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Molecular Design Chemistry Lab
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An organic chemistry lab that designs molecules and creates new reactions.
AboutAbout the lab
Giving form to ideas.
The Molecular Design Chemistry Lab is a lab in the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, and studies, from the standpoint of organic chemistry, how to design molecules and create new reactions.
It works on reactions using cobalt and palladium catalysts, and on reactions of small-ring molecules such as cyclopropanols.
The lab believes that the appeal of organic chemistry lies in the process of envisioning the molecule one wants to make, building the reactions, and producing it as an actual substance.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "Yoshikai Group."
Key terms
- C–H bond activation
- A reaction in which a catalyst cleaves a carbon–hydrogen bond to form a new bond.
- Base-metal catalyst
- A catalyst that uses an easily available, non-precious metal such as iron or cobalt.
- Cyclopropanol
- A molecule in which a hydroxy group is attached to a ring of three carbons. It is a small, strained ring.
- Axial chirality
- A property in which hindered rotation about a bond gives rise to molecules that are mirror images of each other. Also called atropisomerism.
NewsLab news
A paper on allylation of cyclopropanols with the ring retained was published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
A paper on a method for synthesizing ketones and aldehydes with a quaternary carbon at the α-position was published in Chem. Eur. J.
A paper on the synthesis of oxygen-bridged seven-membered cyclic diaryliodonium salts was published in Chem. Sci.
A paper on ring-opening arylation of cyclic diaryliodoniums was published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
ResearchResearch themes
Through the design of catalysts and molecules, the lab works to discover reactions never seen before and to build new molecular skeletons. Its research introduction highlights cobalt and palladium catalysts, cyclopropanols, and control of the carbon–iodine bond.
*Illustrative imageCobalt Catalysis and C–H Bond Activation
By drawing out the power of low-valent cobalt species as catalysts, the lab has brought new developments to base-metal catalysis and C–H bond activation.
*Illustrative imageReactivity of Cyclopropanols
The lab uncovered the hidden reactivity of cyclopropanols, small strained-ring molecules, and developed it into methods for building new multifunctional three-dimensional skeletons.
*Illustrative imageCarbon–Iodine Bonds and Axial Chirality
The carbon–iodine bond is the longest and weakest among ordinary covalent bonds. By applying precise molecular design to this bond, the lab succeeded in controlling axial chirality (atropisomerism).
MembersFaculty
The members of the Molecular Design Chemistry Lab are faculty, students in the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate programs, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorNaohiko Yoshikai
- Assistant ProfessorYuki Hirata
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “Vintage laboratory glassware” LukaszKatlewa / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Cobalt Catalysis and C–H Bond Activation: “Cobalt catalyst for hydroacylation Brookhart” Robin523T / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Reactivity of Cyclopropanols: “Fisher Hirschfelder Taylor Atomic Organic Model Kit - DPLA - 25bdd487734aff76325f0d950b91bc87” Fisher Scientific Company / Public domain (cropped)
- Carbon–Iodine Bonds and Axial Chirality: “Axial chirality determination” Vilém Blahout / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (合成制御化学分野): “Rotary evaporator” Y Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (環境調和化学分野): “BuretteFumeHood” Walkerma / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (分子変換化学分野): “8 Śląski Festiwal Nauki, MCK, Katowice,, , 1256” Krzysztof Popławski / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (反応制御化学分野): “Round bottom flask 1” Stephanie cheks / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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