Outline

This project aims to establish a concept of cross-scale analysis in water environments, through the development of chemical sensor technologies. As described in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the protection of water environments is a significant social issue. To this end, the qualitative and quantitative investigation of causative species is required to identify their effects on ecological systems. However, analytical methods with sufficient requirements for on-site sensing have not been established yet.

In this research project, we employ mechanisms to recognize causative species at molecular levels for the development of chemical sensors. The chemical sensors are applied to the comprehensive analysis at cell and ocean scales, of which the technologies and methodologies will open a new avenue for the protection of water environments.

Causative species (i.e., analytes) in water are invisible-sized molecules, thus the designs of molecular recognition materials (i.e., receptors) considering structural geometries and molecular sizes of analytes are required. By employing the receptors, chemical sensors can visualize recognition information upon analyte capture. In this project, we apply chemical sensor devices to cross-scale analysis for the investigation of effects on ecological systems.

The following figure illustrates a molecule (i.e., a cyclic structure), a cell (i.e., a red circle), and an ocean (i.e., blue waves), which indicates the concept of cross-scale (i.e., an arrow) for comprehensive analysis in water environments.

Based on fusion technologies of nano electrochemistry, molecular recognition chemistry, and microfluidics, this project attempts to establish fundamental analytical methods for multi-analyte detection. We believe that the technologies and methodologies established in this project will be further applied to water cycle analysis.