Chief Scientist Laboratories Molecule Creation Laboratory

Chief Scientist: Kenichiro Itami (Ph.D.)

Japanese Page

Research Summary

Our aim is to delve into unexplored territories with the aspiration of creating one-of-a-kind molecules that seamlessly integrate structural beauty and unparalleled functionality (creation of new materials). Furthermore, we aspire to make our molecules active in the crossroads between fields that have never coexisted before. In particular, we will champion molecule creation chemistry anchored in three pillars: nanocarbon click chemistry (molecular synthesis and editing), molecular nanocarbon materials science (amazing structure and function), and molecular nanocarbon biology (unexplored areas).

Main Research Fields

Chemistry

Related Research Fields

Engineering
Agricultural Sciences
Biological Sciences
Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
Synthetic organic chemistry
Molecular functional materials
Chemical biology

Keywords

Nanocarbons
Organic electronics
Bioactive molecules
Precision synthesis

Selected Publications

Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.

1. *Shudo, H., Kuwayama, M., Shimasaki, M., Nishihara, T., Takeda, Y., Mitoma, N., Kuwabara, T., Yagi, A., Segawa, Y., Itami, K.
"Perfluorocycloparaphenylenes"
Nature Commun. 13, 3713 (2022)
2. *Segawa, Y., Watanabe, T., Yamanoue, K., Kuwayama, M., Watanabe, K., Pirillo, J., Hijikata, Y., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of a Mobius carbon nanobelt"
Nature Synth., 1, 535-541 (2022)
3. *Matsuoka, W., Ito, H., Sarlah, D., Itami, K.
"Diversity-oriented synthesis of nanographenes enabled by dearomative annulative π-extension"
Nature Commun., 12, 3940 (2021)
4. *Cheung, K. Y., Watanabe, K., Segawa, Y., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of a zigzag carbon nanobelt"
Nature Chem. 13, 255-259 (2021)
5. *Matsubara, S., Koga, Y., Segawa, Y., Murakami, K., Itami, K.
"Creation of negatively curved polyaromatics enabled by annulative coupling that forms an eight-membered ring"
Nature Catal. 3, 710-718 (2020)
6. *Segawa, Y., Kuwayama, M., Hijikata, Y., Fushimi, M., Nishihara, T., Pirillo, J., Shirasaki, J., Kubota, N., Itami, K.
"Topological molecular nanocarbons: all-benzene catenane and trefoil knot"
Science 365, 272-276 (2019)
7. *Koga, Y., Kaneda, T., Saito, Y., Murakami, K., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of partially and fully fused polyaromatics by annulative chlorophenylene dimerization"
Science 359, 435-439 (2018)
8. *Povie, G., Segawa, Y., Nishihara, T., Miyauchi, Y., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of a carbon nanobelt"
Science 356, 172-175 (2017)
9. *Kawasumi, K., Zhang, Q., Segawa, Y., Scott, L. T., Itami, K.
"A grossly warped nanographene and the consequences of multiple odd-membered-ring defects"
Nature Chem. 5, 739-744 (2013)
10. *Omachi, H., Nakayama, T., Takahashi, E., Segawa, Y., Itami, K.
"Initiation of carbon nanotube growth by well-defined carbon nanorings"
Nature Chem. 5, 572-576 (2013)

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Kenichiro Itami: Chief Scientist

Contact Information

2-1 Hirosawa,
Wako, Saitama
351-0198, Japan
Email: kenichiro.itami [at] riken.jp