Fujita Lab

AboutAbout the lab

In search of molecules that assemble on their own

The Fujita Lab studies “self-assembly,” in which molecules come together on their own to form structures.
In living organisms, complex molecular assemblies form spontaneously through weak bonding forces, as in the DNA double helix.
Learning from this mechanism, the lab uses bonds between metals and organic molecules (coordination bonds) to assemble large molecules such as cages and tubes.
In the spaces inside the resulting molecules, the lab stabilizes molecules that are normally unstable and carries out special reactions.

ResearchResearch themes

Learning from the mechanisms of living organisms, the lab studies “self-assembly,” in which molecules come together on their own to build large structures. Using coordination bonds between metals and organic molecules, it assembles cages, spheres, and molecules with linked rings, and also works on the chemistry that occurs in the spaces inside them.

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Polyhedra Built from Molecular Panels↗

The lab treats flat organic molecules as panels and joins them with metal ions to make cage-shaped and capsule-shaped complexes. The cage-shaped complexes assemble instantly just by mixing the starting materials.

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Giant Spherical Molecules↗

From bent organic molecules and palladium, the lab assembles very large spherical complexes. Other molecules can also be placed at defined positions on the outside or inside of the sphere.

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Molecules with Linked Rings↗

The lab makes catenanes, in which ring-shaped molecules are linked like a chain, through self-assembly. It has also created a new type of molecule in which two box-shaped molecules are interlocked.

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Tiny Spaces Inside Cages↗

By confining molecules inside cage-shaped complexes, the lab recognizes peptides with specific sequences, stabilizes unstable molecules, and induces new reactions.

VoicesStudent voices

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