In crystalline solids, atoms or molecules are regularily located in a lattice whereas in liquids they lose such regularity and instead possess a fluidity. Liquid crystals are an intermediate state between those two states, having both structural order and fluidity but partially. However, such intermediate situation is closely connected with their many attractive properties such as high responsivity with external stimuli such as electric field or light, high strength against deformation, self-healing, etc. Among various liquid crystals, we are focussing attention to the bicontinuous cubic phases. Elucidation of the molecular packing state and development of various functionalities based on the structure are our aim of research. 

Polymers having two or more chemically incompatible segments form various structures and exhibit properties based on their structures. Ionomers and block polymers are one of such category. Our aim is elucidation of formation mechanism for such amazing microphase-separated structures and development of new functionalities based on the structure.

* S. Miisako, S. Kutsumizu, and K. Sakajiri, Partial-Cosslinked Bicontinuous Cubic Phase Exhibiting a Temperature Range More Than 100 Degrees, Chem. Commun.. 48(16), 2225-2227 (2012).

* R. Hori, D. Furukawa, K. Yamamoto, and S. Kutsumizu, Light-driven phase transition in a cubic phase-forming binary system composed of 4'-n-docosyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid and an azobenzene derivative, Chem. Eur. J., 18(24), 7346-7350 (2012).

* Y. Nakazawa, Y. Yamamura, S. Kutsumizu, and K. Saito, Molecular Mechanism Responsible for Reentrance to Ia3d Gyroid Phase in Cubic Mesogen BABH(n), J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., 81, 094601 (2012).[Selected as a paper of Editors' Choice][Selected as a paper of 2013 year of JLCS]

* S. Kutsumizu, Recent Progress in the Synthesis and Structural Clarification of Thermotropic Cubic Phases, Israel J. Chem., 52(10), 844-853 (2012).

* Y. Miwa, T. Kondo, and S. Kutsumizu, Subnanoscopic Mapping of Glass Transition Temperature around Ionic Multiplets in Sodium-Neutralized Poly(ethylene-random-methacrylic acid) Ionomer, Macromolecules, 46(13), 5232-5237 (2013).

* Y. Maeda, S. Kutsumizu, and S. Sakurai, Pressure effect on thermotropic cubic phases of 1,2-bis(4'-n-alkoxybenzoyl)hydrazines, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 16(9), 4329-4337 (2014).

* R. Hori, Y. Miwa, K. Yamamoto, and S. Kutsumizu, Phase Structure and Phase Transition Mechanism for Light-Induced Ia3d Cubic Phase in 4'-n-Docosyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxlic acid / Ethyl 4-(4'-n-Docosyloxyphenylazo)benzoate Binary Mixture, J. Phys. Chem. B, 118, 3743-3749 (2014).

* K. Saito, Y. Yamamura, Y. Miwa, and S. Kutsumizu, Structural Model of the Chiral Im3m Cubic Phase, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 18(4), 3280-3284 (2016).

* S. Kutsumizu, I. Tokiwa, A. Kawafuchi, Y. Miwa, Y. Yamamura, and K. Saito, Stabilization of bicontinuous cubic phase in siloxane-terminated mesogens, 1,2-bis[4'-(n-(oligodimethylsiloxyl)alkoxy)benzoyl]hydrazine, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 18(13), 9013-9020 (2016).

* S. Kutsumizu, S. Miisako, M. Kitagawa, Y. Miwa, Y. Yamamura, and K. Saito, Mirror Symmetry Breaking by Mixing of Equimolar Amount of Two Gyroid Phase-Forming Achiral Molecules, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 18(26), 17341-17344 (2016).

* S. Kutsumizu, Y. Yamada, T. Sugimoto, N. Yamada, T. Udagawa, and Y. Miwa, Systematic Exploitation of Thermotropic Bicontinuous Cubic Phase Families from 1,2-Bis(aryloyl)hydrazine-based Molecules, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 20(12), 7953-7961 (2018).[Selected to inside back cover image of PCCP]

* Y. Miwa, J. Kurachi, Y. Kohbara, and S. Kutsumizu, Dynamic ionic crosslinks enable high strength and ultrastretchability in a single elastomer, Communications Chemistry, 1, Article #5 (2018).

* Y. Miwa, Y. Kohbara, H. Furukawa, and S. Kutsumizu, The effects of local glass transition temperatures of ionic core-shell structures on the tensile behavior of sodium-neutralized poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) ionomer/lauric acid blends, Polymer, 148, 303-309 (2018).

* A. Nagai, H. Kondo, Y. Miwa, T. Kondo, S. Kutsumizu, Y. Yamamura, and K. Saito, Optical Switching between Liquid Crystalline Assemblies with Different Structural Symmetries and Molecular Orders, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 91(11), 1652-1659 , (2018).

* Y. Miwa, K. Taira, J. Kurachi, T. Udagawa, and S. Kutsumizu, A gas-plastic elastomer that quickly self-heals damage with the aid of CO2 gas, Nature Communications, 10, Article Number 1828 (2019). DOI:10.1038/s41467-019-09826-2

* Y. Yamamura, Y. Nakazawa, S. Kutsumizu, and K. Saito, Molecular Packing in Two Bicontinuous Ia3d Gyroid Phases of Calamitic Cubic Mesogens BABH(n); Roles in Structural Stability and Reentrant Behavior, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 21(42), 23705–23712 (2019).

For the details: researchmap KUTSUMIZU Shoichi