Faculty

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Outlines of research groups

Sadao HASEGAWA's Lab. (S206) (HP)

　We are interested in the function of “surface” of metal oxides such as TiO₂, MgO, CaO, Ta₂O₅, MoO₃ and WO₃ and their mixed oxides. Fundamental studies of catalysis as well as photoconductivity of these materials are being undertaken. Of particular interest is the catalytic removal of nitrogen oxides, acidity of metal oxides, and highly selective and stable semiconductor sensor for NOx and COx.

Haruo OGAWA's Lab. (S205) (HP)

　The application of solid surface of alumina and silica gel as solid supports for the substrate in organic synthesis afford a new method (Adsorption method) for selective reactions. Milder reaction conditions and easier work-up are additional advantage of the adsorption method. The selective reactions by this method are classified into six types which depend on the change of reactivity of a certain functional group by adsorption.

　Type A: Introduction of the unstable substrates into the reaction system.

　Type B: Decrease in the reactivity of the functional group adsorbed on a solid support.

　Type C: Increase in the reactivity of the functional group adsorbed on a solid support.

　Type D: Decrease in the reactivity of the functional group not adsorbed on a solid support.

　Type E: Increase in the reactivity of the functional group not adsorbed on a solid support.

　Type F: A new reactivity of the functional group by adsorbing and aligning the reactant molecules aggregating on a surface of solid support. Examples are seen below; (1) Selective monomethyl esterification of dicarboxylic acids by use of monocarboxylate chemisorption on alumina; type B, (2) Acetylation by ketene of phenols and alcohols supported on solid adsorbents; type C, (3) Methylation on alcohols and phenols on silica gel with diazomethane; type C, (4) Methylation of alcohols, phenols and carboxylic acids, and selective monomethylation of diols and dicarboxylic acids with dimethyl sulfate by use of alumina; Type A and Type E, (5) Selective esterification preferring longer carbon chain-dicarboxylic acids by adsorbing and aligning the reactants on alumina; type D, a new type of selectivity of type F.

　We Japanese are anxious about our own education that school education in this early part of the 21^st century faces many challenges, such as bullying, truancy, and disordered classes apparently, in which students are kindled with placing too much emphasis on knowledge and competition in a class.  These are basically attributed to 1^st student’s receding from intellect (learning science) in calm education and to lack of teaching of 2^nd morality (ethics) and 3^rd highly motivated creativity. International evaluation of PISA (OECD) shows Japan places still high level in education concerning about the competence of student. However, it simultaneously demonstrates some weak points; 1^st quite little number of students in excellence, 2^nd poor logical thinking, and 3^rd meager creativity.

　Special interest of mine is devoted to this project in research concerning about making curriculum for science in school grades from class 1 to class 12. Images of class lesson undergoing the curriculum are demonstrated below. In the first step through dialogue the lesson puts a special emphasis on operation in brain such as discussion, brainstorming, and recitation under teacher’s initiative without competition in a class where students use only their own brain and normally nothing is on their desks. Students become necessarily to have some images accompanying organization in brain about its subject because of their concentration in their own thinking spending enough time. Their obligation in next process of the operation by themselves helps this concentration. In the next step, student-initiative-operation proceeds under teacher’s support, where the lesson puts a special emphasis on operation mainly on hand. These processes are able for students to have some images and some creativity with essential skills, where students think themselves through comparing with different opinions of others by their own intentions.

Testuya SHISHIDO's Lab. (S203) (HP)

　"Catalyst" is the key technology for solving environmental and energy problems. Research activities in my laboratory are focused on design of the highly-functionalized "catalysts" for 1) utilization of natural resorces such as methane and propane as a source of hydrogen and synthesis gas, 2) acid and base reactions, 3) oxidation reactions using molecualr oxygen and hydrogen peroxide as environmentaly benign oxidants, and 4) utilaiztion of carbon dioxide.

Akira IKUO's Lab. (S204) (HP)

Structural Chemistry

Tadashi HASEGAWA's Lab. (M107) (HP)

　My group has been studying photochemical reactions of organic compounds in solution and on a surface.　The photochemical reactions provide not only useful methods in organic synthesis but also useful information about the factors controlling organic reactions.　　One of our projects is the study of photoreactions involving intramolecular hydrogen abstraction by the excited carbonyl group.　The hydrogen abstraction is very specific in that g-hydrogen involving asix-membered cyclic transition state greatly predominates over other possible modes.　The abstraction via medium-sized transition states is quite rare events in photochemistry of ketones.　We found the first example of photocyclization involving a medium-sized transition state almost 20 years ago (J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1983, 395) and have been studying photoreactions involving remote-hydrogen transfer. Wealready found some factors controlling the photoreactions. We have been also studying the application of the reaction to the synthesis of compounds having biological activities. Photoreactions of organic molecules on a silica-gel surface are also one of our main projects. The surface can provide a two-dimensional environment for effecting and controlling photochemical processes. We studied photoreactions of benzoylcycloalkanones and alkyl aryl ketones on a silica-gel surface found the surface provides not only the ordered environment but also a possible field bringing out the latent reactivity of dispersed molecules (J. Phys. Org. Chem., 9, 677 (1996)) and a polar reaction medium that makes the energy difference between the lowest n,π^* and upper π,π^* triplets small and may cause the inversion of the nearby n,π^* and π,π^* triplets (J. Phys. Org. Chem., 13, 437 (2000)).

Yasuomi TAKIZAWA's Lab. (M108) (HP)

　We research on the novel organic reaction and organic synthesis. Our research theme is divided into the following groups: oxidation reaction for organic synthesis (using molecular oxygen and various reagents), development of synthetic organic reaction using metal, synthesis of anti-oxidative compounds (chemistry of lipid oxidation), synthetic organic reaction using ultrasound chemistry, structural determination and synthesis of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, oxidation and organic synthesis using phenolic compounds.
Key words: Synthetic Organic Reaction, Oxidation and Synthesis of Phenolic Compounds, Anti-Oxidative Compounds, Ultrasound Chemistry, Heterocyclic Compounds, Liqid Oxidation.

Nobutoshi YOSHIHARA's Lab. (M105) (HP)

Organic synthesis

Yutaka MAEDA's Lab. (M107) (HP)

Fullerene Chemistry

Akira SAITO's Lab. (M205) (HP)

　The early transition elements V(V), Mo(VI), and W(VI) are known to form various kinds of polyoxometalates. Inclusion of a wide variety of elements as heteroatoms gives the polyoxometalate chemistry broader aspects. Polyoxometalate ions are regarded as assemblies of MO₆ octahedra of the addenda atoms. There are several typical structures known as Keggin, Dawson, or Anderson structures, each of which has a unique architectural conformation. Some ions are stable and found either in solution and in solid, but many are known only as solids. Up to now, no decisive explanations have been presented to the question why a particular assemblage of the ions are stable. Polyoxometalate ions are nearly ten times larger than simple ions. In aqueous solutions and in solids, how are they interacting with counter cations and water molecules to be stabilized ? We are trying to find answers to these very basic questions by applying thermodynamic approach to the equilibrium in aqueous solutions, and by X-ray structure analyses of the solid compounds.

Tomomi KOSAKA's Lab. (M204) (HP)

　Materials such as metal, ceramics and polymer are one of the most important technologies supported industry. The several improved functions of material, that is, physically, chemically and mechanically properties (conductivity, magnetism, corrosion resistance, strength and so on) are demanded. The aim of our research is synthesis of matter using soft solution ‘eco-friendly’ process and applied it as novel functional materials (for example, antibacterial activity). We also investigated the crystallographic structure and compositional distribution in nanometer order related to the mechanism of function employed with electron microscope and X-ray diffraction.

Keywords: functionally materials, soft solution process, surface and interface