/PDLA stereo complex |
| Class 10 | From Fundamentals of Polymer Synthesis to Biomedical Applications (4 sessions) |
Thermo-responsive polymer PNIPAAm and non-responsive polymer PAAm will be synthesized via free radical polymerization. |
| Class 11 | From Fundamentals of Polymer Synthesis to Biomedical Applications (2/4) |
The synthesized PNIPAAm, PAAm, and hydrogels will be purified using thermal precipitation, reprecipitation, and swelling–diffusion purification methods. |
| Class 12 | From Fundamentals of Polymer Synthesis to Biomedical Applications (3/4) |
The LCST of PNIPAAm will be measured by UV–Vis spectroscopy, and the measurement principles will be understood. In addition, the swelling ratio of hydrogels will be analyzed, and drug loading will be performed. |
| Class 13 | From Fundamentals of Polymer Synthesis to Biomedical Applications (4/4) |
For DDS applications, drug release experiments using drug-loaded hydrogels will be conducted to evaluate the effect of thermo-responsiveness on release behavior. |
| Class 14 | Safety education |
Learn about safety precautions in conducting research in a laboratory. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 50 minutes preparing for class and another 50 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course materials.
Textbook(s)
Course texts are provided during class.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Course texts are provided during class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Full attendance and completion of all experiments are compulsory. Assessment is based on the quality of the written reports and on the status of submission thereof. Students may fail the course if they repeatedly come late to classes or often delay the submission of reports.
Related courses
- MAT.P350 ： Organic Materials Laboratory I
- MAT.P351 ： Organic Materials Laboratory II
- MAT.A250 ： Materials Science Laboratory I
- MAT.A251 ： Materials Science Laboratory II
- MAT.A252 ： Materials Science Laboratory III
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses is desirable.