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Organic Functional Design Lab (Masai Lab)
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The lab combines molecular shapes with elements to create unexplored reactions and functions.
AboutAbout the lab
Opening up new science with new molecules
The Organic Functional Design Lab creates new molecules and studies the reactions and functions unique to them.
By combining new molecular shapes with new elements, the lab creates reactions, molecules, and functions that have never existed before.
Through molecular design, the lab realizes reactions and functions that were long considered impossible, aiming to solve a wide range of academic and societal problems with the power of molecules.
Key terms
- Photoredox catalyst
- A substance that uses light energy to make molecules exchange electrons with one another, driving a chemical reaction
- Biomaterial
- A material designed to be used inside the body or in places where it comes into contact with living tissue
- Supramolecule
- A single assembly formed when multiple molecules come together through weak forces. Its properties change depending on how the molecules assemble
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received a Poster Award at the Summer School of the Young Researchers' Meeting on Structural Organic Chemistry
A student received an Excellent Poster Presentation Award and other awards at the Student Presentation Meeting of the Kanto Young Researchers' Group on Polymers
A doctoral student received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the Polymer Gel Research Symposium
A master's student received the Best Presentation Award at the Ibaraki Area Polymer Meeting
A doctoral student received a Poster Award at the Silicon Chemistry Association Symposium
ResearchResearch themes
The lab designs new molecular frameworks and functional concepts, aiming to realize reactions and functions that were long considered impossible. Its research ranges from developing reagents that can introduce elements freely, to stimuli-responsive materials and molecules that control biological phenomena.
*Illustrative imageMethods for rapidly editing molecules
The lab develops new, highly reactive reagents that can quickly introduce targeted elements even into stable compounds. This work leads to unexplored organic materials, such as high-performance organic battery materials and photoredox catalysts.
*Illustrative imageReactions that proceed only when multiple stimuli act together
The lab develops organic reactions that proceed only when multiple substances or external fields act at the same time. By precisely designing molecular responsiveness, it aims to create new methods for controlling artificial materials and biomaterials.
*Illustrative imageMaterials that are tough yet easy to degrade
The lab tackles conflicting demands in materials, such as the fact that tougher materials are harder to degrade. It pursues molecular designs in which stimuli act cooperatively, so that even robust materials can be easily degraded.
*Illustrative imageControlling biological phenomena with artificial molecules
The lab uses artificially designed organic molecules and supramolecules to control biological functions with a high degree of precision, and to create biomaterials with functions not found in nature. It also uses machine learning to optimize molecular structures.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Organic Functional Design Lab consist of faculty, secretarial staff, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorHiroshi MasaiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTaichi KoikePublications ↗
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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: “Laboratory vacuum distillation apparatus on a benchtop” KiveVictor / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Methods for rapidly editing molecules: “Gas line IMG 20230205” Jonathansammy / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Reactions that proceed only when multiple stimuli act together: “Association and dissociation kinetics for polymer” Wbucksu / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Materials that are tough yet easy to degrade: “Biodegradable Polymers Flow Chart 2” 5402013SD / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Controlling biological phenomena with artificial molecules: “Mitotic LLC-PK1 cells, fluorescence microscopy ( )” ZEISS Microscopy from Germany / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Fluorine Organic Chemistry Lab (Kawaguchi Lab)): “9104 - Milano - Museo storia naturale - Fluorite - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 22-Apr-2007” Giovanni Dall'Orto / CC BY-SA 2.5 it (cropped)
- Related lab (Nozaki Lab): “Gas line IMG 20230205” Jonathansammy / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Minami Lab): “Fluorescence rainbow” Maxim Bilovitskiy / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Interface Engineering Lab (Itoh Lab)): “Water droplet on a 5 grains of hydrophobic sand” Aidar.Seralin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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