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Functional Molecular Chemistry Lab
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The lab develops new organic synthesis reactions using catalysts that exploit non-covalent interactions.
AboutAbout the lab
Creating new reactions with high-performance catalysts.
The Functional Molecular Chemistry Lab (Kuninobu Lab) studies the creation of high-performance catalysts, the development of practical organic synthesis reactions, and the creation of functional organic materials.
Through this research, the lab aims to help solve energy and environmental problems.
It also works on developing methods that use non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding to control the position at which a reaction proceeds.
Alongside research, the lab puts effort into education and into supporting students in finding employment.
Key terms
- C-H bond transformation reaction
- A reaction that uses the carbon-hydrogen bond in a molecule as a foothold to convert it into a bond with another atom or group of atoms
- Regioselectivity
- When a molecule has multiple sites where a reaction can occur, the tendency for the reaction to proceed preferentially at a particular site
- Non-covalent interaction
- A force by which molecules attract each other in a form other than a covalent bond, as in hydrogen bonding and Lewis acid-base interactions
NewsLab news
A paper was accepted by Chem. Commun.
A student received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 63rd Joint Kyushu Conference of Chemistry-Related Branches
A student received the Major Award of the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences
A paper was accepted by J. Am. Chem. Soc.
A student received a Poster Award at the 29th Symposium of the Silicon Chemistry Association
ResearchResearch themes
Through the creation of high-performance catalysts, the development of practical organic synthesis reactions, and the creation of highly functional organic materials, the lab aims to solve energy and environmental problems. Its research is broadly divided into the creation of catalysts, the development of new organic synthesis reactions, and the creation of π-conjugated molecules and polymers.
*Illustrative imageCatalysts That React at a Chosen Position
The lab is developing methods that use non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding to control the regioselectivity of organic synthesis reactions, including C-H bond transformation reactions. Using catalysts with sites that recognize the substrate molecule through hydrogen bonding, it has developed meta-selective reactions, for which there were previously few examples, and has also found that reaction acceleration and specificity appear.
*Illustrative imageDevelopment of New Organic Synthesis Reactions
Centered on C-H bond transformation reactions, the lab keeps in mind the development of practical reactions that are not only academically important but also useful to others. Specifically, it works on forming new bonds through C-H bond activation, synthesizing π-conjugated molecules, and the regioselective introduction of fluorine-containing functional groups such as the trifluoromethyl group.
*Illustrative imageNew π-Conjugated Molecules and Polymers
The lab synthesizes new π-conjugated molecules that have non-covalent interactions such as Lewis acid-base interactions. Its research is based on the idea that it may be possible to create groups of compounds with properties that compounds made only of covalent bonds do not have. It also develops highly functional polymers such as polyimides.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Functional Molecular Chemistry Lab (Kuninobu Lab) are faculty members, secretaries, doctoral and master's students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYoichiro Kuninobu
- Assistant ProfessorKohei Sekine
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “C-H functionalization activation version 2” Alsosaid1987 / CC0 (cropped)
- Catalysts That React at a Chosen Position: “TLC Plate - Feb 2024” CharacterLook8405 / CC0 (cropped)
- Development of New Organic Synthesis Reactions: “Laboratory vacuum distillation apparatus on a benchtop” KiveVictor / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- New π-Conjugated Molecules and Polymers: “Destrukcyjna polimeryzacja oligo(uretano-akrylanu) pod wpływem ultrafioletu” BogdaChemPol / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioorganic Chemistry Lab): “Triptycene-3D-spacefill” Jynto (talk) / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Reaction and Property Theory Lab): “Comparison of classical vs murburn enzyme mechanism” Annvinod / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Materials Chemistry Lab): “Scandium-triflate-hydrate-xtal-293K-Sc-coordination-3D-balls” Ben Mills / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Nano-Interface Physical Properties Lab): “Nanočástice Au biosenzory. Změna optických vlastností nanočástic zlata v závislosti na velikosti částice” ZuzanaBrabcova / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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