Takuya Taniguchi

Papers

Total Citations

159

H-Index

About

Takuya Taniguchi is a leading researcher in the field of mechanically responsive molecular materials, with a particular focus on photomechanical and thermomechanical crystals. His work explores how molecular crystals—traditionally seen as rigid and brittle—can be engineered to exhibit dynamic, locomotive behaviors under external stimuli such as light and heat. Taniguchi’s most notable contribution is the discovery of walking and rolling locomotion in chiral azobenzene crystals induced by a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition, a breakthrough published in 2018 that has garnered 139 citations. This work opened new avenues for designing autonomous, self-propelling crystalline materials. He has also advanced the statistical modeling of photo-bending actuation in hybrid silicones mixed with azobenzene powder, contributing to the development of next-generation soft robotic actuators. His 2019 review, “Mechanically Responsive Crystals by Light and Heat,” synthesizes over a decade of progress in photomechanical crystals based on photoisomerization. Taniguchi’s research is highly influential in materials science and soft robotics, demonstrating how molecular-level design can yield macroscopic motion and functionality.