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Molecular Design Chemistry Lab
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A lab that uses catalysis and synthetic organic chemistry to create new molecules that could lead to drugs.
AboutAbout the lab
Stay curious and enjoy your research!
The Molecular Design Chemistry Lab studies, based on synthetic organic chemistry, the design of new molecules that could lead to drugs and efficient ways to make them.
Using metal-containing catalysts and light energy, the lab develops reactions that assemble, in a single step, the ring-shaped skeletons found in natural products and bioactive compounds from chain-like molecules.
The lab combines experiments with computational chemistry to investigate how these reactions proceed.
Starting from curiosity, as in "Can we make this interesting structure?", the lab values free thinking.
Key terms
- Transition metal catalyst
- A substance that contains a metal such as cobalt or iridium and makes a chemical reaction proceed more easily without being consumed itself
- Cycloaddition reaction
- A reaction in which two or more molecules join together and form a ring in a single step
- Asymmetric synthesis
- A method of selectively making just one of two molecules that are mirror images of each other, like a right hand and a left hand
NewsLab news
A master's student received the Best Presentation Award at the 2026 Joint Academic Meeting of the Tokai Block of the Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists and the Tokai Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
A student received the Student Excellent Presentation Award at the 146th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
A master's student received the Student Excellent Presentation Award at the 71st Tokai Branch Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
A student received the Student Excellent Presentation Award at the 145th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
ResearchResearch themes
Based on synthetic organic chemistry, the lab studies the design of new bioactive molecules that could lead to drug discovery, and the development of synthetic processes to make them efficiently. It develops new reactions that use transition metal catalysts and light energy, and clarifies reaction mechanisms through both experiments and computational chemistry.
*Illustrative imageBuilding rings with light and cobalt catalysts
The lab focuses on metalloles, cyclic intermediates formed when a molecule with two alkynes (a diyne) reacts with a metal catalyst. Using cobalt catalysts that work under light, it develops reactions that assemble, in a single step, the cyclic skeletons found in natural products and bioactive compounds from chain-like molecules. Because the reaction only breaks and rearranges bonds, it produces little waste.
*Illustrative imageCycloaddition reactions of oxidopyridinium
The lab focuses on the reactivity of oxidopyridinium, a molecule in which charge is delocalized over a six-membered ring. Combining experiments and computational chemistry, it develops new cyclization reactions and synthesizes new heterocyclic compounds with bridged structures.
*Illustrative imageAsymmetric synthesis of fluorine-containing molecules
Introducing fluorine into a drug can sometimes improve its properties. Starting from simple fluorine-containing compounds, the lab develops methods that use chiral iridium catalysts to efficiently make only one of two mirror-image molecules (enantiomers).
*Illustrative imageBuilding rings with acetylene from calcium carbide
The lab has developed a method that uses acetylene, generated by adding water to calcium carbide (an inexpensive and sustainable carbon source), directly in ruthenium-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions. It efficiently assembles spirocyclic skeletons that can be applied to bioactive compounds.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Molecular Design Chemistry Lab are faculty members, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYoshihiko Yamamoto
- Associate ProfessorTakeshi Yasui
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: “Verrerie de Souvigny 04” Laurajwilkinson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Building rings with light and cobalt catalysts: “MetallacyclesRedone” Smokefoot / Public domain (cropped)
- Cycloaddition reactions of oxidopyridinium: “Trimesitylboracyclopropene” Kazoop / CC0 (cropped)
- Asymmetric synthesis of fluorine-containing molecules: “Methyl Fluorosulfinate3D” Claudio Pistilli / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Building rings with acetylene from calcium carbide: “Round bottom flask 1” Stephanie cheks / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (細胞分子情報学分野): “Biotechnology lab” Timothydotuns / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (触媒有機合成学研究グループ): “PutSampleRotaryEvaporator” Walkerma / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (化学遺伝学研究グループ): “Pipetten” No machine-readable author provided. Newbie~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (多孔材料化学研究グループ): “Zeolite-ZSM-5-3D-vdW” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
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