RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Expanded Chemical Space Research Team
Team Director: Kenichiro Itami (Ph.D.)
- Research Summary
- Main Research Fields
- Related Research Fields
- Keywords
- Selected Publications
- Related Links
- Lab Members
- Contact Information
Research Summary
We will make breakthroughs in the fields of chemical biology and drug discovery through the discovery and development of biofunctional molecules that overturn conventional wisdom in unexplored chemical spaces, thereby contributing to the realization of planetary health. We will construct new and expanded chemical spaces that are not based on conventional empirical rules, both synthetically and theoretically, and develop technologies to enhance the functions of plants, animals, and microorganisms and to produce useful substances in a sustainable manner.
Main Research Fields
- Chemistry
Related Research Fields
- Engineering
- Agricultural Sciences
- Biological Sciences
- Biology
- Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
- Synthetic organic chemistry
- Molecular functional materials
- Chemical biology
Keywords
- Molecular nanocarbons
- Organic electronics
- Bioactive molecules
- Precision synthesis
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.
Shudo, H., Wiesener, P., Kolodzeiski, E., Mizukami, K., Imoto, D., Mönig, H., Amirjalayer, S., Sakamoto, H., Klaasen, H., Ravoo, B. J., Kimizuka, N., Yagi, A., Itami, K.
"Thiophene-fused aromatic belts"
Nature Commun. 16, 1074 (2025) - 2.
Günther, K., Kono, H., Shudo, H., Shimizu, D., Isoda, R., Nakamura, M., Yagi, A., Amaike, K., Itami, K.
"Water-soluble aromatic nanobelt with unique cellular internalization"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63, e202414645 (2024) - 3.
Morinaka, Y., Ito, H., Fujimoto, K. J., Yanai, T., Ono, Y., Tanaka, T., Itami, K.
"Nonplanar nanographene: A hydrocarbon hole-transporting material that competes with triarylamines"
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63, e202409619 (2024) - 4.
*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) - 5.
*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) - 6.
*Matsuoka, W., Ito, H., Sarlah, D., Itami, K.
"Diversity-oriented synthesis of nanographenes enabled by dearomative annulative π-extension"
Nature Commun., 12, 3940 (2021) - 7.
*Cheung, K. Y., Watanabe, K., Segawa, Y., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of a zigzag carbon nanobelt"
Nature Chem. 13, 255-259 (2021) - 8.
*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) - 9.
*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) - 10.
*Povie, G., Segawa, Y., Nishihara, T., Miyauchi, Y., Itami, K.
"Synthesis of a carbon nanobelt"
Science 356, 172-175 (2017)
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Kenichiro Itami
- Team Director