This project will develop a novel technology, so called dynamic interfacial nanotechnology or hand-operating nanotechnology, in which functional nano and molecular systems can be operated by macroscopic stimuli. With this dream technology, we can catch, align, recognize, and release target molecules and/or nanomaterials by our hands, leading to innovative technologies such as size-integrated sensing, drug delivery, and material separation.

It is one of the most important subjects on synthetic organic chemistry to develop practical chemozymes bearing enzymatic functions such as remote asymmetric induction, stereocontrol of cascade reactions, a high level of molecular recognition, etc. which are hard to be controlled by unimolecule catalysts. We develop highly functional chemoenzymes which are superior to natural enzymes and establish to their efficient preparation methods towards an environmentally benign and precision organic synthetic technology. The key to introduce a versatile functionality into chemoenzymes is to design supramolecular dynamic salt catalysts based on acid-base combination chemistry.

In this research, we will aim to achieve 1) establishment of the guest induced dynamic self-assembly of boronic esters and of the bottom-up synthesis of boronic ester conjugates utilizing their characteristic properties, 2) realization of various dynamic function on the molecular level, in particular, molecular catalysis, separation and storage of molecules, etc, and 3) development of these molecular function into useful materials.

Exploration of new functional materials are pursued on the basis of fine integration and assembly of functional groups on the chiral helical macromolecules, which can be regarded as nanoscale chiral molecular rods. The molecular rods, to which a variety of functional groups that manage catalysis, chiral induction, light emission, cross-linking, hydrogen-bonding, coordination, etc. are introduced, are further assembled by virtue of their simple rod shape, leading to new functions on the basis of hierarchical integration of the functional groups. New chiral polymer catalysts and chiral separation membrane are included in our initial targets to realize.

Aiming at environmentally benign reactions by catalysis of high efficiency and unique selectivity, this project is focused to create new nano-scale metal cluster catalysts comprised of more than two metal centers of non-expensive transition metals such as early transition metals and the first row transition metals. Such cluster catalysts are expected to assist new reactions with different chemical transformation from ordinal mononuclear catalysts of mainly noble metals, changing chemoselectivity, enhancing reaction rate, and so on.

Single crystal inorganic nanosheets with about 1nm thickness are promising and prospective materials, because they have quantum size effect, special interface, high charge separation effect of electron and hole as well as the unique chemical and physical properties themselves. In this project, various new nano-hybrid materials such as hybrid layered materials, will be fabricated by combining various nanosheets and functional chemical species, DNA, etc., and their chemical and physical properties will be studied. They will be also researched from the viewpoint of application.