PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New polymer designs for beyond-5G telecommunications

Researchers develop a new class of polymers with ultralow dielectric loss, with the potential to power future high-speed telecommunications

2025-10-02
(Press-News.org)

With the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications networks and 6G looming on the horizon, the demand for advanced materials that can handle high-frequency signals is rising rapidly. These systems use electromagnetic waves ranging from tens to hundreds of gigahertz (GHz), where signals are highly sensitive to transmission loss, interference, and distortion. To address these issues, scientists and engineers rely on special insulating materials, known as dielectrics, which help guide signals with minimal loss.

Polymer-based dielectrics are particularly attractive. However, for high-frequency operation, they need two key traits: a low dielectric constant (Dk) and a low dissipation factor (Df). This is important for minimizing signal transmission loss in the GHz frequency range. Until now, polymer designs that simultaneously achieve both a low Dk and a low Df have been difficult to realize.

Addressing this challenge, a research team led by Professor Kenichi Oyaizu from the Department of Applied Chemistry, Research Institute for Science and Engineering at Waseda University in Japan has developed a new class of poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) derivatives with ultralow dielectric loss. “Based on our previous research on high refractive index polymers, we hypothesized that replacing oxygen with sulfur in certain polymers, such as PPO, could significantly reduce the dissipation factor,” explains Oyaizu. “Using this strategy, we succeeded in developing a new class of ultralow dielectric loss polymers.” The study, which also had contributions from Junior Researcher Seigo Watanabe of Waseda University, was published in Volume 6 of the journal Communications Materials on August 16, 2025.

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) is currently known to offer the best balance of a low Dk and Df. By replacing oxygen with sulfur in PPO, the researchers created poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene sulfide) (PMPS), a derivative of PPS. They studied the dielectric properties of PMPS at three different frequencies: 10 GHz, 40 GHz, and 80 GHz, and compared them with those of PPO. To further understand the role of sulfur, they also synthesized and studied two of its copolymers with PPO, referred to as P1 and P2, featuring an alternating sulfur and oxygen sequence.

PMPS achieved a Dk of 2.80 and an ultralow Df of 0.00087 at 10 GHz, significantly lower than that of PPO. This improvement arises from the higher polarizability and smaller dipole moment (the measure of negative and positive charge separation) of the carbon–sulfur bond in PMPS compared to the carbon–oxygen bond in PPO. The copolymers also demonstrated excellent properties: P1 showed  a Dk of 2.76 and Df of 0.00169, while P2 demonstrated a Dk of 2.64 and a Df of 0.00130. A comparison of the properties of PPO, PMPS, and its copolymers indicates that increasing sulfur content is a promising strategy for reducing Df.

The researchers also studied the frequency dependence of these properties over the 10–80 GHz range. While Dk values of all polymers did not change, Df showed an increasing trend for PPO, PMPS and P2. Interestingly, P1 retained an almost constant Df, achieving the lowest value among all polymers at 80 GHz. This was due to the reduced motion between its molecules. As Oyaizu explains, “The alternating sulfur-oxygen sequence in P1 and P2 results in increased intermolecular interactions, which reduce molecular mobility. Moreover, P1, specifically has a higher resistance to molecular rotation. Together, this resulted in a near-constant Df across a wide frequency range.” Combined with strong thermal stability, this makes P1 a practical insulating material for future high-frequency telecommunications.

“Our study presents a breakthrough concept of replacing oxygen with sulfur for the design of ultralow dielectric polymers,” concludes Oyaizu. “We believe this is a first step toward practical materials that can power telecommunications beyond 5G.”

 

***

 

Reference
Authors: Seigo Watanabe1,2, Shuma Miura2, Tomohiro Miura2, Yoshino Tsunekawa2, Daisuke Ito3 and Kenichi Oyaizu 1,2
DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00917-w
Affiliations: 1Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
2Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Japan
3Daicel Corporation, Japan

             
About Waseda University
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including eight prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. 
To learn more about Waseda University, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en  


About Professor Kenichi Oyaizu from Waseda University, Japan
Dr. Kenichi Oyaizu is currently a Professor in the Department of Applied Chemistry at Waseda University. He obtained his PhD from Waseda University in 1995. His research focuses on the development of polymers for electron-transfer-based organic electronics and for wet-type energy storage, transport, and conversion devices. He has published approximately 300 papers on these topics. Notably, he received the Award for Encouragement of Research in Polymer Science from the Society of Polymer Science, Japan, in 2001 and the Chemical Society of Japan Award for Young Chemists in 2002.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hanbat National University study finds quantum computing can make homes smarter and greener

2025-10-02
Residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems constitute a significant proportion of energy usage in buildings, necessitating energy management optimization. In this context, occupancy aware HVAC control is a promising option with 20-50% energy savings in homes. However, occupancy sensing technology suffers from long payback times, privacy issues, and poor comfort. Moreover, there is an increasing need for further advanced technologies that help regulate indoor air quality in addition to energy control. To meet these expectations, scientists have recently turned to intelligent control methods such as ...

Tiny cell messengers in obese individuals accelerate Alzheimer’s-linked plaque buildup in the brain

2025-10-02
HOUSTON – Oct. 2, 2025 – Obesity has long been acknowledged as a risk factor for a wide range of diseases, but a more precise link between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease has remained a mystery – until now. A first-of-its-kind study from Houston Methodist found that adipose-derived extracellular vesicles, tiny cell-to-cell messengers in the body, can signal the buildup of amyloid-β plaque in obese individuals. These plaques are a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease. The study, “Decoding Adipose–Brain Crosstalk: Distinct Lipid Cargo in Human Adipose-Derived ...

Do elephants know when we're looking at them?

2025-10-02
Kyoto, Japan -- With their massive flapping ears and long trunks, it isn't hard to believe that elephants tend to rely on acoustic and olfactory cues for communication. They use gestures and visual displays to communicate as well, but we don't really know how much. Visual communication research has mainly focused on species that are primarily visual, like nonhuman primates. A previous study demonstrated that African savanna elephants can recognize human visual attention based on a person's face and body orientation, but this had yet to be investigated in their Asian cousins. Asian elephants split from African elephants millions of years ago, so their behavior and cognition differ ...

Psilocybin targets brain circuits to relieve chronic pain, depression

2025-10-02
PHILADELPHIA— Researchers at Penn Medicine have identified specific brain circuits that are impacted by psilocybin—the active compound found in some psychedelic mushrooms—which could lead to new paths forward for pain and mental health management options. Chronic pain affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide and is often deeply entangled with depression and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle that amplifies suffering and impairs quality of life. The study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania- ...

MPs and public overestimate time left for climate action, study finds

2025-10-02
A new study has found that UK Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public overestimated the time left to meet a critical deadline for limiting global warming.  Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) surveyed a representative sample of the previous House of Commons, and the public in Britain, Canada, Chile and Germany, on their knowledge of a well-publicised statement from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).   It related to when global ...

Semaglutide and tirzepatide recommended as first-line treatment of obesity and most of its complications in new guidance from European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO)

2025-10-02
Semaglutide or tirzepatide should be the first line treatment for people living with obesity and most of its complications, according to a new framework for the pharmacological treatment of obesity and its complications from the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) to be published in the journal Nature Medicine. “Even though there are several options on the market, the reality is that semaglutide and tirzepatide are so effective that they should be the first choice in almost all cases,” says co-first author Dr Andreea Ciudin. The authors are an international team of obesity experts led by the co-chairs of the EASO Obesity Management Working Group who are Dr ...

Generative AI is more efficient than nature at designing proteins to edit the genome

2025-10-02
Researchers at Integra Therapeutics, in collaboration with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), have designed and experimentally validated new synthetic proteins that can edit the human genome more efficiently than proteins provided by nature. This work, a global pioneer published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology, will be of great use in improving the current gene editing tools used in biotechnology research and personalized medicine by developing cellular (CAR-T) and gene therapies, especially to treat ...

ESMT Berlin study: ESG ratings show limited financial impact in the Gulf

2025-10-02
Firms in the Gulf region are increasingly expected to align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Yet the link between ESG performance and financial outcomes remains ambiguous. A new study examines whether publicly listed companies in GCC member states that achieve high ESG ratings also deliver superior financial performance. The study “ESG and financial performance in the Gulf Cooperation Council” was authored by Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze, professor of management science and faculty lead of the Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Program at ESMT Berlin, together with Rodrigo Tavares and Catarina Sá from Nova School ...

Scalable AI tracks motion from single molecules to wildebeests

2025-10-02
  University of Michigan researchers have developed a tool powered by artificial intelligence that can help them examine the behavior of a single molecule out of a sea of information in the blink of an eye—or at least overnight.   Understanding the behavior of single molecules is important: it can lead to knowledge of different cellular processes or track how diseases begin and progress. To track the behavior of single molecules, researchers tag the molecules with what's called a fluorophore. They excite these fluorophores with a laser, then use powerful microscopes to follow the behavior of the tagged molecules over time.    But ...

Viewing teens more positively may help their school performance and strengthen family bonds

2025-10-02
Western cultures tend to view teens as moody, irresponsible, and rebellious. However, in China and in other cultures, the teen years are viewed more positively and seen as a time of learning how to become responsible and fulfilling family obligations. Previous research shows that fulfilling family obligations is an important marker of maturity and that as adolescents continue to improve their skills, they can contribute more to their families.  Past studies also show that when teens are seen ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

The Lancet: Billions lack access to healthy diets as food systems drive climate and health crises, but sustainable, equitable solutions are within reach, says new EAT-Lancet report

Countries with highest reported levels of hearing loss have lowest use of hearing aids

Early medical abortion at home up to 12 weeks is safe, effective, and comparable to hospital care

New approach to gravitational wave detection opens the Milli-Hz Frontier

Rice membrane extracts lithium from brines with greater speed, less waste

Exercise lowers disease risk. This researcher wants to understand how

Hurricane evacuation patterns differ based on where the storm hits

Stem Cell Reports welcomes new members to its Editorial Board

Researchers develop molecular qubits that communicate at telecom frequencies

Mayo Clinic awarded up to $40 million by ARPA-H for pioneering air safety research

People with Down syndrome have early neuroinflammation

CNIO researchers create the “human repairome”, a catalogue of DNA “scars” that will help define personalized cancer treatments

Strengthening biosecurity screening for genes that encode proteins of concern

Global wildfire disasters are growing in frequency and cost

Wildfire management: Reactive response and recovery, or proactive mitigation and prevention

Phosphine detected in the atmosphere of a low-temperature brown dwarf

Scientists develop rapid and scalable platform for in planta directed evolution

New tiny prehistoric fish species unlocks origins of catfish and carp

Plant microbiota: War and peace under the surface

Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish

Detection of phosphine in a brown dwarf atmosphere raises more questions

USF study: Ancient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life

MIT researchers find a simple formula could guide the design of faster-charging, longer-lasting batteries

Towards efficient room-temperature fluorine recovery from fluoropolymers

Mapping RNA-protein 'chats' could uncover new treatments for cancer and brain disease

The hidden burden of solitude: How social withdrawal influences the adolescent brain

Kidney disease study reveals unexpected marker

AI wrote nearly a quarter of corporate press releases in 2024

The ‘big bad wolf’ fears the human ‘super predator’ – for good reason

Kidney organoid unlocks genetic cause of chronic kidney disease

[Press-News.org] New polymer designs for beyond-5G telecommunications
Researchers develop a new class of polymers with ultralow dielectric loss, with the potential to power future high-speed telecommunications