Research Theme

Design and synthesis of three-dimensional organic structures

Keywords

π-conjugated molecules, molecular topology, 3D network polymer

Aromatic compounds are potentially useful as functional electronic materials. However, the design and control of three-dimensional molecular assembly are still very difficult, especially for the crystal engineering of organic molecules. This group aims to create novel topological and reticular organic structures by using synthetic organic chemistry and geometric insight. To achieve our purpose, this group will start electron-diffraction crystallography (MicroED) for the rapid structure determination of three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks.

1) Design and synthesis of π-conjugated organic molecules
2) Development of novel molecular topology
3) Construction of 3D network polymers

Selected Publications

1. Kenta Kato, Kiyofumi Takaba, Saori Maki-Yonekura, Nobuhiko Mitoma, Yusuke Nakanishi, Taishi Nishihara, Taito Hatakeyama, Takuma Kawada, Yuh Hijikata, Jenny Pirillo, Lawrence T. Scott, Koji Yonekura, Yasutomo Segawa, Kenichiro Itami, "Double-Helix Supramolecular Nanofibers Assembled from Negatively Curved Nanographenes" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 143, 5465–5469 (2021).
2. Kwan Yin Cheung, Kosuke Watanabe, Yasutomo Segawa, and Kenichiro Itami, "Synthesis of a Zigzag Carbon Nanobelt" Nature Chem., 13, 255–259 (2021).
3. Kosuke Watanabe, Yasutomo Segawa, and Kenichiro Itami, "A theoretical study on the strain energy of helicene-containing carbon nanobelts" Chem. Commun., 56, 15044-15047 (2020).
4. Yutaro Saito, Kotono Yamanoue, Yasutomo Segawa, and Kenichiro Itami, "Selective Transformation of Strychnine and 1,2-Disubstituted Benzenes by C–H Borylation" Chem, 6, 985-993 (2020).
5. Yasutomo Segawa, Motonobu Kuwayama, Yuh Hijikata, Masako Fushimi, Taishi Nishihara, Jenny Pirillo, Junya Shirasaki, Natsumi Kubota, and Kenichiro Itami, “Topological Molecular Nanocarbons: All-benzene Catenane and Trefoil Knot” Science, 365, 272-276 (2019).
6. Yasutomo Segawa, David R. Levine, and Kenichiro Itami, “Topologically Unique Molecular Nanocarbons” Acc. Chem. Res., 10, 2760-2767 (2019).
7. Guillaume Povie, Yasutomo Segawa, Taishi Nishihara, Yuhei Miyauchi, and Kenichiro Itami "Synthesis and Size-Dependent Properties of [12], [16], and [24]Carbon Nanobelts" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 140, 10054–10059 (2018).
8. Tetsushi Yoshidomi, Tomohiro Fukushima, Kenichiro Itami, and Yasutomo Segawa, “Synthesis, Structure, and Electrochemical Property of a Bimetallic Bis-2-pyridylidene Palladium Acetate Complex” Chem. Lett., 46, 587–590 (2017).
9. Guillaume Povie, Yasutomo Segawa, Taishi Nishihara, Yuhei Miyauchi, and Kenichiro Itami, “Synthesis of a Carbon Nanobelt” Science, 356, 172–175 (2017).
10. Yasutomo Segawa and Douglas W. Stephan, "Metal-free Hydrogenation Catalysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons" Chem. Commun., 48, 11963–11965 (2012).
11. Yasutomo Segawa, Makoto Yamashita, and Kyoko Nozaki, "Boryllithium: Isolation, Characterization, and Reactivity as a Boryl Anion" Science, 314, 113–115 (2006).