Abstract：

Phenyl-group-containing natural rubber was prepared by bromination of natural rubber followed by Suzuki Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. The bromination of natural rubber was carried out with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in a dichloromethane solution. The cross-coupling reaction was performed with phenyl boronic acid in the presence of a palladium-catalyst, in which conversion was more than 70 mol% under mild reaction conditions. The resulting rubber was characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The phe-nyl-group-containing natural rubber was proved to achieve not only high wet skid resistance but also high rebound resilience.

Keywords: natural rubber; phenyl-group-containing natural rubber; cross coupling reaction

 

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Biography：

An expert on natural rubber science and technology, Associate Professor Seiichi Kawahara has spent the last two decades investigating a relationship between structure and properties of natural rubber. He also has a strong interest in control of hierarchal structure of rubbery materials. After receiving his doctorate in Engineering from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 1992, Kawahara began his career as assistant professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. He joined rubber research group of Dr. Alan Gent and Dr. Gray Hamed at Akron University in 1996-1997 as a visiting scientist. Currently, he is associate professor of Nagaoka university of Technology.

 

Educational career
1988 Bachelor (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
1992 Doctor (Engineering) (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
Thesis title : Study on Miscibility and Its Application in Rubber Mixtures with Soft Intermolecular Interactions
Major : Chemistry

 

Job career
1992 Assistant Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
1996-1997 Visiting scientist, The University of Akron
1998 Associate professor, Nagaoka University of Technology

 

Science Awards
2011  The SPSJ Wiley Award, The society of Polymer Science, Japan
“Nanomatrix Structure and Properties of Natural Rubber”
2004  The SRJ Research Award, The Society of Rheology, Japan
“Phase Transition and Mechanical Properties of Elastomer”

 

Service Award
2010  The MRB Service Award, Malaysian Rubber Board

 

Paper and Presentation Awards
2012 The CERI Best Presentation Award, The Society of Rubber Science and Technology, Japan
 “Structure of Crosslinking Junctions and Mechanical Properties of Vulcanized Natural Rubber”
2010 The Best Paper Award, Journal of Rubber Research, Malaysian Rubber Board
“Modification of Deproteinized Natural Rubber by Graft-copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate”
2006 The Best paper award, The Journal of the Society of Rubber Industry, Japan
 “Characterization of Vulcanized Natural Rubber by Latex State NMR spectroscopy”
2000 The Best paper award, The Journal of the Society of Rubber Industry, Japan
 “Study on Crystallization of Natural Rubber”

 

Council
Malaysian Rubber Board, Scientific Economic Advisory Council Member, 2010～

 

Journal Board Member
１．Polymers for Advanced Technology (John Wiley&Sons), Editorial Advisory Board Member, 2011～
２．Journal of Rubber Research (Malaysia), Editorial Board Member, 2008～
３．The Open Colloid Science Journal, Editorial Advisory Board Member, 2009～