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Tanaka Lab
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The lab develops new reactions and synthesizes molecules that no one has seen yet.
AboutAbout the lab
New reactions to make uncharted molecules.
The Tanaka Lab conducts research in synthetic organic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, structural organic chemistry, organic photochemistry, and physical and theoretical organic chemistry.
Its focus is the development of new reactions driven by external stimuli such as transition metal catalysts and light.
The lab starts by rationally selecting and designing the ligands and reagents that make the reactions possible.
Using theoretical calculations as well as experiments, the lab creates molecules that could not be made before.
Key terms
- Transition metal catalyst
- A metal compound that helps a reaction proceed more easily. The catalyst itself is unchanged before and after the reaction
- Ligand
- A molecule that binds to a metal atom and determines how that metal behaves
- Helicene
- A molecule in which aromatic rings, such as benzene rings, are linked together like a spiral staircase
ResearchResearch themes
The lab develops new reactions promoted by external stimuli such as transition metal catalysts and light, and rationally selects and designs the ligands and reagents that make them possible. It aims to overcome long-standing limitations and challenges in organic synthesis and to create useful, previously unexplored molecules.
*Illustrative imageRing-Forming Reactions
Using rhodium catalysts, the lab has developed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions in which it controls which parts bond together and in which orientation. It has extended this to asymmetric [2+2+2] cycloaddition, which selectively forms one of the two mirror-image forms, and to [2+2+1] cycloaddition.
*Illustrative imageσ-Bond Activation
The lab develops C–H activation reactions in which rhodium catalysts cleave and rearrange carbon–hydrogen bonds, which normally resist cleavage. It also works on rhodium and iridium catalysts that use its original ligands.
*Illustrative imageπ-Bond Activation
Using gold catalysts, the lab develops asymmetric cyclization reactions that selectively form one of the two mirror-image forms. It also works on cascade cyclization reactions, in which reactions proceed one after another.
*Illustrative imageThree-Dimensional Nanocarbons
Using [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions, the lab synthesizes nanocarbons with three-dimensional shapes. The targets include carbon nanorings, helicenes with helical structures, cyclophanes, and cage-shaped molecules.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Tanaka Lab consist of faculty members, students in the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate programs, research students, researchers, and administrative staff.As of 2026
- ProfessorKen TanakaPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorMaeda ChihiroPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorJuntaro NogamiPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
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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: “Analytics” ElNokko / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Ring-Forming Reactions: “Photoluminescent rhodium coordination complex crystals under UV light” RhAgchem / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- σ-Bond Activation: “Iridium foil” Dschwen / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- π-Bond Activation: “Pure Gold Foil (Talai Warq or Sonay Ka Warq)” Miansari66 / CC0 (cropped)
- Three-Dimensional Nanocarbons: “Heptahelicene-3D-balls” Jynto / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (福島・庄子研究室): “Emerging geometry in life building blocks” FedeCaimi / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (田中克典研究室): “Fluorescence microscopy of the oral cancer cells” Korinna / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (村橋・
山本研究室): “Palladium (Element - 46) 1” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped) - Related lab (中島裕美子研究室): “Dichloro(1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane)nickel complex ball” Jynto (more from this user) / CC0 (cropped)
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