Research | University of Hyogo, Graduate School of Science, Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Research

~Creation of Novel Molecules Based on Organic Synthesis~

Medicines and functional materials are essential substances for our daily life. These materials are composed of molecules and the electronic state of molecules affect the properties of materials. Therefore, the creation of new molecules leads to the development of new materials. We design molecules with novel frameworks and synthesize them using various methods of organic synthesis. We also use new synthetic reactions to efficiently construct the frameworks.

Synthesis of Unique Functional π-Conjugated Molecules

Graphene is a two-dimensional sheet of fused benzene with a regular hexagonal structure, and is expected to be used as an electronic and optical material. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are composed of multiple aromatic rings and are recognized as substructures of graphene. PAHs are widely found in electronic and biomaterials, and their structures and electronic states have a great influence on their properties. Therefore, the creation of new π-conjugated frameworks is important for the design of new functional materials.

We focus on hetero-PAHs in which the benzene ring is replaced with a heteroaromatic ring or other regular polygon. Especially, we are interested in the function of hetero[8]circulenes and other hetero-PAHs, aiming to create applications in electronic and biomaterials, and catalytic functions based on the structural flexibility, anti-aromaticity, external stimulus response, and metal coordination ability of these molecules.

Development of Stereoselective Organic Transformations

We develop novel synthetic reactions that can be applied to the synthesis of pharmaceutical raw materials and bioactive natural products. Especially, we aim to develop stereoselective reactions using hypervalent iodine and novel carbon-carbon bond formation reactions using organocatalysts.