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Mayumi Lab
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The lab uses neutrons and X-rays to observe the nanoscale motion of polymers and to develop tough gels.
AboutAbout the lab
Nanoscale measurement to uncover the strength of soft matter
The Mayumi Lab studies soft materials known as polymers and soft matter.
The lab combines nanoscale measurements using neutron and X-ray scattering, macroscopic mechanical tests such as stretching, and molecular dynamics simulation.
The lab aims to clarify the mechanisms by which material properties arise, and to create new materials with novel functions.
Key terms
- Soft matter
- A class of soft materials, such as polymers, gels, and colloids, whose shape changes easily when force is applied
- Hydrogel
- A solid material in which a network of linked polymer chains holds a large amount of water
- Molecular dynamics simulation
- A method that uses a computer to follow the motion of molecules and atoms one by one in order to study how a material behaves
- Deuterium labeling
- A method in which some hydrogen atoms in a molecule are replaced with heavy hydrogen (deuterium), so that only that part can be distinguished when observed with neutrons
NewsLab news
A student won the Best Poster Award at Materials Research Meeting 2025
A master's student won the Best Presentation Award at the Department of Advanced Materials Science master's thesis presentation
A master's student won the Best Presentation Award at the Department of Advanced Materials Science master's thesis interim presentation
A paper evaluating errors in small-angle neutron scattering was accepted by the Journal of Applied Crystallography
Assistant Professor Oda won the Encouragement Award from the Japanese Society for Neutron Science
ResearchResearch themes
Using advanced nanoscale measurement centered on neutron and X-ray scattering, together with property measurements such as mechanical testing and molecular dynamics simulation, the lab studies the mechanisms by which the properties of polymer and soft matter materials arise.
*Illustrative imageGels that become tougher when stretched
Hydrogels, which contain water, tend to be compatible with the body, but they are fragile. Using the phenomenon in which polymer chains crystallize when a gel is stretched, the lab is developing "self-reinforcing gels" that respond in the same way even when large forces are applied repeatedly, and is working to clarify the mechanism behind the strengthening.
*Illustrative imageStructure and dynamics of polymers seen with neutrons
Using small-angle neutron scattering and quasi-elastic neutron scattering with deuterium labeling, the lab investigates the structure and dynamics of polymers and soft matter that contain several kinds of components mixed together. As an example, the lab analyzes polyrotaxanes, which consist of ring-shaped molecules threaded onto a long-chain polymer.
MembersFaculty
The Mayumi Lab consists of faculty members, a foreign research fellow, administrative assistants, doctoral and master's students, and research students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorKoichi MayumiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTatsuro OdaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Neutron Research facility ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Gels that become tougher when stretched: “Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK” Petra Klawikowski / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Structure and dynamics of polymers seen with neutrons: “Rotaxane and Polyrotaxane” May lam / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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