Department of Chemistry,
School of Science,
The University of Tokyo

Laboratories in Department of Chemistry

C

O

N

T

E

N

T

S

Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo

Physical Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Inorganic &Analytical Chemistry

The Chemistry Buildings (Main Bldg., East Bldg., West Bldg.) of the Graduate School of Science arelocated in the center of the University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus. For the past 150 years, the Universityof Tokyo has made history in research and education. As a place that drives advances in modern science,
the Department of Chemistry has nurtured a great many chemists that see chemistry as the central scienceand prepared them for central roles in the academic, industrial and educational sectors. The Department
plays a key role in providing higher chemistry education at the University of Tokyo’s School and Graduate School of Science. It is also a place of discovery, where investigators of the frontiers of chemistry
gather, providing a base for advances in basic chemistry research. Outlined below are research activities
currently under way at laboratories within the Department of Chemistry.

Structural Chemistry1

Solid State Physical Chemistry3

Quantum Chemistry5

Catalytic Chemistry

7

Bioorganic Chemistry9

Synthetic Organic Chemistry11

Natural Products Chemistry

13

Physical Organic Chemistry

15

Biomolecular Chemistry

17

Solid State Chemistry

19

Analytical Chemistry

21

Inorganic Chemistry

23

Bioinorganic Chemistry

25

Presidential Endowed Chair for “Molecular Technology Innovation”

27

Green Sustainable Chemistry Social Cooperation Laboratory

29

Research Center for Spectrochemistry

31

Center for Attosecond Laser Science33

Geochemical Research Center

35

Surface and Artiﬁcal Materials Chemistry37Professor

Project Associate Professor

2001: B.A., University of California, Berkeley, Summa Cum Laude
2007: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2012 - Present: Professor, University of Tokyo・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213
・Email: goda@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・HOMEPAGE: http://www.goda.chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4329

2014: Ph.D., The University of Tokyo
2021 - Present: Project Associate Professor,
The University of Tokyo・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213
・Email: a_isozaki@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649

Keisuke Goda

Structural Chemistry

Akihiro Isozaki(Research Center for Spectrochemistry)
Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213
・Email: hiramatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649

・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213 ・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213
・Email: xiaoth@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Email: peterson@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649

Kotaro Hiramatsu

Tinghui Xiao

Project Assistant Professor

Jorgen Walker Peterson

Project Assistant Professor

Yuqi Zhou

・Office: East Chemistry Building, Room 213
・Email: yuqi@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649

Molecular Imaging & Spectroscopy for Data-Driven Science
Extreme imaging
Conventional high-speed imaging methods are unable to capture fast dynamics
in living cells due to thier mechanical and electronic operation or limited sensitivity. Goda Lab aims to develop unconventional types of imaging for high-speed
bright-field microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy and also to exploit
new applications based on the imaging methods. Prominent examples of Goda
Lab's previous efforts for high-speed imaging include STEAM and STAMP.

Intelligent image-activated cell sorting

Figure 4: Droplets for single-cell analysis

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting is a powerful method for analyzing and sorting cells based on their phenotypes. However, it is limited in
identifying how spatial architectures of intracellular molecules are linked to their physiological functions. To answer this basic biological question,
Goda Lab and colleagues have recently developed an intelligent image-activated cell sorter. Goda Lab currently aims at making new scientificdiscoveries and exploiting new applications based on the technology
Figure 1: Members and collaborators of Goda Lab

Goda Lab is aimed at developing innovative laser-based molecular imaging and spectroscopy technologies together with multidimensional analytics that will revolutionize life sciences and medicine. Specifically, the technologies are designed for discovering new
biological phenomena, elucidating unknown mechanisms, and exploiting new applications. The technologies are based on an integration of theoretical, experimental, and computational techniques in physics and chemistry combined with molecular cell biology, electrical engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, andnanotechnology. Directed by Prof. Keisuke Goda, Goda Lab fosters an international and interdisciplinary research environment. Goda
Lab constantly seeks for ambitious individuals from any university in any field who have the will to play a leading role in scientificexploration and have a major impact on the world. Furthermore, Goda Lab encourages students to start their own startups based on theirresearch achievements. To date, two startups have been launched based on technologies developed in Goda Lab.

Coherent Raman spectroscopy with optical frequency combs
Frequency combs have attracted much attention from physicists and chemists
since the Nobel Prize in Physics was given to the development of frequency
combs. A frequency comb is an optical spectrum that consists of a series of
equally spaced frequency modes with narrow linewidths and can therefore be used
as an optical ruler. Goda Lab aims at developing fast continuous methods basedon frequency combs for coherent Raman spectroscopy and exploiting their uniqueapplications.

Molecular image cytometry for cancer detection
Cancer spread or metastasis is the primary cause of cancer death. In fact, 90% of cancer deaths are due to cancer metastasis, not the original tumor.
Cancer metastasis is caused by the migration of cancer cells to more distant parts of the body via either the lymphatic system or bloodstream. Goda
Lab currently develops high-throughput screening methods based on an integration of photonics and microfluidics for real-time screening of raremetastatic cancer cells in blood.

Graphene photonics for biochemical sensing
Graphene is a two-dimensional atomic-scale hexagonal lattice made of carbon
atoms and has many extraordinary properties such as high stiffness and conductivity. Unique optical properties of graphene give us opportunities to develop
graphene-based integrated circuits for sensitive biochemical sensing andspectroscopy applications. By combining graphene with the state-of-the-art
silicon photonics technology, Goda Lab aims to develop on-chip devices for suchbiochemical applications.

Figure 5: Frequency comb generator

Start your own great innovations

Figure 2: Ultrafast fluorescence microscope

Label-free biochemical imaging for medical applications
Fluorescence detection based on fluorescent dyes has become one of the mostwidely used methods in scientific research and clinical practice such as identification of cellular signaling, protein folding, and cancer tumor. Despite its highsensitivity, it has limitations such as toxicity, long decay times, and interferencewith normal biological processes. To circumvent these limitations, Goda Lab
currently develops new types of high-speed label-free spectroscopy-based
biochemical sensing technology.

History tells us that the greatest discoveries come totally unexpected out of
nowhere. While luck seems to play a role, required attributes for preparing"unexpected" events and making "planned" discoveries are curiosity, persistence,
flexibility, optimism, and risk taking. Goda Lab encourages students to come up
with their own ideas through brainstorming and discussion with colleagues by
providing financial support to student-initiated research projects that might leadto great innovations.

References

Figure 3: Clean room for nanofabrication

Figure 6: Lasers for high-precision spectroscopy

1. N. Nitta et al., “Intelligent image-activated cell sorting,” Cell 175, 266 (2018)
2. K. Hiramatsu et al., “High-throughput label-free molecular fingerprinting flow cytometry,” Science Advances 4, eaau0241 (2019)
3. C. Lei et al., “High-throughput imaging flow cytometry by optofluidic time-stretch microscopy,” Nature Protocols 13, 1603 (2018)
4. C. V. Hoang et al, “Interplay of hot electrons from localized and propagating plasmons,” Nature Communications (2017) 8, 771 (2017)
5. Y. Wakisaka et al, “Probing the metabolic heterogeneity of live Euglena gracilis with stimulated Raman scattering microscopy,” Nature Microbiology 1, 16124 (2016)
6. K. Nakagawa et al, “Sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography,” Nature Photonics 8, 695 (2014)
7. K. Goda et al, “Dispersive Fourier transformation for fast continuous single-shot measurements,” Nature Photonics 7, 102 (2013)
8. K. Goda et al, “High-throughput single-microparticle imaging flow analyzer,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 11630 (2012)
9. K. Goda et al, ”Serial time-encoded amplified imaging for real-time observation of fast dynamic phenomena,” Nature 458, 1145 (2009)

Professor

Shin-ichi Ohkoshi

Associate Professor

Asuka Namai

Doctor of Science, The University of Tokyo,
Doctor of Science, Tohoku University Graduate School ofGraduate School of Science (2014).
Science (1995).
She served as Project Assistant Professor andHe served as Research Associate, Lecturer, and Associate
Assistant Professor at Department of Chemistry,
The University of Tokyo Graduate School ofProfessor at the Research Center for Advanced Science andScience, and has been in current position sinceTechnology, The University of Tokyo, and Associate
2019.
Professor at the Department of Applied Chemistry, The
Office: No. 0105, Chemistry East Bldg.
Email: asuka@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering, andTel: 03-5841-4333
has been in current position since 2006.
Office: No. 0106, Chemistry East Bldg.
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Email: ohkoshi@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Koji Nakabayashi
Kenta Imoto
Tel: 03-5841-4331
Fax: 03-3812-1896
Office: No. 0107, Chemistry East Bldg.
Office: No. 0108, Chemistry East Bldg.

Solid State Physical Chemistry

Email: knakabayashi@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel: 03-5841-4637

Email: imoto@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel: 03-5841-4332

Assistant Professor

Marie Yoshikiyo

Office: No. 0105, Chemistry East Bldg.
Email: m-yoshikiyo@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel: 03-5841-4333

Project Assistant Professor

Olaf Stefanczyk

Office: No. 0114, Chemistry East Bldg.
Email: olaf@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel: 03-5841-4419

Development of novel functional materials responding to light and electromagnetic waves for solving environmental and energy issues
We are working on the development of novel functional materials responding to light and electromagnetic waves and materials forsolving environmental and energy issues. Various materials from metal complexes, such as Prussian blue, to metal oxides and metalalloys have been investigated by chemical synthetic approach. Regarding correlation phenomena of magnetism and light/electromagnetic
wave, we have been promoting research on magneto-optical and nonlinear optical magnetism. By utilizing nano-scale chemical
synthesis, novel functional materials were synthesized from abundant elements such as iron or titanium; epsilon-iron oxide, ε-Fe2O3,
showing huge coercive field and high-frequency millimeter wave absorption, and lambda-titanium oxide, λ-Ti3O5, exhibiting photo-induced
metal-semiconductor transition at room temperature as well as heat storage properties that proposes a novel concept of preserving
heat energy for a prolonged period. We are working on environmentally friendly research with a view to technology applications
contributing to big data, IoT, and renewable energy.

Synthesis of magnetic materials with novel magnetic functionalities based on molecular design
We are studying metal complexes to realize novel magnetic functionalities based on molecular design. Metal complexes are excellent in terms of
optimization of the crystal structure by changing organic ligands and designing of metal
ions based on magnetic chemistry, which is a big advantage in molecular design. We
have synthesized high-spin clusters, and one-, two-, and three-dimensional network
metal assemblies. Furthermore, the design of functional magnetic material is possible
utilizing the flexibility of the metal complex and the variety of coordination geometries
around the metal ion, e.g., magnetic materials responding to physical stimuli such as
light, heat, pressure, and to chemical stimuli such as gas adsorption, molecular adsorption,and humidity. We have pioneeringly reported various novel functionalities, for example,
a magnet exhibiting two compensation temperatures, a humidity-sensitive magnet, aporous magnet that responds to solvent vapor, and so on. Recently, we have reported ametal complex that exhibits both ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism.
Figure 1. Conceptual diagram of material development

Observation of new magnetic phenomena and functionalities associated withmagneto-optical correlation
One of the important features of ferromagnetic metal complexes is in their broad range of color due to visible light absorption, suggesting a
possibility of controlling the electronic states and magnetic characteristics by means of visible light. From this point of view, we have synthesizedvarious photomagnetic materials using metal complexes and observed novel phenomena including photoinduced magnetic pole inversion andphotoinduced magnetization, in which paramagnetism and ferromagnetism are reversibly photoswitched. Recently, we have observed light-induced
spin-crossover ferromagnetism and 90-degree optical switching of the polarization plane of second harmonic light. Furthermore, we could control
light using the magnetic materials that we develop.
We focus on nonlinear magneto-optical effects
and have reported the second example ofmagnetization-induced second harmonic
generation (MSHG) in a bulk ferromagnet, thefirst example of MSHG in a chiral ferromagnet,
and the first observation of magnetization-induced
third harmonic generation (MTHG) in aferromagnet. Furthermore, from recent thestudies on phonon observations by terahertz
light, we observed low-frequency oscillationsof Cs+ ions in a Prussian blue framework andalso a new developed Cs-detection method
using terahertz light.
Figure 2. Structural design and generation offunctionalities based on molecular design

Figure 3. Novel magnetic phenomena and functionalities associated with magneto-optical correlation

Study of novel magnetic oxides with electromagnetic environmentally protective function
Magnetic metal oxides, represented by iron oxides, have been used in our lives for theirchemical stability and insulation property. We have been studying the synthesis of novel
magnetic oxides by chemical approaches and have succeeded to isolate a single phase of
ε-Fe2O3 for the first time. ε-Fe2O3 shows a large coercive field (Hc) over 20 kilo-oersted (kOe)at room temperature, which is the largest Hc value among magnetic oxides. Recently, we
succeeded to enlarge the Hc value and achieved a gigantic Hc value of 35 kOe in a metal
substituted ε-Fe2O3. This Hc value is comparable to those of rare-earth magnets. We have also
observed that ε-Fe2O3 and metal substituted ε-Fe2O3 show the highest frequency electromagnetic
wave absorption in the millimeter wave region, and thus, promoted applied research for
high-density magnetic recording applications and for practical use as millimeter wave absorbers
with electromagnetic environmentally protective function. Recently, we observedhigh-frequency millimeter wave absorption and a rotation of the polarization plane of the
Figure 4. High performance metal oxide magnet, epsilon ironpropagated millimeter wave above 200 GHz.
oxide nanoparticles

Synthesis of a metal oxide with room-temperature photoreversible phase transitionand proposal of a novel concept “heat storage ceramics”
Titanium oxides containing Ti3+ are colored black and have electron spins. We have investigated black titanium oxide by nano-scale chemical synthesis, and discovered a new type ofmetal oxide, lambda type trititanium pentoxide (λ-Ti3O5). This material shows photoinduced
phase transition from black colored lambda phase (metallic conductor) to brown colored betaphase (β-Ti3O5) (semiconductor). Moreover, the reverse phase transition was also observed byphotoirradiation. This is the first example of a metal oxide which shows photorewritablephenomenon at room temperature. Since λ-Ti3O5 is very economical and environmentallyfriendly material and is obtained as nanoparticles, λ-Ti3O5 is expected as a next generation
high-density optical storage material. Additionally, λ-Ti3O5 is capable of preserving heat
energy for a prolonged period, proposing a novel concept of “heat storage ceramics.” This
material absorbs and releases a large heat energy of 230 kJ L−1, and the preserved heat energy
could be released by applying a weak pressure of 60 MPa. Furthermore, the present system
could store the heat energy by electric current or light and release the heat energy by various
external stimuli repetitively. The present heat storage ceramic is expected as a new material
for solar thermal power generation systems or for realizing efficient uses of industrial waste
heat generated from furnaces.
References

Figure 5. “Heat storage ceramics” preserving heat energy
for prolonged period

1. "Strain wave pathway to semiconductor-to-metal transition revealed by time resolved X-ray powder diffraction" C. Mariette, et al., Nature Communications, 2021, 12, 1239.
2. "A photoswitchable polar crystal that exhibits superionic conduction" S. Ohkoshi, et al., Nature Chemistry, 2020, 12, 338-344.
3. "Long-term heat-storage ceramics absorbing thermal energy from hot water" Y. Nakamura, et al., Science Advances, 2020, 6, 5264.
4. "Magnetic pole flip by millimeter wave" S. Ohkoshi, et al., Adv. Mater., 2020, 32, 2004897.
5. “External stimulation-controllable heat-storage ceramics” H. Tokoro, et al., Nature Communications, 2015, 6, 7037.
6. “90-degree optical switching of output second harmonic light in chiral photomagnet” S. Ohkoshi, S. Takano, K. Imoto, M. Yoshikiyo, A. Namai, and H. Tokoro, Nature Photonics, 2014, 8, 65.
7. “Hard magnetic ferrite with a gigantic coercivity and high frequency millimeter wave rotation” A. Namai, et al., Nature Communications, 2012, 3, 1035.
8. “Light-induced spin-crossover magnet” S. Ohkoshi, K. Imoto, Y. Tsunobuchi, S. Takano, and H. Tokoro, Nature Chemistry, 2011, 3, 564.
9. “Synthesis of a metal oxide with a room-temperature photoreversible phase transition” S. Ohkoshi, et al., Nature Chemistry, 2010, 2, 539.
10. “Humidity-induced magnetization and magnetic pole inversion in a cyano-bridged metal assembly” S. Ohkoshi, et al., Nature Materials, 2004, 3, 857.

Professor

Associate Professor

Associate Professor

In 1985, one year before receiving the doctor's
degree from Department of Chemistry,
The University of Tokyo, he was appointed as
Research Associate at Department of Pure andApplied Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
In 1990, he was promoted to Associate Professor,
and had been in the position for seven years until hebecame Professor of Chemistry in 1997 at
Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo.
・Office: No. 0204, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: kaoru@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4334
・Fax: +81-3-5689-7347

Doctor of Science. In 1996, he completed
the doctoral course at Graduate School of
Science, Tohoku University. Since 2006,
he has been in the current position.
・Office: No. 0208, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: tkato@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4335
・Fax: +81-3-5802-4534

Doctor of Science. He received his doctor’s
degree from Heidelberg University in 2008,
and has been in his current position since 2020.
・Office：No.0203, Chemistry East Bldg.
・E-MAIL：lotstedt@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・TEL：+81-3-5841-4417

Kaoru Yamanouchi

Quantum Chemistry

Tsuyoshi Kato

Erik Lötstedt

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

・Office: No. 0205, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: k-yamada@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4336

・Office：No.0227, Chemistry East Bldg.
・E-MAIL：motoyama@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・TEL：+81-3-5841-8786

Kana Yamada

Hiroto Motoyama

Ultrafast molecular dynamics in intense laser fields
Recent advances in laser technology made it possible to generate an ultrashort-pulsed intense laser field whose field intensity is as high as 10 15-1016 W/cm2, which iscomparable with or even larger than the Coulombic field within atoms and molecules. In such an intense laser field, electrons in atoms and molecules are influenced
largely by the external electric field of light, and consequently, the subsequent dynamics of atoms and molecules are sensitively dependent on the characteristics of thelight pulse such as the wavelength, pulse duration, intensity, and carrier-envelope phase (CEP). From the investigation of atoms and molecules interacting with anintense laser field, we can learn fundamental aspects of the light-matter interactions.
Figure 1 shows a variety of phenomena induced when molecules are exposed to an intense laser field. In the relatively low field intensities, the axis of molecules canbe “aligned” or “oriented” along the laser polarization direction. In the higher field intensities, molecules are dressed by light, and the dynamics of molecules aregoverned by a newly formed potential energy surface called a light-dressed potential energy surface. When the laser field intensity becomes even higher, electrons inmolecules are taken away one after another through the tunnel ionization, and multiply charged molecular ions are formed. These multiply charged molecular ionsdissociate into fragment ions having large released kinetic energies by the Coulombic repulsion among the fragment ions. This decomposition process of molecules intofragment ions with the high kinetic energies is called Coulomb explosion.
In these decades, our group has been investigating the following research subjects; (1) “ultrafast hydrogenmigration” in hydrocarbon molecular ions by the “coincidence momentum imaging” method, which records
momentum vector distributions of fragment ions generated through the Coulomb explosion in an intense laser
field, (2) “strong-field ultra-high resolution Fourier-transform spectroscopy,” (3) “laser-assisted elastic
electron scattering” to investigate ultrafast electron dynamics within atoms and molecules in an intense laser
field and “laser-assisted electron diffraction” to probe ultrafast variation of the geometrical structure ofmolecules with the femtosecond temporal resolution, (4) “attosecond spectroscopy” in which photoelectronsand photo-ions are detected after molecules are ionized by high-order harmonics generated using few-cycle
laser pulses, (5) “excitation processes of atoms and molecules in laser-induced filaments,” which are formedby focusing intense laser pulses into gaseous media, (6) “population inversion in N2+ and lasing,” (7) “theory
for describing atoms and molecules and their dynamics in an intense laser field,” (8) “quantum computing
applied to atomic and molecular problems,” and (9) “material processing by the extreme ultraviolet femtosecFigure 1. Dynamics of molecules in intense laser fields [1].
ond laser pulses.”

Molecules in intense laser fields and ultra high-resolution spectroscopy
When a hydrocarbon molecule is exposed to an intense laser field, associated with the ionization,hydrogen atoms within the molecular ion migrate extremely rapidly and a triatomic hydrogen molecularion, H3+, is produced. By a pump-probe coincidence momentum imaging measurement of methanol,
CH3OH, we revealed that the yield of the H3+ periodically oscillates as a function of the delay time andthat the period of the ultrafast dynamics (~38 fs) obtained by the Fourier transform corresponds to theperiod of the C-O stretching vibration. By extending the delay time range of the Fourier-transform
spectroscopy, we determined the vibrational frequency of D2+ to a precision of 10-4 cm-1 (Fig. 2). By thismethod of strong-field ultra-high-resolution Fourier-transform (SURF) spectroscopy with an extended
delay time range of 500 ps, we determined the spin-orbit splitting energies of rare gas atoms to a
precision of 10-7.
We also developed an experimental setup for the coincidence measurements of the carrier-envelope
phase (CEP) of few-cycle laser pulses and the momentum images of fragment ions and revealed the CEP
Figure 2. The results of SURF spectroscopic measurements of D+
dependences of the fragmentation pathways of acetylene [4] and methanol [5].
and D2+: The ion yields as a function of the delay time between theDevelopment of theories to describe molecular dynamics in strong laser fields
By extending the first-principle quantal theory called multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree-Fock (MCTDHF) theory, by which multi-electron dynamics in atoms
and molecules interacting with an intense laser field can be calculated, we developed the extended MCTDHF method to calculate electro-protonic wave functions[10, 11]. We also performed first-principles molecular dynamics calculations of the ejection processes of H3+ from methanol dication and revealed the existence of thereaction pathways in which a neutral H2 moiety appears within the dication first, and then, H3+ moiety is created within the dication and ejected from the dication [12].

Mechanism of N2+ lasing

In a laser filament produced by focusing intense femtosecond laser pulses into air, emission ofcoherent light from N2+ by amplified stimulated emission is observed at a wavelength of 391 nm,
which corresponds to the transition from the excited electronic B2Σu+ state to the electronic groundstate X2Σg+ (Fig. 4). We have shown by theoretical simulations and experimental measurements [13,14, 15] that the population inversion required for the amplification can be interpreted by a sudden
turn-on mechanism, in which N2+ is suddenly exposed to an intense laser field after the ionization ofneutral N2 and that, by the interaction with the laser field, the population in the X2Σg+ state of N2+ istransferred to the first electronically excited A2Πu state, which further increases the extent of the
population inversion between the B2Σu+ and X2Σg+ states.

Application of quantum computing to molecular science
Quantum computers are promising for the calculation of energy levels of very large molecules thatcannot be treated by classical computers. However, the results obtained using current quantum
computers carry both systematic and statistical errors originating from different sources of noise, andtherefore, it is necessary to implement error mitigation techniques. We have shown how the Hückel
molecular orbital energies of π-bonded molecules such as benzene can be evaluated on the superconducting qubit type quantum computer ibm_kawasaki [16]. We also developed a reduced multi-state
contracted variational quantum eigensolver (RMC-VQE) method and calculated the Fermi resonancevibrational-energy levels of CO2 and the corresponding wave functions (Fig. 5) [17]. It was shownthat a quantum computer is a promising tool for calculating the vibrational energy levels of
Figure 5. (a) Vibrational energy levels of the CO2 molecule. Energy
polyatomic molecules in vibrational spectroscopy [18].

histogram of the lower level of the Fermi doublet calculated by aquantum computer (b) without error mitigation and (c) with error
mitigation [17].

Extreme ultraviolet femtosecond laser processing
By focusing femtosecond laser pulses into a rare-gas medium, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) femtosecond laser
pulses are generated through the high-order harmonics generation process. We focus the EUV laser pulses
into a submicron spot by using a high-quality focusing mirror (Fig. 6) [19, 20]. By irradiating the metal andsemi-conductor materials with focused EUV laser pulses, we achieved submicron laser processing [19, 20].
Figure 6. An experimental setup for extremeultraviolet femtosecond laser processing (upper) andthe recorded ablation spot profile (lower) [20].

pump and probe pulse and the Fourier transform spectra [2].

References

Ultrafast molecular imaging by laser-assisted electron diffraction
When electrons are scattered by atoms and molecules in a laser field, the scattered electrons can gain or lose theirenergy by multiples of the photon energy. This is a phenomenon called laser-assisted elastic electron scattering (LAES)[6]. By using the LAES process induced by an ultrashort laser pulse as an ultrafast shutter for the measurement of anelectron diffraction pattern of molecules, ultrafast geometrical changes of molecules can be probed with extremely hightemporal resolution. By this laser-assisted electron diffraction (LAED) method, we recorded an electron diffraction
pattern of carbon tetrachloride, CCl4, at the moment of the irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses [7]. We also developed
a method of terahertz-wave-assisted electron diffraction in which a monocycle terahertz-wave pulse is used as a streaking
electric field for the scattered electrons and observed a terahertz-wave-assisted electron scattering process of Ar [8].
We also developed an experimental apparatus for measurements of laser-assisted electron impact ionization (LAEII)and found that the scattering cross section of electron impact ionization of Ar, in which an electron in the 3p orbital isejected, increases in an intense laser field (Fig. 3). By this measurement, it was revealed experimentally that an electronic
wave function of Ar is described as that in a state distorted by an intense laser field (a light-dressed state). By LAEII
measurements, we can reveal how the wavefunctions of atoms and molecules are distorted in an intense laser field in realtime [9].

Figure 3. The sum-energy spectra of scattered andejected electrons obtained by LAEII of Ar atoms.
The scattering cross section increases at the energy
corresponding to one-photon absorption processes.

Figure 4. (a) Schematic of air lasing induced by a few-cycle laser
pulse. (b) Emission spectrum of the lasing at 391 nm [13].

1. K. Yamanouchi, Science. 295, 1659 (2002).
2. T. Ando, A. Iwasaki, and K. Yamanouchi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 263002 (2018).
3. T. Ando, A. Liu, N. Negishi, A. Iwasaki, and K. Yamanouchi,. Phys. Rev. A 104, 033516 (2021).
4. S. Miura, T. Ando, K. Ootaka, A. Iwasaki, H. Xu, T. Okino, K. Yamanouchi, D. Hoff, T. Rathje, G.G. Paulus, M. Kitzler, A. Baltuška, G. Sansone, and M. Nisoli, Chem. Phys. Lett.
595-596, 61 (2014).
5. Q. Zhang, S. Fukahori, T. Ando, R. Kanya, A. Iwasaki, T. Rathje, G.G. Paulus, and K. Yamanouchi, J. Chem. Phys. 152, 194304 (2020).
6. R. Kanya, Y. Morimoto, and K. Yamanouchi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 123202(2010).
7. Y. Morimoto, R. Kanya, and K. Yamanouchi, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 064201(2014).
8. M. Kitanaka, M. Ishikawa, R. Kanya, and K. Yamanouchi, Chem. Phys. Lett. 795, 139512 (2022).
9. T. Hiroi, Y. Morimoto, R. Kanya, and K. Yamanouchi, Phys. Rev. A 104, 062812 (2021).
10. T. Kato and K. Yamanouchi, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 164118 (2009).
11. T. Kato and K. Yamanouchi, Phys. Rev. A 85, 034504 (2012).
12. K. Nakai, T. Kato, H. Kono, and K. Yamanouchi, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 181103 (2013).
13. H. Xu, E. Lötstedt, A. Iwasaki, and K. Yamanouchi, Nat. Commun. 6, 8347 (2015).
14. H. Li, E. Lötstedt, H. Li, Y. Zhou, N. Dong, L. Deng, P. Lu, T. Ando, A. Iwasaki, Y. Fu, S. Wang, J. Wu, K. Yamanouchi, and H. Xu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 053201 (2020).
15. Y. Zhang, E. Lötstedt, T. Ando, A. Iwasaki, H. Xu, and K. Yamanouchi, Phys. Rev. A 104, 023107 (2021).
16. R. Yoshida, E. Lötstedt, and K. Yamanouchi, J. Chem. Phys. 156, 184117 (2022).
17. E. Lötstedt, K. Yamanouchi, and Y. Tachikawa, AVS Quantum Sci. 4, 036801 (2022).
18. E. Lötstedt, K. Yamanouchi, T. Tsuchiya, and Y. Tachikawa, Phys. Rev. A 103, 062609 (2021).
19. H. Motoyama, A. Iwasaki, Y. Takei, T. Kume, S. Egawa, T. Sato, K. Yamanouchi, and H. Mimura, Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 241102 (2019).
20. H. Motoyama, A. Iwasaki, H. Mimura, and K. Yamanouchi, Journal of Japan Laser Processing Society 28, 110 (2021).

Professor

Associate Professor

・1994: Completed the Doctoral Course at The University ofTokyo, School of Science (Doctor of Science)
・1994: Special Postdoctoral Researcher, RIKEN
・1994: Research Associate, School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo
・2000: Associate Professor, Institute for Molecular Science・2007: Professor, Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido
University
・2011-present: Professor, School of Science,
The University of Tokyo・Office: No. 1301, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: tsukuda@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4363

・2006: Completed the Doctoral Course at Keio University, School of Integrated
Design Engineering (Doctor of Science)
・2006: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad, University of Konstanz, Germany
・2008: Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Science, Nagoya University
・2009: Research Associate, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
・2009: Research Associate, School of Science, Tohoku University
・2013-present: Associate Professor, School of Science, The University of Tokyo・Office: No. 0224, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: kkoyasu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4559
Assistant Professor
Project Assistant Professor

Tatsuya Tsukuda

Catalytic Chemistry

Kiichirou Koyasu

Shinjiro Takano

・Office: No. 1112, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: stakano@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4364

Shinya Masuda

・Office: No. 1201, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: s.masuda@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4365

Development of novel catalysts based on metal clusters
Metal clusters with diameters smaller than 2 nm show novel properties that are absent
in the corresponding bulk metal due to their discrete electronic and unique geometricalstructures. In addition, the stability and properties of metal clusters change drasticallydepending on the number of the constituent atoms (cluster size). Because of theseunique features, metal clusters are promising candidates for functional units of novel
materials such as catalysts and electro-optical devices. Our research activity is directed
toward understanding the origin of the size-specific chemical properties of metalclusters and toward the development of cluster-based nanocatalysts (Figure 1).

surface coverage) precisely and independently. We demonstrated remarkable effects of the structural parameters on the catalysis of supported
Au-based catalysts for aerobic oxidation reactions (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Controlled synthesis of supported Au-based clusters and the effects of the structural parameters on catalysis.

Figure 1. Development of cluster-based materials. The
clusters are stabilized against aggregation by various
methods depending on the application.

Chemistry of superatoms and superatomic molecules
Metal clusters can be treated as conventional chemical compounds
when they are protected by organic ligands. We developed asize-selective and systematic synthetic method to produce goldclusters protected by ligands such as thiolates (RS), phosphines(PR3), and alkynes. Our method yielded a series of clusters, such as
Au25(SR)18, Au38(SR)24, Au55(SR)31, Au75(SR)44, Au144(SR)60,[Au25(SR)5(PR3)10Cl2]2+, and Au54(C≡CPh)26, whose chemical compositions were defined with an atomic and molecular precision. The
stabilities and structures of the ligand-protected Au clusters areunderstood in the framework of “superatoms” and “superatomic
molecules” (Figure 2). We are currently expanding libraries ofsuperatoms for the construction of a periodic table of artificial
elements in nanoscale and superatomic molecules for the development of novel functional materials.

Elucidation of structure-reactivity correlationsof free metal clusters
Guiding principles are required for the rational development of new cluster-based
catalysts. Namely, it is important to understand the structural parameters (size, composition,and charge state) suitable for catalytic activation of small molecules and to explore newchemical properties of clusters. To this end, we are studying the chemical reactions of free
metal clusters with well-defined structural parameters by means of home-built apparatus
composed of mass spectrometer and photoelectron spectrometer, combined with theoretical
calculations.

Figure 4. Activation of CO2 by Co cluster anions and a newactivation route of the C-I bond of CH3I by Au–.

References

Figure 2. Gold superatoms and their dimers and oligomers. The ligand layers areomitted for simplicity.

Precision synthesis of gold cluster catalysts
We found that polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized Au clusters show catalytic activity in aerobic oxidation of alcohols when the cluster
diameter is smaller than 3 nm and that the activity is enhanced with a decrease in the diameter. We also revealed by using spectroscopic methods thatthe small Au clusters are negatively charged by the interaction with PVP. We proposed a reaction mechanism based on the catalytic activation of an
oxygen molecule via electron transfer from the gold clusters.
It is a technical challenge to precisely control the size of the clusters on solid supports. We developed a new synthetic method based on calcinationof the ligand-protected Au clusters adsorbed on the supports. This approach allows us to control key structural parameters (size, composition and

1. Hydride Doping of Chemically Modified Gold-Based Superatoms. S. Takano, S. Hasegawa, M. Suyama, and T. Tsukuda, Acc. Chem. Res. 2018, 51, 3074.
2. Superior Base Catalysis of Group 5 Hexametalates [M6O19]8- (M = Ta, Nb) over Group 6 Hexametalates [M6O19]2- (M = Mo, W). S. Hayashi, N. Sasaki, S. Yamazoe, and T. Tsukuda,
J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, 122, 29398.
3. Hydride-Mediated Controlled Growth of a Bimetallic (Pd@Au8)2+ Superatom to a Hydride-Doped (HPd@Au10)3+ Superatom. S. Takano, H. Hirai, S. Muramatsu, and T. Tsukuda,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 12314.
4. Hydride-Doped Gold Superatom (Au9H)2+: Synthesis, Structure and Transformation. S. Takano, H. Hirai, S. Muramatsu, and T. Tsukuda, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 8380.
5. Prominent Hydrogenation Catalysis of a PVP-Stabilized Au34 Superatom Provided by Doping a Single Rh Atom. S. Hasegawa, S. Takano, S. Yamazoe, and T. Tsukuda,
Chem. Commun. 2018, 54, 5915.
6. Gold Ultrathin Nanorods with Controlled Aspect Ratios and Surface Modications; Formation Mechanism and Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance. R Takahata, S. Yamazoe,
K. Koyasu, K. Imura, and T. Tsukuda, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 6640.
7. Size-dependent Polymorphism in Aluminum Carbide Cluster Anions AlnC2–: Formation of Acetylide-Containing Structures. K. Tsuruoka, K. Koyasu, S. Hirabayashi, M. Ichihashi, and
T. Tsukuda, J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, 122, 8341.
8. Photoassisted Homocoupling of Methyl Iodide Mediated by Atomic Gold in Low-Temperature Neon Matrix. S. Muramatsu, X. Wu, M. Chen, M. Zhou, and T. Tsukuda,
J. Phys. Chem. A 2017, 121, 8408.
9. Anion Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Free [Au25(SC12H25)18]–. K. Hirata, K. Yamashita, S. Muramatsu, S. Takano, K. Ohshimo, T. Azuma, R. Nakanishi, T. Nagata, S. Yamazoe,
K. Koyasu, and T. Tsukuda, Nanoscale 2017, 9, 13409.
10. Hydrogen-Mediated Electron Doping of Gold Clusters as Revealed by In Situ X-ray and UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy. R. Ishida, S. Hayashi, S. Yamazoe, K. Kato, and
T. Tsukuda, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2017, 8, 2368.

Professor

Hiroaki Suga

Bioorganic Chemistry

Associate Professor

1994 Massachusetts Instituteof Technology (Ph.D. in
Chemistry). 1997 AssistantProfessor, State University of
New York Buffalo, 2002
tenured Associate Professor,
SUNY Buffalo, 2003 Associate Professor,
Research Center for Advanced Science andTechnology, The University of Tokyo, 2005
Professor, RCAST, 2010-present Professor,
Graduate School of Science.
Chemistry East Bldg. 0215
Email：hsuga@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel：03-5841-8372

Yuki Goto

2005 Kyoto
University (M. Sc.),
2008 The Universityof Tokyo (Ph. D.).
2008 Research
Associate, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009
Assistant Professor, RCAST, The
University of Tokyo, 2010 AssistantProfessor, Graduate School of Science,
The University of Tokyo, 2016-present
Associate Professor.
Chemistry West Bldg. 2208
Email：y-goto@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel : 03-5841-4338

Associate Professor

Takayuki Katoh

2007 The University of Tokyo(Ph.D. in Engineering)
2004 Research Fellow, iGENE
therapeutics, Co., Inc., 2005
Research Fellow, Japan Biological
Informatics Consortium, 2009
Assistant Professor, RCAST, The University of Tokyo,
2010 Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Science,
The University of Tokyo,
2018-present Associate Professor,
Chemistry West Bldg. 2208
Email : katoh@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel：03-5841-4638

Project Assistant Professor

Alexander A. Vinogradov
Chemistry West Bldg. 2208
Email：a_vin@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel : 03-5841-4638

Project Assistant Professor

Haruo Aikawa

Chemistry West Bldg. 2208
Email：haikawa@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel : 03-5841-4638

Project Assistant Professor

Mituhiro Yamada

Molecular Life Innovation Bldg. 708
Email：mkuriyama@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel : 03-5841-0276

Dissecting Life with Organic Chemistry and Devising Methods to Control at Will
In the Suga lab, our aim is to utilize organic chemistry techniques in combination with biology to tackle yet unresolved questions.
In our inclusive research, we procure scientific knowledge leading to new concepts and develop novel technologies with broad applicability, which can extend to drug discovery. We provide a diligent and cooperative research environment with a goal of nurturing
individuals so they are brimming with innovation and global-mindedness. The following research projects are currently in progress.

Development and application of artificial ribozymes
The "RNA world" hypothesis is based on the concept that life on Earth originated as RNA molecules without the participation of the DNA and/or
protein components that are integral to modern life. As early as the 1960s, Crick and Orgel had already proposed the basic concept of the RNA world
hypothesis, but this early hypothesis could not be widely accepted due to a lack of experimental evidence. The discovery of RNA molecules withenzymatic activities called ribozymes in the 1980s drastically changed this situation. However, in the modern world, very few natural ribozymes
exist and they are limited to the catalysis of RNA modifying reactions such as cleavage and ligation ofRNA. These limited functions are apparently insufficient to support life, that is, ribozymes would need tohave been responsible for more varied enzymatic functions if the RNA world really existed. It is possiblethat over the course of 4 billion years of evolution the catalytic activity of proteins was favored and thus
ribozymes with more diverse functions have been lost, so that just a trace of the real RNA world can beseen in nature today. Therefore, one of the themes of our lab is to artificially create ribozymes with novel
catalytic activity in order to validate the concept of the RNA world. In other words, development ofartificial life consisting entirely of ribozymes is one of our ultimate goals.
"Flexizyme" is one of the most successful ribozymes developed in our laboratory. Flexizyme is a short
RNA molecule consisting of 46 nucleotides and it catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA with a wide
range of natural and unnatural amino acids. Flexizyme exhibits broad substrate tolerance; it accepts
arbitrary tRNA body sequences and various amino acids regardless of their side-chain structures. Therefore, flexizyme is a powerful tool for genetic code reprogramming and translation of nonstandard Fig. 1 Three-dimensional structure offlexizyme (yellow) and tRNA (red) The
peptides as discussed below.
Glnflexizyme core is docked onto tRNA by
superimposing the minihelix on the tRNA
acceptor stem. (Nature 2008, 454, 358-361)

Ribosomal synthesis of nonstandard peptides
Peptides found as natural products often contain nonstandard
structures such as N-methyl amino acids, D-amino acids and macrocyclic structures. Generally, these nonstandard peptides have rigid
and biologically stable structures as well as high bioactivity
compared to standard peptides. Moreover, many nonstandard
peptides are membrane permeable, some of which have been alreadymarketed as oral drugs. However, the discovery of such nonstandard
peptide drugs has thus far been haphazard and a systematic methodof discovery has not been established due to the limited availabilities
of nonstandard peptides. On the other hand, the FIT system enables
us to freely design and create such nonstandard peptides. We havealready developed various methodologies for the macrocyclization of Fig.3 Ribosomal synthesis of cyclic N-methyl peptides
translated peptides and the synthesis of natural product-like Synthesis of biologically stable macrocyclic peptides was accomplished using
the FIT system.
nonstandard peptides using the FIT system. Now, we are trying todevelop new systems for producing more complicated and pharmaceutically useful peptides.

Drug discovery using the nonstandard peptide library
For high throughput screening of bioactive nonstandard peptides, we have integrated the FIT
system with an in vitro display method called mRNA display, with the combined system referred
to as the RaPID system (Random Peptide Integrated Discovery system). Currently, we are applying the RaPID system to drug development projects with the intention of isolating nonstandard
peptides inhibitors of various pharmaceutical targets. In the near future, by establishing thissystem as a fundamental technology of next generation drug discovery and being the first
nonstandard peptide drug discovery institution to originate from Japan, we aim to deliver many
achievements for the benefit of society.
Fig. 4 Cover page of Nature Chemical Biology (2009) showing ourresearch project "Keys to translation"
HO
G（glycolic acid) was introduced at CUC codon by genetic code
reprogramming and used for macrocyclization of peptides.

Genetic code reprogramming
Genetic code reprogramming is the concept of using the translation
machinery to synthesize polypeptides with the freedom to incorporate
various non-proteinogenic amino acids. (Fig. 2). For this purpose, wehave developed a flexible in vitro translation system referred to as the
FIT system by integrating flexizymes with a reconstituted E. colii translation system. Flexizymes allow us to prepare diverse nonproteinogenic
aminoacyl-tRNAs quickly and effortlessly, and the reconstituted E. colitranslation technology provides a translation system depleted of specificnonproteinogenic amino acids. Thus, the FIT system has made it possible
to reassign existing codons to desired nonproteinogenic amino acids suchas N-methyl and D-amino acids, which have previously been challenging
to incorporate. Currently, we are actively pursuing the development offurther improved “next generation” genetic code reprogramming
technologies.

References

1. A.A. Vinogradov*, M. Nagano, Y. Goto, H. Suga* "Site-speciﬁc nonenzymatic peptide S/O-glutamylation reveals the extent of substrate promiscuity in glutamate elimination domains." Journal of

the American Chemical Society, 143, 13358-13369 (2021)

2. H. Tsutsumi, T. Kuroda, H. Kimura; Y. Goto*, H. Suga* "Posttranslational chemical installation of azoles into translated peptides." Nature Communications, 12, 696 (2021)

3. T. Katoh*, T. Sengoku, K. Hirata, K. Ogata, H. Suga* "Ribosomal synthesis and de novo discovery of bioactive foldamer peptides containing cyclic β-amino acids." Nature Chemistry, 12,1081‒1088 (2020).

4. S. Ishida, N. Terasaka, T. Katoh, H. Suga* “An aminoacylation ribozyme evolved from a natural tRNA-sensing T-box riboswitch.” Nature Chemical Biology, 16, 702-709 (2020).
5. T. Ozaki, K. Yamashita, Y. Goto, M. Shimomura, S. Hayashi, S. Asamizu, Y. Sugai, H. Ikeda, H. Suga*, H. Onaka* "Dissection of goadsporin biosynthesis by in vitro reconstitution leading to designer
analogues expressed in vivo." Nature Communications, 8, 14207 (2017).

Fig. 2 Example of genetic code reprogramming
Left: Suppression of the initiation AUG codon with chloroacetyl-D-tryptophan,
Right: Introduction of four N-methyl amino acids (MeF, MeS, MeG and MeA) into
elongation codons

6. T. Katoh*, I. Wohlgemuth, M. Nagano, M. V. Rodnina, H. Suga* "Essential structural elements in tRNAPro for EF-P-mediated alleviation of translation stalling." Nature Communications, 7, 11657(2016).
7. Y. Iwane, A. Hitomi, H. Murakami, T. Katoh, Y. Goto, H. Suga* "Expanding the amino acid repertoire of ribosomal polypeptide synthesis via the artiﬁcial division of codon boxes."

Nature Chemistry, 8, 317-325 (2016).

8. N. Terasaka, G. Hayashi, T. Katoh, H. Suga* "An orthogonal ribosome-tRNA pair via engineering of the peptidyl transferase center." Nature Chemical Biology, 10, 555-557 (2014).
9. Y. Tanaka, C. J. Hipolito, A. D. Maturana, K. Ito, T. Kuroda, T. Higuchi, T. Katoh, H. E. Kato, M. Hattori, K. Kumazaki, T. Tsukazaki, R. Ishitani, H. Suga*, O. Nureki* "Structural basis for the drug
extrusion mechanism by a MATE multidrug transporter." Nature, 496, 247-251 (2013).

10. Y. Goto, T. Katoh, H. Suga* “Flexizymes for genetic code reprogramming” Nature Protocol, 6, 779-790 (2011).

9

10

Professor_

Shu Kobayashi

Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Associate Professor

Yasuhiro Yamashita

・2001: Completed the doctoral course at the・1987: Left the doctoral course at Graduate
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Science, The University of Tokyo,
The University of Tokyo (Doctor ofand appointed as Assistant Professor in the
Pharmaceutical Sciences).
Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of
Science, The Science University of Tokyo.
・Served as Assistant Professor at the Graduate
・1988: Received a doctoral degree in science
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Thefrom The University of Tokyo.
University of Tokyo, and postdoctoral researcher at Kobayashi
・1991: Appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Applied Chemistry, Highly Functionalized Reaction Environments Project, JST, and has
Faculty of Science, The Science University of Tokyo.
been in current position since 2007.
・1992: Appointed as Associate Professor in the Department of Applied ・2005-6: Served as Postdoctoral Fellow at Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The Science University of Tokyo.
Yale University (USA)・1998: Appointed as Professor at Graduate School of Pharmaceutical・Office: No. 1007, Chemistry Main Bldg.
Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
・Email: yyamashita@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Has been in current position since April 2007.
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4791
・Office: No. 2402, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Email: shu_kobayashi@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4790 Fax: (0)3-5684-0634

Assistant Professor

Taku Kitanosono

・Office: No. 2303, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Email: tkitanosono@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4644
Assistant Professor

Hiroyuki Miyamura

・Office: No. 687, Science Bldg. 1, East Bldg.
・Email: miyamurahiroyuki@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-1095
Project Assistant Professor

Yuki Saito

・Office: No. 686, Science Bldg. 1, East Bldg.
・Email: y-saito@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-1094
Project Assistant Professor

Tatsuya Kuremoto

・Office: No. 685, Science Bldg. 1, East Bldg.
・Email: kuremoto@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4793

Creation of Novel Science Based on Organic Synthesis
Synthetic organic chemistry is the science of “making” chemical products. Our laboratory is not only continuing and expanding
upon the traditional role of synthetic organic chemistry, but is also aiming to open new doors of new sciences based on the productsof our synthetic endeavors. We are interested in fostering the harmonious co-existence of human activity and the environment, andstrive to develop methods to make chemical products without damaging our natural environment. Our goals are: (1) to develop highyielding and highly selective organic transformations; and (2) to reduce chemical wastes by efficiently utilizing the resource of the
Earth. We are also interested in developing highly efficient catalytic asymmetric reactions for the purpose of supplying fine chemicals, like drugs, and to solve recent energy problems from the viewpoint of synthetic organic chemistry.
The goals of the natural sciences are to seek universal of truths of phenomena, and to elucidate the fundamental rules and basic
theories in Nature. However, in chemistry, basic science and applied science are closely related. We are contributing to society by
not only expanding our knowledge of the basic sciences, but also applying our discoveries for practical use. With our research
activities, we strive to deliver innovative concepts in synthetic organic chemistry.

Development of organic reactions using water as a solvent
Since the advent of organic chemistry, Friedrich Wöhler’s urea synthesis in 1828, it has been systematically cultivated in organic solvents. In contrast,
we have disclosed a number of examples on new reactivity and selectivity observed in chemical reactions performed in water that are not obtained inorganic solvents. Now the curtain rises to exploit water positively as a solvent. Since independently-developed “organic chemistry in water” cannot be
written by the traditional organic chemistry cultivated in organic solvents, “organic chemistry in water” wants systemizing. Our group has extensively
engaged in the development of multifarious catalytic systems that are water-compatible. One of our fruits, Lewis Acid-Surfactant-Combined Catalyst(LASC) forms hydrophobic micelle along with water-tolerant Lewis acidity. In our recent work, a homogenized combination of nickel-based LASCs
and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was designed to exhibit excellent activity in water. The electrochemical behavior of the central metal was
modified to address the inherently low Lewis acidity of metal cations, enabling the efficient and highly selective synthesis of optically active nitrones.
Like this, one of our biggest concerns is exploring catalytic asymmetric reactions in water toward efficient synthetic methodologies of optically active
c o m p o u n d s . To d a t e , w e h a v e d e v e l o p e dasymmetric hydroxymethylation, Michael
addition, and protonation reactions. Furthermore,
we have spotlighted zero-valent metals, andmetal oxides or hydroxides that have not beenused so far. Their outstanding catalytic activities
in aqueous environments are discovered, leading
to a set of highly stereoselective bond-forming
reactions such as allylation reactions ofaldehydes, boron and silicon conjugate addition
reactions with a considerably wide range ofsubstrate generality. These reactions do notproceed (or are not selective) at all in the absence
Asymmetric boron conjugate addition reaction in
Chiral Lewis acid integrated with SWNTs: In addition toof water, which underscores the positive effect ofwater using Cu(OH)2 as a catalyst. Despite the factwater that involves in reaction mechanism rather the enhanced reactivity, stereoselective performance andthat all involved species are practically insoluble inlong-term stability were demonstrated in asymmetricthan the role as an alternative solvent.
water, the reaction failed to give the desired adductconjugate addition reactions of aldoximes to furnish
chiral nitrones in high yields with excellent selectivities.

hand, we developed highly active immobilized Rh
catalysts using silica-organic polymer composites withcore-shell structure as support. The catalyst demonstrated
higher activity than homogeneous catalysts for asymmetric
1,4-addition of boronic acids.

Organic synthesis in the next generation with continuous-flow reactions

Flow reactions can synthesize molecules continuously by pumping
substrate solutions into a reactor. Organic synthesis utilizing flow
reactions has many advantages compared with conventional batch
synthesis in terms of efficiency, safety, and environmental compatibility.
Among them, flow reactions with heterogeneous catalysts enablemultistep synthesis without the isolation of reaction intermediates. Ourlaboratory has achieved continuous-flow multistep synthesis of finechemicals utilizing catalytic transformations with heterogeneous
catalysts. Particularly, we have focused on reactions with highatom-economy such as addition reactions and reduction with hydrogengas. We have reported the continuous-flow synthesis of various kinds offine chemicals including APIs and their intermediates such as Rolipram
Rolipram, Donepezil, Venlafaxine, and Tamsulosin, and agrochemicals.

Development of high-performance heterogeneous catalysts

Total synthesis of optically active drug, Rolipram, using multi-steps
continuous flow reaction system was achieved.

Development of new synthetic methods directing higher efficiency

Our group has a long standing interest in developing more efficient catalytic reactions and catalytic asymmetric reactions that provides only the desiredenantiomer with high selectivity. We have reported many highly functionalized metal catalysts for various asymmetric carbon–carbon bond forming
reactions. Recently, we have been focused on proton transfer catalysis for realizing high atom-economy, and developing catalytic addition reactions of lessreactive materials using alkaline metal strong Brønsted bases. We have developed catalytic asymmetric addition reactions of alkylarenes such as toluene
with imines and Mannich reactions of weakly acidic simple amides. Moreover, we have been focusing on development of photo reactions and electrolytic
reactions, and realized efficient catalytic carbon–carbon bond forming reactions.
(Top) Catalytic addition reactionsof malonate with alkene using
Brønsted base–photo catalyst
hybrid system. (Bottom) Electrochemical allylation of carbonylcompounds using nitrogen-dopedcarbon-incarcerated zinc electrodes

completely under neat (solvent-free) conditions.

Heterogeneous catalysts can be easily separated from the product, and recovered and reused after reactions. Our laboratory has been investigatingnovel heterogeneous catalysts. Especially, we have developed metal nanoparticle catalysts by fine modification of supports and chiral metal catalysts
by novel immobilization of chiral metal complexes in recent years.
We have developed polysilane-modified Pt, Rh, and Pd nanoparticle catalysts, which demonstrate higher activity and robustness over conventional
catalysts. Our catalysts particularly showed high performance for reactions with gaseous molecules and achieved hydrogenation of various functionalgroups and arenes. More recently, we have developed a unique cooperative catalyst system by the combination of nanoparticle catalysts and Lewis
acid catalysts. On the other hand, we have developed N-doped carbon incarcerated (NCI) earth-abundant metal catalysts such as Cu and Co. These
metal catalysts had been considered less active than precious metal catalysts, however, we have developed highly active heterogeneous catalysts by
the precise design of support.
We also have developed a novel immobilization method of chiral metal complexes utilizing noncovalent interactions without chemical modificationof chiral ligands. We have found that
immobilized Rh catalysts havecomparable activity and selectivity as
original homogeneous catalysts forflow asymmetric hydrogenation ofenamides. Moreover, this method
could be applied for the immobilization of chiral Lewis acid catalysts. We
Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenaCatalytic hydration ofalso developed chiral heterogeneoustion of enamides underalkenes was achieved
Ni catalysts supported inside thecontinuous-flow condition using ausing N-doped carbon
mesopore of MCM-41 for asymmetricchiral heterogeneous rhodiumincarcerated (NCI) cobalt
1,4-addition reactions. On the othercatalyst was developed.

Heterogeneous chiral nickel
complex immobilized inmesoporous silica catalyzed
asymmetric 1,4-addition
reactions.

Chiral alkaline metal strong Brønsted base-catalyzed asymmetricaddition reactions of weakly acidic materials

References

1. Chiral Lewis Acids Integrated with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Asymmetric Catalysis in Water, T. Kitanosono, P. Xu, S. Kobayashi, Science., 362, 311-315 (2018)
2. Hydrogen-Bonding-Assisted Cationic Aqua Palladium(II) Complex Enables Highly Efficient Asymmetric Reactions in Water, T. Kitanosono, T. Hisada, Y. Yamashita, S. Kobayashi,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60, 3407-3411 (2021).
3. Oxygenation of Styrenes Catalyzed by N-Doped Carbon Incarcerated Cobalt Nanoparticles, T. Yasukawa, S. Kobayashi, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 92, 1980-1985 (2019).
4. Development of Robust Heterogeneous Chiral Rhodium Catalysts Utilizing Acid–Base and Electrostatic Interactions for Efficient Continuous-Flow Asymmetric Hydrogenations,Y. Saito, S. Kobayashi, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 142, 16546-16551 (2020).
5. A Nickel-Diamine/Mesoporous Silica Composite as a Heterogeneous Chiral Catalyst for Asymmetric 1,4-Addition Reactions, H. Ishitani, K. Kanai, W.-J. Yoo, T. Yoshida, S. Kobayashi,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 58, 13313-13317 (2019).
6. Silica-Polystyrene Hybrid Core/Shell Microparticles of Rhodium–Chiral Diene Complexes as Catalysts for Asymmetric 1,4-Addition Reactions, T. Kuremoto, R. Sadatsune,
T. Yasukawa, S. Kobayashi, ACS Catal., 11, 14026-14031 (2021).
7. Reaction Rate Acceleration of Cooperative Catalytic Systems: Metal Nanoparticles and Lewis Acids in Arene Hydrogenation, H. Miyamura, S. Kobayashi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 61,e202201203 (2022).
8. Multistep Continuous Flow Synthesis of (R)- and (S)- Rolipram Using Heterogeneous Catalysts, T. Tsubogo, H. Oyamada, S. Kobayashi, Nature., 520, 329-332 (2015).
9. Asymmetric C(sp3)–H Functionalization of Unactivated Alkylarenes such as Toluene Enabled by Chiral Brønsted Base Catalysts, T. Hirata, I. Sato, Y. Yamashita, S. Kobayashi,Commun. Chem., 4, 36 (2021).
10. Chiral Metal Salts as Ligands for Catalytic Asymmetric Mannich Reactions with Simple Amides, Y. Yamashita, A. Noguchi, S. Fushimi, M. Hatanaka, S. Kobayashi,
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 143, 5598-5604 (2021).
11. Development of Brønsted Base–Photocatalyst Hybrid Systems for Highly Efficient C–C Bond Formation Reactions of Malonates with Styrenes, S. Bas, Y. Yamashita, S. Kobayashi,
ACS Catal., 10, 10546-10550 (2020).
12. Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Incarcerated Zinc Electrodes as Heterogeneous Catalysts for Electrochemical Allylation of Carbonyl Compounds, R. Masuda, T. Yasukawa, Y. Yamashita,
S. Kobayashi, J. Org. Chem., 87, 3453-3460 (2022).

Professor

Associate Professor

Hiroki Oguri
・1998: Ph. D. from Tohoku University (Dept. of Chemistry)
・1998: Assistant Professor at Tohoku University (Dept. of Chemistry)
・2003: Visiting Scientist at Harvard University (Dept. of Chemistry &Chemical biology)
・2004: Associate Professor at Hokkaido University (Dept. of Chemistry)
・2015: Professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
・2020: Professor at the University of Tokyo (Dept. of Chemistry)・Office: No. 1415, School of Science Bldg. 4
・E-mail: hirokioguri@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4358

Natural Products Chemistry

Masayuki Satake
・1994: Completed the doctoral course at the
Tohoku University Graduate School of
Agriculture (Doctor of Agricultural Science)
・Served as junior Lecturer and Associate Professor
at Tohoku University Faculty of Agriculture,researcher for the Okinawa Prefecture Regional
Intensive Joint Research Project, and researcher
at North Carolina University at Wilmington,
and has been in current position since 2006.
Assistant Professor
・Office: No. 119, Chemistry East Bldg.
Ryo Tanifuji
・Email: msatake@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4144
・Office: No. 2401A, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Email: tanifujir@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4366

Natural product-inspired molecular design, assembly-line synthesis, and creation of functions
In the Oguri laboratory, we are developing concise and flexible synthetic approaches
to generate functional molecules based on the structure, biosynthesis, and biologicalroles of natural products as the evolutionary consequences of life. With integration of
the biosynthetic logics and modern strategies of organic synthesis, biomimetic modular
assembly lines were devised to gain divergent access to skeletally diverse molecules.
The densely functionalized natural products and their variants have been utilized ascovalent ligands to investigate chemical genetic and medicinal research relevant toinfectious diseases and tumors. We are also exploring the interface of natural products
and supramolecular chemistry by harnessing the largely untapped potential of natural
products bearing specific molecular recognition capabilities. Our research and educational activities are aimed at nurturing the next generation leaders who create newvalues and explore the frontier of chemical research and industries.

Modular assembly line synthesis of skeletally diverse molecules (Ref. 1–3)
Organic synthesis that diversifies the three-dimensional structures throughgeneration of diverse molecular scaffolds is becoming more important as aninnovative technology toward the creation of functional substances based on
the regulation at atomic/molecular levels. We are exploring synthetic
approaches that not only mimic biosynthetic processes generating a wide
variety of secondary metabolites but also redesign the modular divergent
assembly lines. Our synthetic campaigns aim to develop a concise andversatile synthetic process allowing systematic generation of “scaffold
variations” through programmable manipulations of a common multipotent
intermediate (Fig. 1). These investigations are formulating advanced synthetic
strategies to gain expeditious and cost-effective access to the natural productrelevant chemical space with diversification of skeletal, stereochemical, andfunctional group properties.

Chemical biology utilizing covalent ligands (Ref. 6–8)
Artemisinin and its derivatives, the active ingredients of traditional Chinese
medicine, have revolutionized the malaria chemotherapy. Reductive cleavageof the peroxide bridge by intracellular heme iron generates carbon radical
species responsible for the formation of a covalent linkage with biomolecules
and the enhancement of oxidative stress. The 6-aza-artemisinins were
designed by replacing a stereogenic carbon center at C6 with a nitrogen,which allowed both structural modification of the hitherto unexplored C-ringand concise de novo synthesis (Fig. 3). By exploiting the natural products
variants, we will streamline concise synthesis, screening, and identification of
the covalent complexes composed of the synthetic ligands and biomacromolecules. These efforts are expected to facilitate the development of leadcandidates for the treatment of infectious diseases and cancers.

Fig. 3. Mode of action of artemisinin and modular de novo synthesis of
6-aza-artemisinins.

Supramolecular assemblies of natural product-based scaffolds (Ref. 9–10)

Fig. 1. Biogenetically inspired synthesis of skeletally diverse indole
alkaloids.

In efforts to generate self-assembling nanostructures, we paid attention to the precise molecular
recognition capabilities of natural products with dense arrays of sp3 stereogenic centers and various
functional groups. The C2-symmetric alkaloidal skeleton has been demonstrated to be a versatilechiral scaffold for supramolecular chemistry, capable of generating configurational variations of the
sp3 stereogenic centers and thereby customizing the conformational flexibility, chiroptical property
and self-assembling behavior (Fig. 4). We are developing the natural product-based versatilescaffolds that project multiple functional units with systematic diversification of the spatial arrangements. Supramolecular assemblies of the synthetic mid-sized molecules will be investigated to
improve their sensing functions.

Redesigning Biosynthetic Process: Chemo-enzymatic Hybrid Synthesis (Ref. 4–5)
Plants and microorganisms have evolved the enzymatic machinery to efficiently
biosynthesize natural products under physiological conditions. Our approach
focuses on the merger of the in vitro engineered biosynthesis and the preciseorganic synthesis to facilitate the generation of natural product-based complex
molecules towards drug discovery and chemical genetic investigations. By
streamlining enzymatic reactions and chemical manipulations, we developed achemoenzymatic hybrid process that allowed very rapid and operationally simple
access to the densely functionalized pentacyclic alkaloidal skeleton within asingle day from two simple synthetic substrates (Fig. 2). The judicious choice ofthe designer substrates for the enzyme SfmC allowed divergent total syntheses ofsaframycins and jorunnamycins in just 4–5 pot, which could be a versatile
platform for the collective synthesis of natural products and their variants.

Fig. 4. Supramolecular assembly exploiting thechiral C2-symmetric alkaloidal scaffolds.

References

Fig. 2. Chemo-enzymatic hybrid synthetic process.

1. Biogenetically inspired synthesis and skeletal diversification of indole alkaloids. H. Mizoguchi, H. Oikawa, H. Oguri. Nat. Chem. 2014, 6, 57–64.
2. Zn(OTf)2-mediated annulations of N-propargylated tetrahydrocarbolines: divergent synthesis of four distinct alkaloidal scaffolds. S. Yorimoto, A. Tsubouchi, H. Mizoguchi, H. Oikawa,
Y. Tsunekawa, T. Ichino, S. Maeda, H. Oguri. Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 5686–5698.
3. Regiocontrolled Dimerization of Densely Functionalized 1,6-Dihydropyridines for the Biomimetic Synthesis of a Halicyclamine-type Scaffold by Preventing Disproportionation,
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 5938–5951.
4. Chemo-enzymatic Total Syntheses of Jorunnamycin A, Saframycin A, and N-Fmoc Saframycin Y3. R. Tanifuji, K. Koketsu, M. Takakura, R. Asano, A. Minami, H. Oikawa, H. Oguri.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 10705–10709.
5. Chemo-enzymatic total syntheses of bis-tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids and systematic exploration of the substrate scope of SfmC. R. Tanifuji, N. Haraguchi, H. Oguri.
Tetrahedron Chem 2022, 1, 100010.
6. Design and De Novo Synthesis of 6-Aza-Artemisinins. K. R. Bonepally, T. Hiruma, H. Mizoguchi, K. Ochiai, S. Suzuki, H. Oikawa, A. Ishiyama, R. Hokari, M. Iwatsuki, K. Otoguro,
S. Ōmura, H. Oguri. Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 4667–4671.
7. Rapid and Systematic Exploration of Chemical Space Relevant to Artemisinins: Anti-malarial Activities of Skeletally Diversified Tetracyclic Peroxides and 6-Aza-artemisinins.
J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 9694–9712.
8. Synthesis and Structural Diversification of Artemisinins Towards the Generation of Potent Anti-malarial Agents H. Oguri. Chem. Lett. 2021, 50, 924–937.
9. Design of C2-symmetric alkaloidal chiral amphiphiles and configurational effects on self-assembly. N. Tsuchiya, Y. Ryu, T. Muraoka, H. Oguri. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2018, 16, 9305–9313.
10. Chiroptical Inversion of Europium(III) Complexes by Changing a Remote Stereogenic Center of a C2-symmetric Bispyrrolidinoindoline Manifold. T. Taniguchi, A. Tsubouchi,
Y. Imai, J. Yuasa, H. Oguri. J. Org .Chem. 2018, 83, 15284–15296.

Professor

Associate Professor

1998: Assistant Prof., then Associate Prof. at The University of Tokyo(1999: Ph.D., The University of Tokyo). 2007: Professor at Tohoku Univ.
2013: Principal Investigator at WPI-AIMR,
Tohoku Univ. and Director of JST-ERATO Isobe Degenerate π-Integration Project.
2016: Professor Emeritus at Tohoku Univ.
Since 2016: current position
Office: No. 2508, Chemistry West Bldg
E-MAIL: isobe@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
TEL: +81-5841-4777
FAX: +81-5841-4162

2014: Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo.
2014: Assistant Prof. WPI-AIMR, Tohoku Univ.
2016: Assistant Prof. at The University of Tokyo.
2019: Lecturer at The University of Tokyo.
Since 2022: current position
Office: No. 2509, Chemistry West Bldg
E-MAIL: kikemoto@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
TEL: +81-5841-4778

Hiroyuki Isobe

Physical Organic
Chemistry

Koki Ikemoto

Assistant Professor

Toshiya Fukunaga

Office: No. 2509, Chemistry West Bldg
E-MAIL: t.fukunaga@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
TEL: +81-5841-4778:

PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: Seeking for new molecular architectures, new materials and new principles
Aromatic molecules have played a pivotal role in organic chemistry since the discovery of benzene by Faraday and the proposal of
the structure by Kekulé. Their importance continues to grow in the modern world. For example, they serve as one of the importantbuilding blocks of "molecular machines" and "optoelectronic materials" that could lead the progress and growth of our society. Herein this group, we are exploring aromatic molecules having novel structures and functions, giving birth to "molecular bearings withinertial rotation", "aromatic hydrocarbon materials for the optoelectronic application", "phenine nanocarbons" and "diamond twin".
By creating novel molecules with the aid of organic synthesis, we are seeking for the discovery of ground-breaking principles andfunctions in the molecular world.

Finite carbon nanotubes and their application in nanoscience
Carbon nanotubes are unique materials of nanometer size with characteristic curved π-electron systems. Although there are growing expectations
for nanotechnology utilizing carbon nanotubes, it has yet to go beyond the realm of nanoscience. This is because carbon nanotubes are a mixture ofvarious kinds of structures, and such heterogeneous
mixtures cannot possibly be handled as "molecular
entities" that should bring in-depth understanding inlanguages of molecular science. We have created finite
carbon nanotube "molecules" with rigid cylindricalstructures via the bottom-up synthesis and revealed theiranomalous chiroptical properties. With these molecules,
we further exploited host-guest chemistry to find thatvarious guest molecules can be encapsulated and thatthese guest behave as "rotors" to emerge as "molecularbearings" that achieve ultrafast GHz-THz rotations in theinertial regime in solid state (Figure 1, Reference 1).

Figure 1. Molecular bearings composed of finite carbon nanotube molecules and their inertial rotation

Gigantic nanocarbon molecules, "phenine nanocarbons"
Recent years have witnessed an ever-growing interest in the bottom-up synthesis of nanocarbon molecules. Although elaborate synthetic
methods have been devised for each molecule, they are generally "one-off" methods specified for individual targets. We have recently devised aversatile method for the design of gigantic nanocarbon molecules. The method adopts "phenine (1,3,5-trisubstituted benzene)" as basic trigonal
planar units to create a series of nanometer-sized nanocarbon molecules. Based on this phenine design, we succeeded in the synthesis of a 3-nm
sized nanotube molecule, i.e., phenine nanotube, bowl- andsaddle-shaped nanocarbon molecules and their nitrogen- andmetal-doped variants (Figure 3, Reference 3). With various
large phenine nanocarbon molecules, we are trying to reveal
the uniqueness and anomalies of nanocarbon molecules.

Figure 3. Phenine nanotubes (hydrocarbon and nitrogen-doped variants)

Diamond twin
As the key features of the beauty of diamonds, mathematicians disclosed the presence of "maximal symmetry" and "strong isotropy" in the
network of sp3 carbon atoms, which led them to a discovery of a diamond twin. The diamond twin is a hypothetical network of sp2 carbon atoms
with the identical geometrical features, although its existence has been theoretically questioned due to the strained structure composed of decagonal cages. The imaginary network (pollux) has been realized by adopting phenine as the trigonal planar vertices in a form of a minimal cage
molecule, polluxene (Figure 4, Reference 4). The molecular structure insolution and crystals has been revealed to disclose the presence of a geometrically unique cage structure. Chirality has been one of the anomalous features ofpollux/polluxene, which has been unveiled by the synthesis of a chiral polluxene molecule and its chiral resolution. We expect to find unique properties andapplications with the cage structure with high symmetry and unique chirality.

Aromatic hydrocarbon materials for the optoelectronic application
Development of modern materials chemistry is accelerated by the design and synthesis of new organic molecules, especially, π-conjugatedmolecules. Among various kinds of design principles being explored, our simple molecular design adopting two basic elements, i.e., hydrogen andcarbon atoms, has enabled the development of cutting-edge organic materials. Thus, we have found that the hydrocarbon materials can possess
carrier transporting abilities both for holes (+) and electrons (–) and facilitate recombination of these carriers in organic light-emitting devices(OLEDs), and such multipotency has realized highly
efficient OLEDs in novel single-layer architectures.
The findings renovate both the molecular design anddevice architectures of OLEDs for highly efficientemissions, and classic design relying on multipleelement molecules and multi-layer architectures are
now being overwritten by simple designs (Figure 2,
Figure 2. Highly efficient, single-layer organic light emitting devices
Reference 2).

Figure 4. Phenine pollux and its minimal cage, phenine polluxene

References

1. (a) Ratchet-free solid-state inertial rotation of a guest ball in a tight tubular host, T. Matsuno, Y. Nakai, S. Sato, Y. Maniwa, H. Isobe, Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 1907.
(b) A hybrid molecular peapod of sp2- and sp3-nanocarbons enabling ultrafast terahertz rotations, T. Matsuno, S. Terasaki, K. Kogashi, R. Katsuno, H. Isobe, Nat. Commun. 2021, 12, 5062.
2. (a) Aromatic hydrocarbon macrocycles for highly efficient organic light-emitting devices with single-layer architectures, J. Y. Xue, T. Izumi, A. Yoshii, K. Ikemoto, T. Koretsune, R.
Akashi, R. Arita, H. Taka, H. Kita, S. Sato, H. Isobe, Chem. Sci. 2016, 7, 896-904.
(b) Acyclic, linear oligo-meta-phenylenes as multipotent base materials for highly efficient single-layer organic light-emitting devices, A. Yoshii, Y. Onaka, K. Ikemoto, T. Izumi, S. Sato, H.
Kita, H. Taka, H. Isobe, Chem. Asian J. 2020, 15, 2181-2186.
3. (a) Finite phenine nanotubes with periodic vacancy defects, Z. Sun, K. Ikemoto, T. M. Fukunaga, T. Koretsune, R. Arita, S. Sato, H. Isobe, Science. 2019, 363, 151-155.
(b) A nitrogen-doped nanotube molecule with atom vacancy defects, K. Ikemoto, S. Yang, H. Naito, M. Kotani, S. Sato, H. Isobe, Nat. Commun. 2020, 11, 1807.
4. A minimal cage of a diamond twin with chirality, T. M. Fukunaga, T. Kato, K. Ikemoto, H. Isobe, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2022, 119, e2120160119.

Professor

Project Associate Professor

Takuya Terai

Robert E. Campbell

Biomolecular Chemistry Laboratory

2000: Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia (Dept. of Chemistry)
2000-2003: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego(Dept. of Pharmacology)
2003: Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta (Dept. of Chemistry)
2009: Associate Professor at the University of Alberta (Dept. of Chemistry)
2013: Professor at the University of Alberta (Dept. of Chemistry)
2018: Professor at the University of Tokyo
Assistant Professor
・Office: No. 484, School of Science Bldg. 1 East
・Email: campbell@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-6528

Yusuke Nasu

・Office: No. 484, School of Science Bldg. 1 East
・Email: nasu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-6528

2007: Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo
2012: Received a doctoral degree from the University of Tokyo
Served as JSPS SPD fellow, visiting scientist at the Technical
University of Munich, Project Associate Professor at Saitama
University.
2020: Project Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry,
the University of Tokyo・Office: No. 2101, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Email: terai@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4634

Engineering and directed evolution of protein-based tools
Proteins are versatile biomolecules that serve as the nano-machines and nano-structures necessary for all
life on Earth. The range of functions for naturally occurring proteins is very broad. For example, proteinscan be highly efficient catalysts, exquisite reagents for molecular recognition, building blocks of
3-dimensional structures, and even the basis of animal color. However, there are limits to that range ofprotein functions observed in Nature, since proteins evolved for the sole purpose of ensuring survival of
their host species. Fortunately, some of these proteins also happen to be very useful tools for research,
medical, and industrial processes. Our research is focused on making them even better! By mimicking theprocess of evolution in the laboratory we develop proteins that are better tools than their naturally
occurring homologs. We also develop proteins that have unnatural functions and are unlike anything that is
known to occur in Nature.

Introduction: Fluorescent proteins enable biologists to “see” the invisible world

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are colorful “glowing” proteins that are found in jellyfish, anemone, and coral. These proteins have the unique ability
to generate a visibly-fluorescent chromophore within their structure. Amazingly, the DNA that encodes a FP can be introduced into practicallyany animal and be properly expressed, making the tissues of the animal fluorescent. Genetically encoded fluorescence has revolutionized many
areas of cell biology because it enables researchers to use fluorescence microscopy to "see" structures and cellular processes that would
normally be invisible.
Cutting edge research in the Campbell group involves converting these proteins into dynamic indicators that change their fluorescence intensity
or color in response to a specific biochemical change. For example, FP-based indicators enable biologists to visualize the invisible world of
intracellular signaling pathways, such as the biochemical response of cells to drug treatment, and the electrical activity of neurons in the brainsof model organisms. We have a particular focus on broadening the spectrum of available colors and pushing to ever redder wavelengths. Tissue
is more transparent to redder light, and so red-shifted indicators can let us see deeper into tissue.
Researchers in the Campbell group obtain interdisciplinary training in protein engineering, chemical biology, spectroscopy, molecular biology,
and cell biology. All of the basic research methods are well established in our group (1), but can be easily extended and applied to many new andunexplored research problems. This training is excellent preparation for a career in the biotechnology field in either academia or industry.

Past Highlights 1: Pushing the limits of FP technology

The Campbell research group has expanded the toolbox of coral-derived FP variants for use in awide variety of application areas, including the construction of FP-based indicators. For
example, we have developed cyan, yellow, and green-to-red photoconvertible FPs. These newFPs enabled a number of new applications including simultaneous imaging of multiple
biological processes in single cells (2) and improved super-resolution imaging. In later work,
we developed dimerization-dependent FPs (ddFPs) that increase their brightness when they
form a heterodimeric complex (3). This technology provided a powerful new approach fordetecting protein-protein interactions in live cell. In more recent work, we developed aphotocleavable protein (PhoCl) as a fundamentally new class of optogenetic tool to control
protein function with light (4). PhoCl can be used light-activated transcription,
Figure 1. Novel class of optogenetic tools -ddFP & PhoClgene recombination, manipulation of protein localization, and activation of
Directed evolution produced novel ﬂuorescent proteins as a new class of optogenetic
enzyme activity.
tool (Upper: ddFP, bottom: PhoCl). They enabled us to detect protein-protein
interactions and control protein functions with light.

Past Highlights 2: Engineering a palette of visible ﬂuorescence neural activity indicators

Visualization of neural activity in model organisms is a powerful approach forunderstanding brain function and neurodegenerative diseases. To visualize
neural activity we require indicators for changes in ion concentrations,membrane voltage, or neurotransmitters. The Campbell lab launched the fieldof multicolor neural activity imaging with the development of a colorful
palette of Ca 2+ indicators known as the GECO series (5). We initiallyengineered a variety of colors of Ca 2+ indicator, including the red fluorescent
R-GECO1 which
Figure 2. GECO series
Campbell group is a world leader of the development of genetically encoded Ca2+
has served as theindicators. To date, we have engineered genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators,
basis for many other designated as GECO series, with a range of color and Ca2+ aﬃnity.

red fluorescent indicators from labs worldwide (6, 7). Versions of R-GECO1 are freely used by hundreds of research groups around theworld to address a diverse range of biological problems. Our most recent addition to the GECO series is near-infrared (NIR)-GECO1(8). The Campbell lab also developed several other classes of red-shifted neural activity indicators. For example, we developed thenear-infrared (NIR) fluorescent QuasAr-series of voltage indicators (9,10), the red fluorescent FlicR1 voltage indicator, and a red
fluorescent glutamate indicator (11).

Current Theme 1: Investigating the role of biological energy usage in disease

A healthy cell is like a well-organized city that keeps its citizens healthy and happy due to a steadysupply of delicious foods being transported into the city from the surrounding countryside. If the
supply of food was to be cut oﬀ, or the food was changed to less delicious alternatives, the healthand happiness of the citizens would decrease. Similarly, it is increasingly recognized that many
diseases have causes related to changes in the way cells access or use biological energy sources. One
important example is neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with changes in brain energy
metabolism and, speciﬁcally, the availability of lactate. Unfortunately, we currently lack tools for
multiparameter visualization of the full metabolism of a cell, and so we cannot visualize the extent towhich a single cell is using each of the fundamental metabolic pathways for accessing and using
biological energy. The Campbell lab is now developing high performance indicators for cell
metabolic pathways and enable the full metabolism of a cell to be visualized for the ﬁrst time! For
example, we recently reported the
Figure 3. Genetically encoded green ﬂuorescent lactate indicator (iLACCO)
ﬁrst high-performance indicator for Lactate plays a critical role in metabolism. Campbell group has developed iLACCO using
directed protein evolution. Upper: schematic illustration, bottom: X-ray crystal structure.
extracellular lactate (12).

Current Theme 2: Indicators based on hybrid chemi-genetic ﬂuorescent proteins

A very promising approach for expanding the range of colors for multiparameter imaging, particularly in thenear-infrared (NIR) region of the spectrum, are chemi-genetic FPs. A chemi-genetic FP is a hybrid system inwhich a synthetic dye ﬂuorogen is designed to covalently attach to a speciﬁc protein expressed in the cell or
tissue. The Campbell lab has started converting chemi-genetic FPs into a new generation of high performanceindicators. This is an unexplored and exciting research frontier! We are also working on another design ofchemi-genetic indicators using FPs andFigure 4. Chemi-genetic ﬂuorescent protein
Chemi-genetic ﬂuorescent protein is a “hybrid” molecule that contains synthetic
synthetic ligands.
small ﬂuorescent molecule (the ﬁlling model in the ﬁgure) and protein.

Current Theme 3: Expanding the color palette of near infrared indicators
Expanding the indicator color palette into the NIR will create a variety of new opportunities for multiplexed anddeep tissue imaging. The “NIR window”, where tissue is most transparent, extends from ~650 up to ~1350 nm.
The Campbell lab is pioneering the development of genetically encoded indicators that absorb and ﬂuoresce in
the NIR window. These indicators will be ideally suited to multiplexed imaging applications with existing visible
wavelength indicators and optogenetic tools. These
Figure 5. Near-infrared ﬂuorescent protein
indicators will enable researchers to perform functional
Near-infrared ﬂuorescent proteins have much diﬀerent structure from that ofjellyﬁsh-derived ﬂuorescent protein such as GFP. Filling model represents thein vivo optical imaging deeper inside model animals thanchromophore, a heme metabolite biliverdin.
has previously been possible!

References

1. Ai et al. “Engineering and characterizing monomeric fluorescent proteins for live-cell imaging applications”. Nature Protocols, 9, 910–928 (2014).
2. Ai et al. “Fluorescent protein FRET pairs for ratiometric imaging of dual biosensors”, Nature Methods, 5, 401–403 (2008).
3. Ding et al. “Ratiometric biosensors based on dimerization-dependent fluorescent protein exchange”, Nature Methods, 12, 195–198 (2015).
4. Zhang et al., “Optogenetic Control with a Photocleavable Protein, PhoCl”, Nature Methods, 14, 391–394 (2017).
5. Zhao et al, “An expanded palette of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators”, Science, 333, 1888–1891 (2011).
6. Wu et al. “A long Stokes shift red fluorescent protein Ca2+ indicator for 2-photon and ratiometric imaging”, Nature Communications, 5, 5262 (2014).
7. Shen et al. “A genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator based on circularly permutated sea anemone red fluorescent protein eqFP578”, BMC Biology, 16, 9 (2018).
8. Qian et al. “A genetically encoded near-infrared fluorescent calcium ion indicator”, Nature Methods, 16, 171–174 (2019).
9. Hochbaum et al. “All-optical electrophysiology in mammalian neurons using engineered microbial rhodopsins”, Nature Methods, 11, 825–833 (2014).
10. Zou et al. “Bright and fast multicoloured voltage reporters via electrochromic FRET”, Nature Communications, 5, 4625 (2014).
11. Wu et al. “Genetically Encoded Glutamate Indicators with Altered Color and Topology”, ACS Chemical Biology, 13, 1832–1837 (2018).
12. Nasu et al. “A genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor for extracellular L-lactate”, Nature Communications, 12, 7058 (2021).

Professor

Taro Hitosugi
1999：Ph.D. The University of Tokyo
1999-2003 Researcher at Sony Corporation
2003-2007 Assistant Professor at The University of Tokyo
2007-2015 Associate Professor at Tohoku University
2015-2022 Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology
2022：Professor at The University of Tokyo (Dept. of Chemistry)
Office: No. 2406A, Chemistry West Bldg.

Solid State Chemistry

E-MAIL :hitosugi@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
TEL :03-5841-4353

Crossroad of solid-state chemistry and electrochemistry
When atoms condense to form molecules or solids, unexpected
physical properties emerge. Just as two atoms side by side canbond, forming new electronic states; aggregates of many atoms
can generate countless new states, producing new materials
with properties that are still unknown. In our laboratory, we
focus on the syntheses of these new materials and on the
discovery of their physical and chemical properties. We are alsointerested in the phenomena occurring at the interfaces ofthese materials.
In addition to the fundamental aspects, our group also focuses
on application-oriented research. At the intersection ofMajor Direction of Researchsolid-state chemistry and electrochemistry, our research targets
environmental and energy materials. To this end, we create new materials, construct new devices, andevaluate their atomic and electronic structures using state-of-the-art measurement techniques. We explore
solid-state chemistry from both the microscopic and the macroscopic perspectives.

Research on All-solid-state Li batteryThedevelopmentof

high-voltage,high-capacity

batteries is crit ical toward the advent of a sustainables o c i e t y.

Among

all-solid-state

Li

the

existing

batteries

battery

promisetotypes,

therealizethenext-generation batteries by replacing the organic
electroly tes used in convent ional Li-ion batteries w ith
solid electroly tes.
One major challenge to increasing the power of
all-solid-state Li batteries is the improvement of theLeft: Developed equipment for thin-ﬁlm battery fabrications.
Right : The world's smallest interfacial resistance has been achieved.

Li-ion conduct ivity across the interfaces of electro desall-solid-statethin-ﬁlm

Libatteriestoelucidate the Li-ion transport propert ies at the ideal
electro de-electroly te interfaces. Our g roup has alreadydemonstrated

superior

Li-ionconductivity

at

the

controlled electro de-electroly te interface over that ofliquid electroly tes. Further, we have proven that boththe atomic disorder and the presence of protons in thevicinity of the interface are the orig ins of interfacial
resistance

Molecular crystals̶periodic arrays of organic molecules̶haverecently gained much attention. The unique electronic,
energy-conversion, and ion-transport properties combined with themechanical ﬂexibility of these molecular compounds are expected to
produce exotic devices. We aim to develop the solid-state ionics ofmolecular
crystalsbyintroducing
ourknowledgeofinorganic-materials design. Our group has already used thisapproach on the LiFSA(SN) 2 molecular crystal to demonstrate anall-solid-state Li battery with high Li-ion conductivity [5]. In addition,
we are developing metal-organic-framework (MOF) thin ﬁlms andinvestigating their electronic properties for electronics applications.

Control of battery operating characteristics through interface control

Application of molecular crystals to all-solid-state Li batteries

Accellerating chemistry research using machine learning and robots
This project aims to shift a paradigm in creating a new perspective
on materials science research. Our group is currently developing an"autonomous experiment system" that introduces machine learningand robots to materials-science research, opening an enormous
search space for material exploration. Using this system, future
researchers will be able to utilize a large amount of data and to
immerse themselves in more creative research.
Our system autonomously determines the optimum synthesis
conditions that maximize the properties of ﬁlms. Using Bayesian
optimization, a machine learning technique, this optimization has
been achieved at a rate that is 10 times faster than the average
human researcher. Currently, we are tuning the machine learningalgorithms for chemistry experiments; we are expanding thisautonomous experiment system to investigate the syntheses of substances̶both organic and inorganic, solid and liquid̶to construct the new perspective on materials science.
Referencesand electroly tes (electro de-electroly te interface). We
fabricate

Development of new functions in molecular crystals

1.K. Nishio, S. Ichinokura, A. Nakanishi, K. Shimizu, Y. Kobayashi, N. Nakamura, D. Imazeki, R. Shimizu, T. Hirahara, S. Watanabe, and T. Hitosugi, “Ionic rectification across ionic andmixed-conductor interfaces” Nano Lett. 21, 10086–10091 (2021).
2. R. Nakayama, K. Nishio, D. Imazeki, N. Nakamura, R. Shimizu, T. Hitosugi, "Relaxation of the interface resistance between solid electrolyte and 5 V-class positive electrode" Nano Lett.,
21, 5572 (2021)
3. R. Shimizu, S. Kobayashi, Y. Watanabe, Y. Ando, and T. Hitosugi, “Autonomous materials synthesis by machine learning and robotics” APL Mater. 8, 111110 (2020).
4. D. M. Packwood and T. Hitosugi, "Material informatics for self-assembly of functionalized organic precursors on metal surfaces" Nature Commun. 9, 2469 (2018).
5. Y. Okada, S. Shiau, T. Chang, G. Chang, M. Kobayashi, R. Shimizu, H. Jeng, S. Shiraki, H. Kumigashira, A. Bansil, H. Lin, and T. Hitosugi. “Quasiparticle interference on cubic
perovskite oxide surfaces” Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 086801 (2017).
6. Y. Okada, Y. Ando, R. Shimizu, E. Minamitani, S. Shiraki, S. Watanabe, and T. Hitosugi, “Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of superconductivity on surfaces of LiTiO4(111) thin films”
Nature Commun. 8, 15975 (2017).
7. D. M. Packwood, P. Han, and T. Hitosugi, "Chemical and Entropic Control on the Molecular Self-Assembly Process" Nature Commun. 8, 14463 (2017).
8. M. Haruta, S. Shiraki, T. Suzuki, A. Kumatani, T. Ohsawa, Y. Takagi, R. Shimizu, and T. Hitosugi, “Negligible “negative space-charge layer effects” at oxide-electrolyte/electrodeinterfaces of thin-film batteries” Nano Lett. 15, 1498–1502 (2015).
9. I. Hamada, R. Shimizu, T. Ohsawa, K. Iwaya, T. Hashizume, M. Tsukada, K. Akagi, and T. Hitosugi, “Imaging the evolution of d-states at a strontium titanate surface” J. Am. Chem. Soc.
136, 17201–17206 (2014).
10. K. Iwaya, T. Ogawa, T. Minato, K. Miyoshi, J. Takeuchi, A. Kuwabara, H. Moriwake, Y. Kim, and T. Hitosugi, “Impact of lithium-ion ordering on surface electronic states of LixCoO2”
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 126104 (2013).

Professor

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

・1998: Completed the Doctoral Course at The University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science (Doctor of Science).
・Served as Junior Lecturer and Lecturer at The University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science, and Associate Professor at the Institutefor Molecular Science, and has been in Current Position since 2007.
・Office: No. 2606A, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Email: ozawa@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4351
・Fax: +81-3-5802-2989

・Office: No. 232, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: take@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-2375
・Fax: +81-3-5841-7629

・Office: No. 217, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: endo@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4498

Assistant Professor

Project Assistant Professor

・Office: No. 0006, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: hideaki@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4376
・Fax: +81-3-5841-7629

・Office: No. 0006, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: liqiaojing@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel : +81-3-5841-4376

Takeaki Ozawa

Analytical Chemistry

Masaki Takeuchi

Hideaki Yoshimura

Mizuki Endo

Qiaojing LI

Opto-bioanalysis Inspired by Chemistry and Biology

Fig. 1. Major three themes in the analytical chemistry laboratory.

We are studying to develop novel methods for the analyses of
biological molecules and systems in living cells. The goals of ourresearch activities are 1) to develop analytical methods forvisualizing functions of biomolecules and their dynamics inliving cells and animals, 2) to develop methods for identifying
new molecules involved in intracellular signaling, and 3) tocreate optogenetic modules that control enzymatic and receptor
activities with external light. We are also striving to develop
analytical reagents and methodologies based on protein structures and functions to achieve discoveries of new biologicalphenomena (Figure 1). Our works will contribute not only tobasic science to reveal the mechanisms of molecules on the life
science field, but also to technological applications such as new
drug development through providing a new chemical library
screening method.

Identification of molecules to control biological functions.
The identification of novel biomolecules such as functional peptides andchemical compounds depends largely on the development of screening
methods. Thus, novel high-performance screening method in combination
with a wide variety of chemical and genetic libraries will bring discovery ofnovel effective compounds for target biomolecules. We are developing
high-throughput screening systems for large-scale chemical libraries using
fluorescent and bioluminescent proteins. We have already established different
cell lines for screening the compounds that regulate G-protein coupled
receptors (GPCRs) (Figure 3). We have also developed new methods toidentify functional peptide sequences that transport a protein into different
organelles such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Such new screening system will lead deeper understanding of new physiological phenomena in
Fig. 3. Localization alteration of GPCR (somatostatin receptor) (green).
living systems.
Stimulation with somatostatin induces GPCR-βarrestin interaction, results
in internalization of the GPCR.

Optogenetic methods for controlling biological activities using external light
Methods of imaging biomolecules in living cells
Recent advances in analytical methods, such as capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, have made great contributions to the progress inbiological research. It should be noted, however, that such analyses are, for the most part, destructive or invasive because they need cell lysates
before detection of a target molecule. The true physiological functions of biomolecules could be elucidated if their functions and dynamics would beanalyzed noninvasively in living cells and animals. We are developing novel imaging methods for visualizing functions and dynamics of biomolecules, so as to determine when, where, and how much intracellular small molecules, RNAs, and proteins exhibit their functions. The representatives
are techniques of fluorescence imaging to visualize RNAs and protein-protein interaction, methods of super-resolution imaging to visualize protein
cluster formation, and methods of detecting intracellular protein phosphorylation and enzymatic activities in living cells (Figure 2). In these achievements, we have created analytical tools for molecular recognition and photo-signal conversion through protein engineering using particular proteinsof which structures and functions have been well investigated. We are also developing Raman microscopic system for noninvasively investigating
biomolecules without any labeling techniques.

Functional control of biomolecules in living cells has mainly been achieved by the use of chemical compounds such as inhibitors of enzymes. However, Optogenetics has revolutionized bioanalysis by providing means to control cell signaling directly with a spatiotemporal manner in discrete
cell types. We are developing new functional protein modules to manipulate enzymatic andmembrane receptor activities in living cells and animals using external light. For example, we havesucceeded in controlling the activity of a kinase (Akt) to manipulate intracellular signaling quantitatively. We have also developed a method for origomerization of a plasma membrane receptor (DCC)
to control the direction of neural axon elongation (Figure 4). These light-driven controlling systempromises to revolutionize our understanding of intracellular signaling and cellular communications
in living animals.

Fig. 4. Photo control of the direction of neuronal axon elongation. The axon ofneurons expressing photo-activatable DCC (PA-DCC) are guided to elongate to thephoto-irradiated direction (blue circles).

References

Figure 2. L e f t : Superresolution single molecule images (PALM) of Bak proteins on the mitochondrial membrane.
Right: Localization of Telomeric RNAs. Purple dots indicate telomere regions in the nucleus.

1. Unique Roles of β-Arrestin in GPCR Trafficking Revealed by Photoinducible Dimerizers. O.Takenouchi, H.Yoshimura, T.Ozawa, Sci. Rep., 8, 677(2018).
2. In Situ Characterization of Bak Clusters Responsible for Cell Death Using Single Molecule Localization Microscopy. Y. Nasu, A. Benke, S. Arakawa, G. J. Yoshida, G. Kawamura,
S. Manley, S. Shimizu, and T. Ozawa, Sci. Rep., 6, 27505 (2016).
3. Optogenetic activation of axon guidance receptors controls direction of neurite outgrowth. M. Endo, M. Hattori, H. Toriyabe, H. Ohno, H. Kamiguchi, Y. Iino, T. Ozawa, Sci. Rep.,
6, 23976 (2016).
4. Spatiotemporal analysis with a genetically encoded fluorescent RNA probe reveals TERRA function around telomeres.T.Yamada, H.Yoshimura, R.Shimada, M.Hattori, M.Eguchi,
T. K. Fujiwara, A.Kusumi. T.Ozawa, Sci. Rep. 6, 38910(2016).
5. Advances in fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging. T. Ozawa, H. Yoshimura and S.B. Kim, Anal. Chem., 85, 590-609 (2013).
6. Imaging Dynamics of Endogenous Mitochondrial RNA in Single Living Cells. T. Ozawa, Y. Natori, M. Sato, Y. Umezawa, Nature Methods., 4, 413–419 (2007).
7. High-Throughput Sensing and Noninvasive Imaging of Protein Nuclear Transport by Using Reconstitution of Split Renilla Luciferase. S. B. Kim, T. Ozawa, S. Watanabe andY. Umezawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 101, 11542–11547 (2004).
8. A Genetic Approach to Identifying Mitochondrial Proteins. T. Ozawa, Y. Sako, M. Sato, T. Kitamura and Y. Umezawa, Nature Biotechnol., 21, 287–293 (2003).

Professor

Teppei Yamada

Associate Professor

Yoshinori Yamanoi

・1999: Completed the doctoral course in the・2003: Completed the master course at The University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Science,
Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo・2010: PhD of Science, Kyushu University
Graduate School of Science and Technology (Doctor
・Worked at Mitsubishi Chemical Company,of Science).
Served as Researcher and Assistant Professor at Kyushu
・Served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the
University Faculty of Science,
University of Tokyo and has been in the current
Assistant Professor at Kyoto University Faculty of Science,
position since 2009.
Associate Professor at Kyushu University and has been in the・Oﬃce: No. 2602, Chemistry West Bldg.
current position since 2020.
・Email: yamanoi@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・2014-2018: Researcher for a Proposal-oriented Research・Tel : (0)3-5841-4348
Project Assistant Professor
Promotion Program Sponsored by the Japan Science andHongyao Zhou
Technology Agency.
Oﬃce: No. 2507A, Chemistry West Bldg.
・Office: No. 2602, Chemistry West Bldg.
Email: teppei@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Email: hozhou@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Tel: (0)3-5841-4346 Fax: (0)3-5841-8063
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4348

Inorganic ChemistryAt-will motion of ionic and redox species towards energy chemistryThis century is featured by the ubiquitous access for information and electric vehicles, which stand on energy science and technology. We propel “energy coordination science” by the creation of the nanospace, the size of which is comparable to molecules and ions,controlling the inter-molecular or inter-ionic interaction, and targeting the unique behavior of ions and physical properties. Functional
molecules are often regarded as molecular machines or robots, and in addition to the construction, we intend to the construction of amolecular system by the functional linking of these molecules.

them into nanospace. The shape, size, or the packing
fashion of molecules are controlled by the nanospace andanisotropic diffusion coefficient or peculiar rotationalmotion are investigated.
Through the development of the nanospace ionics, we aim
to invent new energy devices. New battery, mobile energy
sources are a part of the targets.

Energy with thermo-responsive molecular science
Thermocell is a group of thermoelectric devices that utilizes the thermal shift of redox equilibrium and featured by thecheap materials (1/5 watt-cost compared to conventional semiconductors and even half compared to solar cells) andrelatively-high Seebeck coefficient (voltage per unit temperature difference). We are trying to make a paradigm shift of these
thermocells by introducing various thermo-responsive molecular science into it.
First, we are introducing supramolecular chemistry into thermocells. A thermocell consisting of redox equilibrium oftriiodide (I 3−) and iodide (I −) was introduced cyclodextrin (CD). The CD encapsulates I 3− at the cold side and release it withelevated temperature, and as a result, the Seebeck coefficientof the thermocell was improved. The theoretical relation
between the host–guest interaction and the Se was derived,
which has grown up to the novel method for evaluating thehost–guest entropy and enthalpy. Some CD derivatives,
starch, and polymers were also effective.
The improvement of Se is associated with the connection ofthermal response and redox reaction, and the concept can begeneralized. For example, Se was improved by the precipitation and dissolution equilibrium. We are trying to introduce
various thermo-responsive chemistry or physics and change
the world of thermoelectric conversion, as well as the inverse
phenomena.

Fig. 2 Phase behavior and ionics of chiral plastic ionic crystals(tetraethylammonium-d20 d-10-camphorsulfonate). Tetraethylammonium cation
changes its rotational mode from three-fold to two-fold rotations by temperature.

Creation of Functional Organic Compounds Base on Group 14 Elements
New molecular designs and synthetic strategies are also investigatedto synthesize functional materials based on group 14 elements.
Palladium-catalyzed cyclization of secondary group 14 hydrides and2,2'-diiodoarenes gave the corresponding dibenzometallole in goodyields, and we succeeded in tuning the solid-state emission intensity by
the substituents on an aromatic ring. In addition, we reported thesynthesis of aryl oligosilanes in high yield without Si-Si bond cleavage.
These compounds intensely emitted in the solid-state, and they wereapplied to organic EL materials.

Fig. 3 Structures of aromatic oligosilanes and their luminescence under UV
irradiation. These compounds show intense emission in the solid-state.

References
Fig. 1 Schematic illustration of a thermocell with thermo-responsive molecularscience. The encapsulation of triiodide anion by cyclodextrin causes the shift of
the redox equilibrium between iodide and triiodide. Oxidation reaction at thecold side of the cell was accelerated and as a result, an improved Seebeckcoefficient was observed.

Design of novel nanospace, investigation of ionics
in the nanospace toward novel energy devices
The motion of ions directly connected to electric energy.
Thanks to the development of coordination chemistry, organic synthesis, and self-assembly science of them, we live in theera of at-will design of nanospace that can recognize a single molecule. Our laboratory focuses on the behavior of redoxactive molecules and ions (ionics) in such nanospace. We found that a melting point or diffusion coefficient of a material,
which are statistical parameters molecular populations, could show a drastic shift from that of bulk material by confining

1. "Ion-Selective Adsorption of Lead by a Two-Dimensional Terbium Oxalate Framework", Nankawa, Takuya; Sekine, Yurina; Yamada, Teppei;
Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 2022, 95, 825-829.
2. "De novo synthesis of free-standing flexible 2D intercalated nanofilm uniform over tens of cm2", Ravat, Prince; Uchida, Hikaru; Sekine, Ryosuke; Kamei, Ko; Yamamoto, Akihisa;
Konovalov, Oleg; Tanaka, Motomu; Yamada, Teppei; Harano, Koji; Nakamura, Eiichi; Advanced Materials, 2022, 34, 2106465.
3. "Super Mg2+ Conductivity around 10-3 S cm-1 Observed in a Porous Metal-Organic Framework", Yoshida, Yuto; Yamada, Teppei; Jing, Yuan; Toyao, Takashi; Shimizu, Ken-ichi;
Sadakiyo, Masaaki; Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144, 8669-8675.
4. "High Positive Seebeck Coefficient of Aqueous I-/I3- Thermocells Based on Host-Guest Interactions and LCST Behavior of PEGylated α-Cyclodextrin", Liang, Yimin;
Ka-Ho Hui, Joseph; Morikawa, Masa-aki; Inoue, Hirotaka; Yamada, Teppei; Kimizuka, Nobuo; ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2021, 4, 5326-5331.
5. "Light-Triggered, Non-Centrosymmetric Self-Assembly of Aqueous Arylazopyrazoles at the Air-Water Interface and Switching of Second-Harmonic Generation",
Nagai, Yuki; Ishiba, Keita; Yamamoto, Ryosuke; Yamada, Teppei; Morikawa, Masa-aki; Kimizuka, Nobuo; Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, 2021, 60, 6333-6338.
6. "A Novel Thermocell System Using Proton Solvation Entropy", Kobayashi, Takashi; Yamada, Teppei; Tadokoro, Makoto; Kimizuka, Nobuo; Chemistry - A European Journal, 2021,
27, 4287-4290.
7. "Thermocells driven by phase transition of hydrogel nanoparticles", Guo, Benshuai; Hoshino, Yu; Gao, Fan; Hayashi, Keisuke; Miura, Yoshiko; Kimizuka, Nobuo; Yamada, Teppei;
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2020, 142, 17318-17322.
8. "Enhanced Seebeck coefficients of thermocells by heat-induced deposition of I3-/hydrophobized α-cyclodextrin complexes on electrodes", Inoue, Hirotaka; Liang, Yimin;
Yamada, Teppei; Kimizuka, Nobuo; Chemical Communications, 2020, 56, 7013-7016.

Professor

Mitsuhiko Shionoya

Bioinorganic Chemistry・1986: Left the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
before completing the doctorates
・1986: Assistant Professor, Hiroshima University
・1988: Assistant Professor, Institute for Molecular Science
・1990: Doctor of Pharmacy at Hiroshima University
・1990: Assistant Professor, 1991: Lecturer, 1994: Associate Professor, Hiroshima University
・1995: Professor, Institute for Molecular Science & The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
・1999: Professor, The University of Tokyo
Assistant Professor
・2003: Visiting Professor, Université of Louis Pasteur
Yusuke Takezawa
・2007: Visiting Professor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München・2012-: Senior Program Officer, Research Center of Science Systems, JSPS
・Office: No. 1304, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・2013-: Editor-in Chief, Chemistry Letters
・Email: takezawa@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・2014: Visiting Professor, Université de Strasbourg
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4359
・2016-2021: Area Organizer, Scientific Research on Innovative Areas
Assistant Professor“Coordination Asymmetry”
Hitoshi Ube
・2021-: Vice President, The Chemical Society of Japan・Office: No. 1305, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・2022-: First Vice President, The Chemical Society of Japan・Email: ube@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Office: No. 1401, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4360
・Email: shionoya@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Associate Professor

Shohei Tashiro

・2005: Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo・2006: Doctor of Engineering at The University of Tokyo・2015: Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo・Office: No. 1306, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: tashiro@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4361
Project Assistant Professor

Zhen Lei

・Office: No. 1305, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: lei@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4360
Project Assistant Professor

Xiao-Li Pei

・Office: No. 1305, Chemistry Main Bldg.
・Email: pei@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4360

Bio-inspired construction of designer supramolecular architectures
Construction of supramolecular architectures requires the following factors in general: 1) precise design and synthesis of basic
chemical components, 2) control of dynamic bonding behaviors between chemical components, and 3) initial setting of chemical
environment that determines molecular association processes. Our group is aiming to create nano to submicrometer-size, bio-inspired
supramolecular architectures directed towards elaborate molecular systems and functions.

Artificial metallo-DNAs (Refs. 1-4)
DNA, which governs genetic information, has a structural basis to arrange functional building blocks into a one-dimensional sequence in a
programmable way. We have developed artificial metallo-DNAs, in which hydrogen bonds between natural nucleobases are replaced by metal
coordination bonds between a central metal ion and a pair of artificial ligand-type nucleobases. The metal-mediated base pairing allows metaldependent thermal stabilization of DNA duplexes and triplexes. Moreover, one-dimensional, homologous or heterologous metal arrays can beconstructed within DNA helices in a manner whereby the number and sequence of the metals are programmable. Indeed, some of these metalloDNAs exhibit characteristic physical properties in terms of magnetism and electrical conductivity. Another structural motif of artificial metallo-DNA
is a metal-mediated three-way junction structure. This structure is thermally stabilized by the formation of a tris(bipyridine) metal complex thatcrosslinks the three strands. Structuraltransformation is also possible between
DNA duplexes and three-way junctions ina metal-responsive manner. Recently,
enzymatic synthesis of ligand-bearing
DNA strands has been accomplisheddirected towards facile preparation of
metallo-DNA systems. Thus, metal-based
artificial DNAs have a great potential forbio- and materials-oriented functions.

Porous supramolecular crystals with a functional nano-space (Refs. 9-12)
Porous crystalline materials such as zeolites and coordination
polymers (or metal-organic frameworks) have attracted muchattention because their nano-sized pores are capable of exhibiting
space-specific functions such as molecular storage, separation,transportation, and catalysis. We have newly developed ametallomacrocycle-assembled porous crystal whose pore surface
provides five enantiomeric pairs of molecular binding pockets. The
unique feature of the pore structure has allowed several ways ofmolecular arrangement; site-selective arrangement of functional
molecules, diastereoselective arrangement of chiral molecules, andsimultaneous arrangement of multiple different molecules. Recently,
acid-immobilized porous crystals have been developed for asize-specific heterogeneous catalytic reaction. Furthermore, in situ
crystallographic analyses can visualize a stepwise arrangement processof a chiral molecule on the pore surface. Based on the findings, we are
currently approaching to supramolecular enzymes in which multiple
functional groups are assembled to build-up an active center ofcatalytic reactions with high efficiency and selectivity.

Metal-mediated supramolecular architectures (Refs. 5-8)
Dynamic natures of metal coordination and designer metal ligands can possibly provide stimuli-responsive, metal-mediated supramoleculararchitectures. For instance, zincporphyrin ligands tethered by four bipyridine ligands and Zn(II) ions form a hexameric cage with a rugby
ball-shaped nano-cavity, which can accommodate electron-deficient guest molecules.
Metals can also act as a hub of dynamic molecular functions. We have developed two types of metal-centered triptycene-based molecular gears.
The first example is a molecular gear box composed of a lantern-type dirhodium complex as a stator and four hexamethyltriptycene carboxylates asmeshing rotors which are arranged circularly around the dirhodium center. The rotational rates of the four rotors are affected by the two axial ligandswith different coordination ability and bulkiness. We also constructed another organic gear box molecule, in which six triptycene gears circularly
arranged around a benzene ring are meshed with each other. The rotational motion of the gears was highly restricted by binding of a
[Cp*Ru]+complex to a phenylene ring of one gear. The other example is a molecular system with a switching function based on coordination isomerism on a Pt(II) ion. Two molecularazaphosphatriptycene rotors aremeshed in the cis form (see therightmost figure), but under photoirradiation they become disengaged
due to the isomerization of the Pt(II)center. This process is photo- andthermally driven reversibly by thecis–trans isomerization.

References
1. Programmable Self-Assembly of Metal Ions inside Artificial DNA Duplexes, K. Tanaka, G. H. Clever, Y. Takezawa, Y. Yamada, C. Kaul, M. Shionoya, and T. Carell, Nat. Nanotechnol.,
2006, 1, 190.
2. Allosteric Regulation of DNAzyme Activities through Intrastrand Transformation Induced by Cu(II)-Mediated Artificial Base Paring, T. Nakama, Y. Takezawa, D. Sasaki,
and M. Shionoya, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 10153.
3. Bipyridine-Modified DNA Three-Way Junctions with Amide Linkers: Metal-Dependent Structure Induction and Self-Sorting, Y. Takezawa, S. Sakakibara, and M. Shionoya,
Chem. Eur. J., 2021, 67, 16626.
4. Metal-Dependent DNA Base Pairing of 5-Carboxyuracil with Itself and All Four Canonical Nucleobases, Y. Takezawa, A. Suzuki, M. Nakaya, K. Nishiyama, and M. Shionoya,
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 21640.
5. Metal-Centred Azaphosphatriptycene Gear with a Photo- and Thermally Driven Mechanical Switching Function based on Coordination Isomerism, H. Ube, Y. Yasuda, H. Sato,and M. Shionoya, Nat. Commun., 2017, 8, 14926.
6. Asymmetric Construction of Tetrahedral Chiral Zinc with High Configurational Stability and Catalytic Activity, K. Endo Y. Liu, H. Ube, K. Nagata, and M. Shionoya, Nat. Commun.,
2020, 11, 6263.
7. Asymmetric Twisting of C-Centered Octahedral Gold(I) Clusters by Chiral N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligation, X.-L. Pei, P. Zhao, H. Ube, Z. Lei, K. Nagata, M. Ehara, and M. Shionoya,
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 2156.
8. N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Based C-centered Au(I)-Ag(I) Clusters with Intense Phosphorescence and Organelle-Selective Translocation in Cells, Z. Lei, M. Endo, H. Ube, T. Shiraogawa,
P. Zhao, K. Nagata, X.-L. Pei, T. Eguchi, T. Kamachi, M. Ehara, T. Ozawa, and M. Shionoya, Nat. Commun., 2022, in press.
9. In Situ X-ray Snapshot Analysis of Transient Molecular Adsorption in a Crystalline Channel, R. Kubota, S. Tashiro, M. Shiro, and M. Shionoya, Nat. Chem., 2014, 6, 913.
10. Preferential Photoreaction in a Porous Crystal, Metal–Macrocycle Framework: PdII-Mediated Olefin Migration over [2+2] Cycloaddition, H. Yonezawa, S. Tashiro, T. Shiraogawa,
M. Ehara, R. Shimada, T. Ozawa, and M. Shionoya, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 16610.
11. Novel Porous Crystals with Macrocycle-Based Well-Defined Molecular Recognition Sites, S. Tashiro and M. Shionoya, Acc. Chem. Res., 2020, 53, 632.
12. Multipoint Hydrogen Bonding-Based Molecular Recognition of Amino Acids and Peptide Derivatives in a Porous Metal-Macrocycle Framework: Residue-Specificity,
Diastereoselectivity, and Conformational Control, S. Tashiro, K. Nakata, R. Hayashi, and M. Shionoya, Small, 2021, 17, 2005803.

Professor

Project Associate Professorr

Rui Shang

Eiichi Nakamura

Presidential Endowed Chair for“Molecular Technology Innovation”

・1978: Ph.D., Tokyo Institute of Technology Graduate School of Scienceand Engineering. Assistant Prof., Associate Prof., then Professor
at Tokyo Institute of Technology.
・1995: Professor, The University of Tokyo. 2015, Endowed Professor.
2016-present: Presidential Endowed Chair for “Molecular Technology
Innovation” and Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo
1978-80: Postdoctoral Researcher at Columbia University, USA・2008: Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences;
・2009: The Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shiju Hosho);・2011: Program Director and Chair, Japan Agency for Science andTechnology (JST);・2014: Member of the Science Council of Japan・Office: Room 705, Molecular Life Innovation Building
・Email: nakamura@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp ・Tel: +81-3-5841-4356

・2014: Ph.D., University of Science and Technology of China. JSPS Fellowship, andfrom 2017 Project Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, The University ofTokyo: Project Associate Professor from 2020.
・2015: Hundred Excellent Doctor Thesis of the Chinese Academy of Science.
・2016: Springer Doctoral Theses Prize
・Office: Room 704A, Molecular Life Innovation Building
・Email: rui@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp・Tel: +81-3-5841-4367

Project Associate Professor

Takayuki Nakamuro・2018: Ph.D., Kyoto University. JSPS Fellowship, and from 2021 Project Associate
Professor at the Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo・2018: JSPS IKUSHI Prize.
・2018: The Presidential Award, Kyoto University
・Office: Room 701, Molecular Life Innovation Building
・Email: muro@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp・Tel: +81-3-5841-4369

New reactions, new materials, and new principles explored by organic chemistry
It has long been the dream of chemists to elucidate the intrinsic nature of atoms, molecules, and their assemblies, together with
controlling their functions. We are exploring new concepts of structural chemistry and the creation of new functional materials using
original synthetic tools developed by ourselves. We are also promoting research into the creation, property control, and biological
function of molecular assemblies at angstrom or nanoscale level, and even above (nano-integration). This research is based on fundamental investigations into the structure and reactivity of organic molecules, using various tools such as high-resolution electron
microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and theoretical calculations, together with the development of powerful synthetic methods.
These studies are supported by research grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, with theultimate goal to reach for scientific dreams, to sustain healthy life, and to address environmental issue and resources depletion.

Single-molecule atomic-resolution time-resolved electron microscopy. Seeing is believing“Watching the movements of individual small molecules with your own eyes”… this has been a dream of people for many years. In 2007, werealized this dream by observing in real time the changes in the shape of organic molecules packed in carbon nanotubes (Ref. 1) and named
this method SMART-EM (see Figure 1a). Figure 1a shows one of the images of the conformational change of saturated hydrocarbon
molecules with spherical boron markers installed as a head part. In addition, we elucidated the mechanism of bioactivity of the antibiotic
daptomycin (Fig. 1b, Ref. 2), saw short-lived, microscopic intermediates in chemical reactions, and determined their reaction mechanisms(Ref. 3). The world's most advanced high-speed, high-resolution electron microscope installed in the hospital campus next to the chemistrybuilding (Fig. 1c) has played a pivotal role in this research.

Organic Electronics Materials Based on Iron-catalysis
Lightweight, flexible, and printable organic electronic devices
are one of the keys to solving the energy problem. We asorganic chemists have been working on basic and practicalresearch in this field for the past 20 years. Polyacetylene, thefundamental framework of organic conductors, is too flexible
and unstable. We discovered some time ago that the conjugated molecule can be stabilized by incorporating a planar
1,4-dihydropentalene skeleton, which requires complicatedsynthetic steps. Recently, we developed a simplified synthesisof a variety of planar conjugated molecules using highly activeiron catalysts (Ref. 9). We designed a molecule having both anelectron-donating thiophene moiety and an electronwithdrawing indanone moiety. The molecule showed strong
Figure 5: Quantum dots glowing
absorption in the near-infrared region and can be used inin deep blue. Emission characterfabricating efficient near-infrared detectors. Using thisistics and SMART-EM image
molecular design concept, we synthesized a cell imaging
reagent with boron and nitrogen doping (Ref. 10) and a spiro
molecule with good circularly polarized emission properties(Ref. 11). We very recently developed a high precision synthe- Figure 4: Iron-catalyzed synthesis of planar conjugated
sis of blue light-emitting quantum dots for LED devices (Ref. molecules and application to near-infrared detectors
12), ultra-thin molecular films utilizing the self-assembly oforganic fullerenes (Ref. 13), and the electrolytes for efficientlithium-ion batteries.

Our Educational Philosophy: Fostering Scientists and Engineers with a Global Visibility
Figure 1. Electron microscope and dynamic molecular images. a. World's first video of molecular movement. b. Motions of daptomycin dimer. c.
Electron microscope in the Molecular Life Innovation Building

Using the SMART-EM technique, we can see the dynamic world of
atoms and molecules that people have never seen before. For example,
a video recording of ion pairs of Na and Cl gathering together inseveral seconds to form a tiny crystal attracted the attention of people
worldwide, from elementary school students to the general public(Figure 2, Ref. 4; https://youtu.be/Xo1yTnJo8Zs). A new field of"cinematic molecular science," which links cutting-edge science andscience education through molecular imaging, is opening up (Ref. 5).
Figure 2: A nanocrystal of salt suddenly appears at the tipof a carbon nanotube in a vacuum (at 5.04 sec)

Organic Synthesis without Relying on Scarce Resources: Element Strategy
In 2004, we proposed the concept of "element strategies." Since the 1990s, we havebeen at the forefront of the development of organic synthesis using iron, a "ubiquitouselement," as a catalyst. Iron is more difficult to control as a catalyst for organic synthesisthan noble metal catalysts such as palladium because of its diverse spin and redox
properties due to its degenerate 3d orbitals. We have developed a highly active catalytic
system by taking advantage of the small redox potential of <0.55 V between
Fe(III)/Fe(I), and developed a highly efficient and selective C–H bond activation reaction(Ref. 6). Figure 3 shows an example of a polymer synthesized by C–H activation of
thiophene (Ref. 7) and an efficient and long-lived perovskite solar cell that utilize thepolymer made by iron-catalysis as a hole transporting material (Ref. 8).
Figure 3: Iron-catalyzed polymerization by C–H bond activation as the key reaction.

The important purpose of our research activities is to nurture scientists and engineers who are
visible to the world through cutting-edge research. Furthermore, we hope that students will form
the foundations of researchers through experiments and discussions in the laboratory and expand
their curiosity, knowledge, and human network through research discussions (Fig. 6) and researchexperiences with our international laboratory members.

Figure 6 Tateshina group seminar (2022 Spring)

References

1. Imaging single Molecules in Motion, M. Koshino, T. Tanaka, N. Solin, K. Suenaga, H. Isobe, E. Nakamura, Science 2007, 316, 853.
2. Time-Resolved Atomistic Imaging and Statistical Analysis of Daptomycin Oligomers with and without Calcium Ion. T. Nakamuro, K. Kamei, K. Sun, J. W. Bode, K. Harano,
E. Nakamura, J. Am. Chem. Soc. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c03949.
3. Ionization and electron excitation of fullerene molecules in a carbon nanotube. A variable temperature/voltage transmission electron microscopic study, D. Liu, S. Kowashi,
T. Nakamuro, D. Lungerich, K. Yamanouchi, K. Harano, E. Nakamura, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 2022, 119, e2200290119.
4. Capturing the Moment of Emergence of Crystal Nucleus from Disorder, T. Nakamuro, M. Sakakibara, H. Nada, K. Harano, E. Nakamura, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 1763.
5. A Scientist and a Musician, E. Keinan, AsiaChem. 2021, 2, 96.
6. Homocoupling-free iron-catalysed twofold C–H activation/cross-coupling of aromatics via transient connection of reactants, T. Doba, T. Matsubara, L. Ilies, R. Shang, E. Nakamura,
Nature. Catal., 2019, 2, 400.
7. Iron-Catalysed Regioselective Thienyl C–H/C–H Coupling, T. Doba, L. Ilies, W. Sato, R. Shang, E. Nakamura, Nat. Catal., 2021, 4, 631.
8. Triarylamine/Bithiophene Copolymer with Enhanced Quinoidal Character as Hole-Transporting Material for Perovskite Solar Cells. H.-S. Lin, T. Doba, W. Sato, Y. Matsuo, R. Shang,
E. Nakamura, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, e202203949.
9. Iron-Catalyzed Tandem Cyclization of Diarylacetylene to a Strained 1,4-Dihydropentalene Framework for Narrow-Band-Gap Materials, M. Chen, W. Sato, R. Shang, E. Nakamura,
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 6323.
10. B/N-Doped p-Arylenevinylene Chromophores: Synthesis, Properties, and Microcrystal Electron Crystallographic Study, H. Lu, K. Yamashita, H. Yanagisawa, O. Nureki,
M. Kikkawa, H. Gao, J. Tian, R. Shang, E. Nakamura, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 18990.
11. Axially Chiral Spiro-conjugated Carbon-bridged p-Phenylenevinylene Congeners: Synthetic Design and Materials Properties, H. Hamada, Y. Itabashi, R. Shang, E. Nakamura,
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 2059.
12. Precision synthesis and atomistic analysis of deep blue cubic quantum dots made via self-organization. O. J. G. L. Chevalier, T. Nakamuro, W. Sato, S. Miyashita, T. Chiba, J. Kido,
R. Shang, E. Nakamura, ChemRxiv, 10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-3dl97.
13. De Novo Synthesis of Free-Standing Flexible 2D Intercalated Nanofilm Uniform over Tens of cm2, P. Ravat, H. Uchida, R. Sekine, K. Kamei, A. Yamamoto, O. Konovalov,
M. Tanaka, T. Yamada, K. Harano, E. Nakamura, Adv. Mater. 2021, 34, 2146465.

Project Associate Professor

Haruro Ishitani

・1998: received PhD at Science University of Tokyo under the supervision ofProf. S. Kobayashi, and served as Assistant Prof. at the Graduate School ofGreen Sustainable Chemistry Social
Cooperation Laboratory

Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo

・2001: moved to Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute ofTechnology, and joined as Assistant Professor atProf. M. Iwamoto’s research group.

・2002: Served as Associate Prof. at the institute.

Project Assistant Professor

・2015: Served as Project Associate Prof. at the University of Tokyo.
・Has been in current position since 2021.
・Email: hishitani@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-8343

Tomohiro Yasukawa・Email: t-yasukawa@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4344

Linking cutting-edge chemistry to building a sustainable society
Green Sustainable Chemistry (GSC) Social Collaboration Laboratory was established with supporting of collaborative companies, with the aim of
conducting practically oriented research and development on environmentally friendly low-load chemical processes and fostering human resources
who will lead the GSC field. GSC is the ideal attitude of chemistry to build a sustainable society and is an important concept for modern society andthe earth of the future. Starting from our actions, we will explore how the chemical industry can truly contribute to the future society by fusing ouractivities with industry-government collaboration.

Contribution for SDGs by promoting GSC research
In recent years, as global environmental problems have become more andmore strongly recognized, various Sustainable Development Goals andtargets (SDGs) that transcend national boundaries have been formulated.
Also, imagining the future beyond this goal, the challenges to be addressedby the power of science are extremely heavy. This laboratory aims to develop
and put into practical use by conducting basic research with a view ofachieving the goals and looking ahead. We are also focusing on developing
human resources who can solve problems of the next 10 to 20 years. Ourbasic research aimed at developing safe chemical processes with low
environmental load has the potential to contribute to social problems such as
low birthrate and aging population, energy and resource issues, environmental issues, and food issues. To enhance our research, it is important tocollaborate with basic university research, appropriate policies, and implementation by industry. This course promotes the above-mentioned trinity
research through various collaborative research and public research
programs.

Bench-scale flow reactor system of 100 g/h - 1,000 g/h continuous
synthesis. 300 mL Of reactors are housed in the two metal boxes on
the front, and by connecting them in a series, two-step sequential
continuous reactions can be performed.

Sequential and Continuous-flow Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Rolipram.

GSC research for the realization of a resource-recycling society

Development of continuous process for energy-saving chemical manufacturing
Although the production of value-added chemicals is considered to be thekey of Japan's economic growth, the lack of equipment and manpower forsmall-lot, large-item production, and the by-product and wastes including
carbon dioxide emissions disturb its progress. To overcome this andimprove the international competitiveness of the Japanese chemicalindustry, it is necessary to shift the current production manner of valueadded chemicals to a continuous production manner. In this laboratory, weare developing reactions and catalysts to realize the "core 5 reactions" thatare often used in the synthesis of functional chemicals by a continuous-flow
method with heterogeneous catalytic reaction. By developing the reactions
and catalysts developed in this laboratory in a joint industry-governmentacademia project and combining them with reactor modules andseparation/purification module, an on-demand production of wide variety ofvalue-added chemicals can be realized.

To achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to change thebasis of our society from disposable fossil resources to renewable resources. What chemistry can contribute to this field isproviding energy saving processes and efficiency improvement
in commercializing renewable resources. We are now investigating catalytic processes that can convert non-edible biomass andbiomass derivatives obtained by the reaction of non-ediblebiomass with carbon dioxide into basic chemicals that will be
important in the future. Deploying this will lead to the production of non-edible biomass-based biodegradable plastics. We
will also contribute to the realization of recycling-oriented
society by developing a catalytic chemical upcycle processes ofwaste plastics.

References

The Core 5 Reactions for Continuous Production of Value-added Chemicals

Relationship of GSC with other areas

1. Continuous-flow Synthesis of (R)-Tamsulosin Utilizing Sequential Heterogeneous Catalysis, Y. Saito, K. Nishizawa, B. Laroche, H. Ishitani, S. Kobayashi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 61,
e202115643 (2022).
2. Two-step Continuous-flow Synthesis of Fungicide Metalaxyl through Catalytic C-N Bond-formation Processes, H. Ishitani, Z. Yu, T. Ichitsuka, N. Koumura, S. Onozawa, K. Sato,
S. Kobayashi, Adv. Synth. Catal. 364, 18-23 (2021).
3. Sequential Continuous-flow Synthesis of 3-Aryl Benzofuranones, H.-L. Xin, X. Rao, H. Ishitani, S. Kobayashi, Chem. Asian J. 16, 1906-1910 (2021).
4. High-throughput Synthesis of (S)-Phellandrene through Three-step Sequential Continuous-flow Reactions, S. J. Miller, H. Ishitani, Y. Furiya, S. Kobayashi, Org. Process Res. Dev. 25,
192-198 (2021).
5. Nickel-Diamine/Mesoporous Silica Composite as a Heterogeneous Chiral Catalyst for Asymmetric 1,4-Addition Reactions, H. Ishitani, K. Kanai, W.-J. Yoo, T. Yoshida, S. Kobayashi,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 13313-13317 (2019).

Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Ph. D (Science), Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo (2002)
2003–2006: Research associate, Department of Applied Chemistry,
The University of Tokyo
2006–2009: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics,
Tokyo Institute of Technology
2009–present: Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo・Office: No. 213, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: hiramatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-7649

Jun Okabayashi

Research Center forSpectrochemistry

Kotaro Hiramatsu

・Office: No. 226, Chemistry East Bldg.
・Email: jun@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-3-5841-4418

Chief of RCS
Prof. Mitsuhiko Shionoya(Department of Chemistry)

Advanced spectroscopy—Common words for modern science
The Research Center for Spectrochemistry (RCS) was founded in 1976. Current research at RCS mainly
covers synchrotron radiation spectroscopy and fast Raman spectroscopy for investigating a variety of chemicaland biological phenomena at molecular level. RCS undertakes development of new spectroscopic methods
based on state-of-the-art laser technology as well as performing spectroscopic observation of living cells orfunctional materials. This research is related to chemistry as well as other scientific disciplines, including
clinical diagnosis, and to the development of inter- and multidisciplinary sciences. RCS also maintains andmanages various spectroscopic instruments for common use.

Ultra-rapid spectroscopy and its biological application
Understanding biological functions require cell measurements in wide temporal and spatial range with molecular specificity. To this end, wedevelop spectroscopic methods based on ultrafast laser technology that enable rapid and detailed analysis of biomolecules in vivo. We havedeveloped a rapid-scan Fourier-transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (FT-CARS) spectrometer (Fig. 4), which enables acquisition of
24,000 broad Raman spectra in one second, and applied it to large-scale label-free flow cytometry (Fig. 5). With using the developed method will be
useful both in basic life science and medical science. We specifically apply the method to metabolic engineering by sorting highly productive
microalgal cells and cancer diagnosis by detecting circulating tumor cells in the blood.

Electron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation
Synchrotron radiation is produced by accelerating particles to near light speed and bending their paths with a magnetic field. This process has theadvantages of brilliance and tunable photon energies from the infrared (IR) to x-ray regions. The Research Center for Spectrochemistry constructed abeamline (BL-7A) with a bending magnet to produce ultra-violet (UV) and soft x-ray radiation at the Photon Factory high-energy accelerator
organization (KEK), Tsukuba. The equipment for high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy, x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy(XAFS or XAS), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) are located at the end station, which can be utilized for the research on chemicalbonding states and electronic and magnetic structures. Three kinds of gratings (150, 300, and 650 mm−1) are mounted, and high brilliant x-rays
from 200 to 1500 eV with high resolution are available. In particular, this beamline has become a powerful tool for studies of element-specificmagnetic structures by XMCD and crystalline structures of molecules by XAFS. This beamline is open to all researchers who pursue surface
science, magnetism, and photochemistry during chemical reactions.
Figure 1 shows XAS and XMCD spectra, defined as the difference in absorption spectra excited by right and left circular polarized light, of
ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 with perpendicularly magnetic anisotropy. Analysis of spectral shapes using the magneto-optical sum rules estimates spin andorbital magnetic moments separately, which becomes a powerful technique for clarifying mechanism of the functionalities of novel materials andmolecules. Furthermore, we have developed x-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD) technique to deduce quadrupole moment with ligand field
theory calculation for clarifying novel magnetic anisotropy. Recently, we succeeded in Operando XMCD system to detect the control of orbital
magnetic moments during applying external strain, which is utilized for interfacial physics and chemistry.
In order to detect the energy band dispersion around the Fermi level, we have developed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES). As an example, the band dispersions of topological insulator (TI) of Bi2Se3 surface are shown in Fig. 2. Dirac point which originates from
relativity theory is detected by ARPES. Now we are developing the spin-resolved ARPES system and will measure interfacial electronic structures
between TI and magnetic materials. These spectroscopic investigations using various energy ranges open up a novel technique of “multimodal
spin-orbit measurements” to understand interfacial physics and chemistry in solids.

Fig. 3, The rapid-scan Fourier-transform coherent
anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectrometer

Fig. 4, Vibrational
spectral acquisition fromﬂowing single cells

Fig. 5. Various applications of the developed large-scalelabel-free single cell analyzer

Maintenance and management of various spectroscopic
instruments for common use
RCS manages the instruments available to all researchers and students. Please contact thestaff at RCS to request the use of them. Instruments for the following techniques are available
for common use: powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescent (XRF) analysis,
single-crystal XRD, ultraviolet–infrared (UV–IR) spectroscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy,
IR spectroscopy and microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography(GC), electron spin resonance (ESR), differential thermo analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetricanalysis (TG).

Fig. 6 , Examples of the instruments in RCS available forcommon use. ESR, NMR, FT-IR, and XRF.

References

Fig. 1, XMCD of CoFe 2 O 4 with ligand field theory calculation andelement-specific hysteresis curves.

Fig. 2, ARPES image of surface states in
topological insulator Bi2Se3.

1. J. Okabayashi et al., "Origin of Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in CoxFe3−xO4+δ Thin Films Studied by X-ray Magnetic Circular and Linear Dichroisms", Phys. Rev. B 105,
134416 1-8 (2022).
2. J. Okabayashi et al., "Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at the Fe/Au(111) interface studied by Mössbauer, x-ray absorption, and photoemission spectroscopies", Phys. Rev. B 103
104435 1-8 (2021).
3. J. Okabayashi et al., "Detecting quadrupole: a hidden source of magnetic anisotropy for Manganese alloys", Scientific Reports 10, 9744 (2020).
4. J. Okabayashi et al., "Strain-Induced Reversible Manipulation of Orbital Magnetic Moments in Ni/Cu Multilayers on Ferroelectric BaTiO3",
Nature Partner Journal npj Quantum Materials 4, 21 (2019).
5. J. Okabayashi et al., "Anatomy of interfacial spin-orbit coupling in Co/Pd multilayers", Scientific Reports 8, 8303/1-8 (2018).
6. K. Hiramatsu et al., "Rapid-scan Fourier-transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy with heterodyne detection", Opt. Lett. 42, 4335 (2017).
7. K. Hiramatsu et al., "High-throughput label-free molecular fingerprinting flow cytometry", Sci. Adv. 5, eaau0241 (2019).

Professor

Project Associate Professor

Director of CALS, Professor

Ph.D., Graduate School of Science,
The University of Tokyo (2001)
Researcher at Laval University in Canada,
Current position since 2019
・Office : Room 122, Chemistry East Building
・E-mail: aiwasaki0227@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: 03-5841-0270

Doctor of Engineering, Graduate School ofEngineering, The University of Tokyo (2011)2011-2017: Research Scientist at RIKEN,
2017-2019: Senior Researcher at HiLASE Centre,
Czech Academy of Sciences, 2019-2021:
Research Fellow at The University of Auckland,
Current position since 2021
・Office: Room 229, Chemistry East Building
・E-mail: amani@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: 03-5841-4560(Professor in Dept. of Chemistry)

Reza Amani

Atsushi Iwasaki

Center for Attosecond Laser Science

Kaoru Yamanouchi

Assistant Professor

Toshiaki Ando・Office: Room 229, Chemistry East Building
・E-mail: ando@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: 03-5841-4560

Promoting Attosecond Laser Science, Capacity Development of Young Researchers,

and International Exchange in Photon Science

In April 2022, the Center for Ultrafast Intense Laser Science (CUILS) was restructured as the Center for
Attosecond Laser Science (CALS) aiming to further development of laser technologies and measurement
techniques in attosecond laser science based on the previous development of ultrafast intense laser science
research field. CALS promotes the frontiers in the interdisciplinary research field of ultrafast intense laser
science through international research cooperation and developing an educational program in photon
science by industry-academia collaboration.

Science and the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, the University of Electro-Communications, and Keio
University provide graduate students in these three universities with the lecture courses, “Lectures on Advanced Optical
Science I/II,” and laboratory courses, “Laboratory Course of Advanced Optical Science I/II.” Our educational activity has
been supported by Advanced Laser Innovation Center (ALICe) in Quantum Leap Flagship Program (MEXT Q-LEAP) and
The Forefront Physics and Mathematics Program to Drive Transformation (FoPM).

Advances in ultrafast intense laser science
Light has always been playing a central role in our exploration of frontiers in science. Until relatively recently, light used inscience had been weak, so that the irradiation of light would not change the nature of matter. However, recent ultrashortlaser technology enabled us to reach the intensity of light up to 100 million times larger than before, and it has been revealed
that irradiation of light with such huge intensity can form light-dressed states in which light and matters are strongly

Figure 1. Laboratory courses of advanced optical science I/II in 2021.

coupled. Nowadays, intense laser science is regarded as an attractive and promising interdisciplinary research field covering
physics, chemistry, and laser engineering.

Optics and advanced laser science by innovative funds for students
Optics and advanced laser science by innovative funds for students (OASIS), which was started in 2008, is a scholarship

Promotion of international research cooperation
CALS is dedicated to promoting international research cooperation in the interdisciplinary field of ultrafast intense laser
science and attosecond laser science. We have supported the 17th AMO Symposium (Online, July 18th and 19th, 2021),

program for graduate students in the second year of master courses in the University of Tokyo for supporting their research
activities in photon science. This OASIS scholarship program, being operated by CUILS, has been supported by donations
from companies. Foundation URL: https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/students/welfare/h02_10.html

which is an international workshop in ultrafast intense laser science and advanced photon science in 2021.

Industry-academia joint educational program in photon science
The consortium on education and research on advanced laser science (CORAL) was established in April 2007 for fostering
graduate students in photon science so that they will be researchers at forefront of advanced photon science. Since thelaunch of this CORAL program, its operation has been conducted by CALS as one of its main activities.
The CORAL program has been operated in cooperation with the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo

References

and the two other universities, the University of Electro-Communications and Keio University, having well-established1. A. Amani Eilanlou, and N. G. R. Broderick, “A thin-disk ring laser oscillator at a repetition rate beyond 120 MHz,” Opt. Commun. 501, 127349 (2021).

teaching courses in photon science. In the CORAL program, prerequisite topics in photon science, which had been taught inundergraduate and graduate courses, were integrated systematically so that students could learn fundamental concepts inphoton science and acquire the knowledge and skills needed to explore the frontiers in photon science.
In the CORAL program, researchers and engineers from 22 photonics-oriented companies and professors from the School of

2. A. Amani Eilanlou, T. Okino, Y. Nabekawa, M. Kuwata-Gonokami, and K. Midorikawa, “Observation of harmonic beams inside a Kerr lens mode-locked thin-disk ring laser oscillator
beyond a repetition rate of 10 MHz,” OSA Continuum. 4, 1099-1113 (2021).
3. T. Ando, A. Liu, N. Negishi, A. Iwasaki, K. Yamanouchi, "Spin-orbit splitting of Ar+, Kr+,and Kr2+ determined by strong-field ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy," Phys. Rev. A. 104, 033516 (2021).
4. Y. Zhang, E. Lötstedt, T. Ando, A. Iwasaki, H. Xu, K. Yamanouchi, "Rotational population transfer through the A2Πu-X2Σg+-B2Σu+ coupling in N2+ lasing," Phys. Rev. A. 104,023107 (2021).

Professor

Hiroyuki Kagi

Geochemical Research Center・1991: Left the doctoral course at
the University of Tokyo, Graduate
School of Science. AssistantProfessor and Lecturer at the
University of Tsukuba, Institute ofMaterial Science, Lecturer andAssociate Professor at the University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science, and has been in the current
position since 2010.
・1994: Received a doctoral degree in science from the
University of Tokyo. (PhD)
・1996-1998: Visiting Scientist, State University of New
York at Stony Brook.
・2004: Visiting Scientist, The University of Edinburgh.
・Office: Room 2701, Chemistry West Bldg.
・E-mail: kagi@eqchem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-7625 Fax: (0)3-5841-4119

Professor

Takafumi Hirata
・1990: Completed the doctoral course
at The University of Tokyo, Graduate
School of Science (PhD). Research
Scientist at Geological Survey ofJapan, Assistant Professor andAssociate Professor at Tokyo Instituteof Technology, Professor at Kyoto University and has beenin the current position since 2016.
・1992: Visiting Scientist, University of Southampton.
・Office: Room 0134, Chemistry East Bldg.
・E-mail: hrt1@eqchem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4621 Fax: (0)3-5841-4119
Assistant Professor

Fumiaki Tsunomori

・Office: Room 0102, Chemistry East Bldg.
・E-mail: fumi@eqchem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4624

Associate Professor

Toshiya Mori (Belonging to Department ofEarth and Planetary Science)

・1994: Left the doctoral course at the University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science to serve as Research Associate at
School of Science, the University of Tokyo, and has been in thecurrent position since 2004.
・1998: Received a doctoral degree in science from the University of Tokyo.
・1999-2000: Visiting Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
・Office: Room 0104, Chemistry East Bldg.
・E-mail: mori@eqchem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4649

Associate Professor

Kazuki Komatsu

・2006: Completed the doctoral course at Tohoku University,
Graduate School of Science (Ph. D. in Science).
・Served as Project Lecturer at the University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science and has been in the current
position since 2012.
・2006-2008: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Edinburgh
・Office: Room 1715, Faculty of Science, Building 4
・E-mail: kom@eqchem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: (0)3-5841-4450

Investigating dynamics of the Earth and planets from a chemical point of view
Geochemistry can derive the direct “evidence” of the growth history of the Earth and the Solar System from a viewpoint of chemistry. Prof. Kagi’s group studies physical and chemical properties of minerals and materials relevant to deep earth, including organic
molecular compounds, under high pressure using various spectroscopic methods, X-ray diffraction, and neutron diffraction. Prof.
Hirata’s group is trying to understand the early history of the solar system and early earth including evolution of the life with developing a state-of-the-art technique for the elemental and isotope analysis. We welcome students who are interested in materials in the
Earth and planets or chemistry under extreme conditions.

Geochemistry of the Earth's interior
The depth to the center of the Earth is approximately 6,400 km. However, humans have only been able to reach as far as 10 km. This means that wecannot directly collect deep-earth materials. Thus, in order to understand the physical and chemical environments of deep Earth and planetaryinteriors, we must study various materials under high-pressure conditions in laboratory-based experiments.
We focus on pressure-induced structural changes in ices, materials having hydrogen-bonding networks, hydrous minerals as a carrier of water into
the deep Earth, simple organic compounds including amino acids. The main experimental techniques we use are in-situ measurements of X-raydiffraction, neutron diffraction, and vibrational spectra under high-pressure conditions. For example, ice is a very familiar material in our daily life,
but at least seventeen polymorphs have been reported, and the discovery of a new ice phase is expected in the near future. Crystal structure andproperties of ice polymorphs are essential science targets in material science and planetary science. To determine the structure of an ice polymorph,
we determine the atomic position of hydrogen at varied pressure and temperature conditions by neutron diffraction.
Along with high-pressure experiments, natural samples are also important to obtain information on the real Earth. We are investigating mineralinclusions contained in natural mantle-derived samples, such as diamonds
which are the most typical mantle-derived minerals. In addition to deep
Earth geochemistry, we are conducting surface observations with theatomic resolution on calcium carbonate, which plays an important role to
the global circulation of CO2. In future, we will estimate global circulation of volatile elements from surface environments to the deep Earth byDense CO2 fluid inclusions insynthesizing the obtained knowledge.
olivine, a major mineral in the
PLANET beamline at J-PARC.

upper mantle.

Isotope geochemistry and cosmochemistry: measure what is measurable,
and make measurable what is not so - Galileo Galilei
The geochemistry is one of the key research field to decode the growth history of the Earth and the Solar System. We are trying to understand theearly sequence of the solar system, meteorites, planetesimals or the Earth’s core, and also to understand the growth sequence of the continental crustand the origin and evolution of the life through the elemental and isotopic analyses of various samples including rock, mineral, fluid and biochemical
tissues. To achieve this, we are developing a state-of-the-art technique for the elemental analysis using the combination of high power lasers and themass spectrometry. Mass spectrometers utilizing atmospheric pressure Ar-ICP as an ion source (ICP-MS) have been widely used for both element andisotopic analyses for geochemical samples such as rocks, minerals, aquatic solutions, as well as gaseous samples. Since the ICP is operating underatmospheric pressure, various sample introduction techniques can be applied for analysis. Among these, the laser ablation sampling technique is likely
to become a method of choice for many geochemists and biochemists because it is a highly sensitive and versatile method of elemental and isotopic
analyses. Laser ablation is the process of removing materials from the surface of solid materials by the irradiation of a laser beam. Laser induced
sample aerosols and vapors will be introduced to the ICP, and theionized elements are extracted into a high-vacuum, and separated
by mass. The newly developed system has blossomed to become
the key technique to provide the most precise chronological datafor both the rock and mineral samples. Moreover, analyticalcapability for in-situ elemental and isotopic analyses can be madein various spatial resolutions, ranging from 1 - 1,000 µm. The
LA-ICPMS technique has opened up new applications for
Ca-Al rich inclusions in a meteorite, thegeochemistry, such as in-situ stable isotope studies, in-situ isotopeoldest rock sample.
dating, and simultaneous mappings for major to trace-elements(imaging mass spectrometry). Here you can find the answer.
Ion detector developed by our group.

Chemical composition and flux of volcanic gas as an indicator of dynamics of volcanic eruption
Volcanic gas is a mixture of volatiles degassed from magma and fluids from hydrothermal system. By monitoring chemical composition and flux ofthe volcanic gas, we can derive valuable information of magma and hydrothermal system at depth of the volcano. One of our targets is to understandthe dynamics of volcanic activities through volcanic gas investigations using various optical remote sensing techniques. A remote measurement
technique of volcanic gas chemistry using a FT-IR spectral radiometer and a visualization technique of sulfur dioxide in volcanic plume, both aredeveloped at our laboratory, are powerful tools for understanding degassing activities of volcanoes. By using the visualization technique, we are able
to measure sulfur dioxide flux with unprecedented high time
resolution of order of seconds. We are also involved in automatedmeasurements of sulfur dioxide flux of several Japanese
volcanoes using UV spectrometer scanning systems. By integrating our observed volcanic gas data with geophysical data, we arefocusing on understanding the degassing processes during longterm and imminent precursory periods of volcanic eruptions. In
addition to the researches above, our interest extends to diffuse
degassing of volcanic carbon dioxide from volcanic edifice,which is an indicator for volcanic unrests or eruptions.
Remote measurement of volcanic gas
chemistry using FT-IR spectral radiometer.

SO2 column amount image observed at
Sakurajima volcano.

Groundwater gas geochemistry of fault zones
Dissolved gases and ions in groundwater sometimes shows pre-seismic anomaly. Our goal is to understand a mechanism and develop a model todescribe such anomalies based on geochemical measurements. We developed a mass spectrometer system for a continuous measurement of dissolved
gases in groundwater in 2008, and we are monitoring concentration and composition changes of dissolved gases at the Atotsugawa active fault from2010. We believe that a status of the fault can be evaluated by the gas monitoring in the near future. In addition, we developed an apparatus tomeasure a radon concentration by a scintillation counting technic in 2010. A radon monitor
in Nakaizu observatory, which was used in ourlaboratory for 30 years, was replaced with thenew one in 2010. This new radon monitor
successfully detected an anomalous radon
concentration increase before the Tohoku
earthquake in 2011. We have just started toobserve a state of the Miura active fault zone
and the Tachikawa active faults. Not justabove investigations, we will start an air
Gas emission is monitored under uniaxial compresgeochemistry for aiming to investigate and Dissolved gas concentration in groundwater ission in a vacuum chamber.
monitor a cross-border pollution with these continuously recorded by a quadrupole mass
spectrometer and a radon counter.
monitoring technics in some years.
References
1. Hirata T.,Yamashita S., Ishida M., and Suzuki T. (2021) Isotopic analysis of Os from Ir-Os bearing nanoparticles using high-time resolution-multiple collector-ICPMS system.
Mass Spectrometry, 9, 1–8
2. Iizuka-Oku R., Gotou H., Shito C., Fukuyama K., Mori Y., Hattori T., Sano-Furukawa A., Funakoshi K., and Kagi H. (2021) Behavior of light elements in iron-silicate-water-sulfur
system during early Earth’s evolution. Scientific Reports, 11, 12632.
3. Nakanishi N., Yokoyama T., Okabayashi S., Iwamori H., and Hirata T. (2022) Geochemical constraints on the formation of chondrules: Implication from Os and Fe Geochemical
constraints on the formation of chondrules: Implication from Os and Fe isotopes and HSE abundances in metals from CR chondrites, submitted to Geochimica. Cosmochimica. Acta,
319, 254–270.
4. Komatsu K., Machida S., Noritake F., Hattori T., Sano-Furukawa A., Yamane R., Yamashita K. and Kagi H. (2020) Ice Ic without stacking disorder by evacuating hydrogen fromhydrogen hydrate. Nature Communications, 11, 464.
5. Yamane R., Komatsu K., Gouchi J., Uwatoko Y., Machida S., Hattori T., Ito H., and Kagi H. (2021) Experimental evidence for the existence of a second partially-ordered phase of ice VI.
Nature Communications, 12, 1129.
6. Yamashita S., Yamamoto K., Takahashi H. and Hirata T. (2022) Size and isotopic ratio measurements of individual nanoparticles by a continuous ion-monitoring method using Faraday
detectors equipped on a multi-collector-ICP-mass spectrometer, J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom., 37, 178-184.
7. Ono, T., Mori, T. and Tsunomori, F. (2019) High-frequency field auto-sampling of volcanic waters discharged near craters of active volcanoes, Bulletin of Volcanology,
10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124712.

Associate Professor

Takehiko Sasaki

・1992: Completed the doctoral course at the University of Tokyo,
Graduate School of Science. Served as Research Associate at the
University of Tokyo, and has been in current position since 1998.
・Office: No. 3H8, Interdisciplinary Bldg. Kashiwa campus
・Email: takehiko@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp
・Tel: +81-4-7136-3910
・Fax: +81-4-7136-3910

Surface andArtificial Materials Chemistry
Exploration of novel properties at exotic heterointerfaces
All changes occurring in nature may fairly be said to start at the surfaces or interfaces. In our main target
heterogeneous catalysis surface and interface phenomena play important roles in preparation processes ofcatalysts and actual catalytic reaction processes. Size and shape controls of nanomaterials and reaction controls
are often achieved via surface and interface phenomena. Our aim is not only to understand reaction mechanisms but also to design novel catalysts for organic reactions and Green Chemistry processes based on (1)syntheses of novel nanomaterials and characterization, (2) insitu measurements for active catalysts, and (3)mechanism studies with computational chemistry.

Development of novel nanomaterials via control of interface and application to heterogeneous catalysis
Nanomaterials synthesis often takes place in solution. Figure 1 shows Co3O4 nanocrystals with different shpae grown in aqueous solution
through oxidation of CoCl2 by H2O2. All of them are single crystals. Use of different surfactants resulted in different shapes. Non-ionicsurfactant consisted of ether bonds gave non-specific interaction, resulting in a nano sphere. Either cationic or anionic surfactant resulted innano cube exhibiting (100) equivalent surfaces. Addition of polar organic molecules such as acetonitrile or DMF instead of surfactants gave
rhombododecahedron, exhibiting (110) equivalent surfaces. Shape control was realized by different surface termination with different surfactants or polar molecules.
We have studied metal-containing ionic liquids and immobilization on solid supports. According to the scheme shown in Figure 2, imidazolium groups are immobilized on mesoporous silica SBA-15, AuCl was introduced and reduction with NaBH4 was achieved to obtain Au
nanoparticles, whose TEM image is shown in Figure 3 [2]. Average particle size is 2 nm and can be controllable with different reductant feed
ratio and concentration. This Au catalyst can catalyze reduction of p-nitrophenol and Suzuki cross coupling reaction in water/EtOH solvent. Pd
catalysts prepared in a similar way can catalyze carbonylation reactions where carbon monoxide is incorporated in product molecules [3].
Figure 4 shows the TEM image for amine functionalized graphene oxide (AP-GO) prepared by our group. It was found that AP-GO with theuse of tetrabutylammonium iodide as co-catalyst can catalyze the synthesis of cyclic carbonates at atmospheric pressure and low temperature(70 ℃). This GO based catalyst exhibits superior activity owing to its large surface area with abundant hydrogen bonding donor capability andthe presence of well-defined amine functional groups, resulting in a synergistic effect for the catalytic reaction. The developed AP-GO could be
easily recovered and used repetitively up to seven recycle runs with unchanged catalyst activity [4].

Insitu measurements for active catalysts and mechanism study with computational chemistry
Insitu measurements for active catalysts are important to study reactivity and mechanism. We are using TAP (Temporal Analysis of Products)
method as shown in Figure 5, with which pulsed reactant gas with duration of 5 ms is injected to catalyst layers and mass spectrometer responses of
products are recorded, for the purpose of obtaining mass balance information and kinetic parameters of the diffusion and reaction processes. In
synchrotron radiation facilities we achieve insitu XAFS measurements to monitor coordination states and electronic states of active metal in catalysts
in preparation and reaction processes mainly for methane partial oxidation and CO2 hydrogenation reactions.
Computational chemistry such as Density Functional Theory calculations is important to determine active structures, transition states and energy
profiles of reactions. Figure 6 shows the energy diagram for a Pt6 cluster interacting with NH3, NH4+, benzene and O2 leading to the formation ofphenol, obtained by DFT calculation. This calculation was achieved to clarify the efficient and selective synthesis of phenol from benzene and O2
catalyzed by a Pt cluster catalyst supported in β zeolite in the presence of ammonia. An oxygen molecule dissociates on the Pt clusters to give twooxygen adatoms, and an oxygen adatom attacks a carbon atom of thebenzene molecule to yield an intermediate with a Pt-O-C bond. Protontransfer from the carbon atom to the oxygen atom proceeds to give amolecule of phenol. These processes correspond to two activation
barriers for the production of phenol which can be overcome by thetemperature condition adopted in the experiments [5]. Recently, we are
studying the mechanism of sugar alcohol conversion by hot water with
Metadynamics and first-principles calculations for the utilization of
biomass materials.[6]. We also measured C-K edge XAS spectra for
aqueous cellobiose solution by Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy andfound that hydrogen bonding between cellobiose and water molecules
dominate the features of XAS spectra by the first principles molecular
dynamics and XAS simulation [7].

Figure 6. Energy diagram for the Pt6 cluster interacting with NH3, NH4+,
benzene and O2 leading to the formation of phenol [5].

Figure 5

References
Figure 1. Shape control of Co3O4 nanocrystals[1]Figure 3 TEM image for Au nanoparticles
supported on SBA-15 with immobilized
imidazlium groups [2]Figure 2. Preparation scheme for immobilized ionic liquid catalysts on SBA-15, introductionof AuCl and reduction to give Au nanoparticles [2]Figure 4. TEM image for the aminogroup functionalized graphene oxide(AP-GO) [4].

Photograph and diagram for TAP system.

1. Morphological Control of Single Crystalline Co3O4 Polyhedrons: Selective and Non-selective Growth of Crystal Planes Directed by Differently Charged Surfactants and Solvents,
Jinhu Yang and Takehiko Sasaki, Crystal Growth & Design, 2010, 10, 1233
2. Size-controllable gold nanoparticles prepared from immobilized gold-containing ionic liquids on SBA-15, E.N. Kusumawati, D. Nishio-Hamane, and T. Sasaki, Catalysis Today, 2018, 309, 109.
3. Ionic Liquid Immobilized on Graphene-Oxide-Containing Palladium Metal Ions as an Efficient Catalyst for the Alkoxy, Amino, and Phenoxy Carbonylation Reactions, V.K. Gaikwad,
V.B. Saptal, K. Harada, T. Sasaki, D. Nishio-Hamane, and B.M. Bhanage, ChemNanoMat, 2018, 4, 575.
4. Hybrid Amine-Functionalized Graphene Oxide as a Robust Bifunctional Catalyst for Atmospheric Pressure Fixation of Carbon Dioxide using Cyclic Carbonates,V. B. Saptal, T. Sasaki,
K. Harada, D. Nishio-Hamane, B. M. Bhanage, ChemSusChem, 2016, 9, 644.
5. Active Pt Cluster Structure and Reaction Pathway for Selective Phenol Synthesis from Benzene and O2 Regulated with NH3 on Pt cluster/β-Zeolite Catalyst Studied by
DFT Calculations, T. Sasaki, M. Tada, L. Wang, S. Malwadkar, Y. Iwasawa, Chemistry-An Asian Journal, 2015, 10, 2283
6. The mechanism of sorbitol dehydration in hot acidic solutions, T. Kondo, T. Sasaki and M. Shiga, Journal of Computational Chemistry, 2021, 42, 1783.
7. X-ray absorption spectra of aqueous cellobiose: Experiment and theory, D. Akazawa, T. Sasaki, M. Nagasaka and M. Shiga, J. Chem. Phys., 2022, 156, 044202..

History
1861 The Department of Manufacturing Chemistry in the Institute for Research of Foreign Books establishedby the Tokugawa Shogunate. Re-established at Yosho Shirabesho,Kaisei Gakko and Tokyo Kaisei Gakko.
1877 Merged with Tokyo Igakko to form Tokyo Daigaku (Tokyo University), and the Department of Chemistryfounded within the School of Science.
1880 Gakushi Kenkyuka (a school for graduate students, antecedent to the Graduate School) established.
1886 Renamed Teikoku Daigaku Rika Daigaku (Imperial University of Science), and the Graduate School established.
1888 Doctoral degrees (10 in science) bestowed for the ﬁrst time.

Map of Hongo Campus(Chemistry Bldg.)
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5841-4321
E-Mai：
l kagaku@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Homepage: http://www.chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/1897 Renamed Tokyo Teikoku Daigaku Rika Daigaku (Tokyo Imperial University of Science).
1919 Renamed School of Science, Tokyo Imperial University.
1951 School of Science reorganized into ﬁve departments, including the Department of Chemistry.
1953 University of Tokyo Graduate Schools established under the new School Education Law.
1965 Graduate Schools reorganized to establish ﬁve new graduate schools, including the Graduate School of Science.
1976 Research Center for Spectral Chemistry established.

Ikenohata Gate

1978 Laboratory for Earthquake Chemistry established.
1991 Research Center for Spectral Chemistry reorganized.

Chemistry East Bldg.

1993 Graduate School of Science reorganized (greater emphasis placed on research and educational activities
at graduate school levels).
1998 Graduate School of Frontier Sciences established2002 The 21st Century COE Program for Frontiers in Fundamental Chemistry commenced.

Chemistry West Bldg.

Chemistry Main Bldg.

2005 Center for Ultrafast Intense Laser Science established.
2007 Global COE Program for Chemistry Innovation through Cooperation of Science and Engineering commenced.
2011 Ceremony for the 150th Anniversary of the Department of Chemistry was held.
2011 Leading Graduate School Doctoral Program 'Advanced Leading Graduate Course for Photon Science(ALPS)' commenced.

Yayoi Gate2012 Leading Graduate School Doctoral Program 'Materials Education program for the future leaders in
Research, Industry, and Technology (MERIT)' commenced.

Tatsuoka Gate2014 Global Science Course (GSC) commenced.
2018 Biomolecular Chemistry Laboratory established.
2021 "Fostering Advanced Human Resources to Lead Green Transformation (GX)" project commenced.

Facilities
Kasuga Gate

Akamon(Red Gate)

Main Gate

Nishikata Gate

Kaitoku GateBusThe Library of Our Departmentr

St

From Ueno Station: takeToei Bus 学 01 for Todai-Konai
and get off at Konai Bus Stop.

a
ug

in

From Ochanomizu Station: take Toei Bus 学 07 for Todai-Konai
and get off at Konai Bus Stop.

e
Str

Sh

zu

a
ob

Kas

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer

t
ee

et
The Univ. of Tokyo[Hongo Campus]

Nezu Station

odaimae Station

Department ofChemistry

H

et

tre

oS

g
on

Hongo-sanchome station
Hongo-sanchome station

SubwayHongo-sanchome
Station (Tokyo Metro Line), 15 min walk
Hongo-sanchome Station (Toei Subway Line), 15 min walk
Nezu Station (Tokyo Metro Line), 10 min walkTodaimae Station (Tokyo Metro Line), 15 min walkChemistry Experiment for Undergraduate Students

Auditorium

2022.8