About us
About our research interests
We aim finally integration of molecular structures and functions/properties, which are relevant to biological actions and chemical reactivities. We emphasized on design and synthesis of structurally novel organic molecules, which are characteristic in terms of structure features and intrinsic functions such as chemical reactivities and impacts on biological functions. Synthesis of novel intelligent molecules bearing peculiar chemical structures, which exhibit characteristic functions/properties, biological actions and chemical reactivities, is one of our goals.
Our main research projects pursue 1) discovery of new chemical phenomena and generalize the chemistry and 2) design and synthesis of new functional substances. Furthermore, our recent interest includes fusion of the activities 1) and 2) described above: that is, 3) application of the new chemical phenomena (i.e., new chemical structures) to generate new functional substances. Or new functions will hint new structures of molecules.
In the first activities, we have been studying nitrogen-pyramidal amides and related groups – amide molecules that take a non-planar structure, different from the common planar amides. These studies are of genuine interest in terms of structural chemistry. On the other hand, we found we can apply these pyramidal amide chemistry to construction of highly ordered structures such as non-hydrogen bonding helix peptides, stable in water. Related nitrogen-pyramidal nitrosamines lead to nitric oxide (NO)-releasing compounds upon visible light irradiation. Also characteristic S-nitrosylation reagents are generated. These molecules are of biological relevance, and we have demonstrated some examples.
Alternately, we have strong motivations for mechanistic studies of organic reactions. In this context, we have been developing new reactions through generation of dications and monocations (superelectrophiles) and apply them to synthesis of a variety of novel aromatic compounds, which may be of pharmaceutical interest. In the second activities, we have been creating chemical research tools to contribute to understand the mechanisms/molecular interactions underlying biological events of membrane proteins such as ion channels, transporters and G-protein-coupled receptors.
We have been trying to combine all the experimental projects with computational chemistry, which may lead to deep understanding of the molecular chemistry.
Faculty Members
Professor
- Dr. Tomohiko OHWADA, Ph. D., Organic and Medicinal Chemistry
Associate Professor
- Dr. Yuko OTANI, Ph. D., Synthesis of Molecular Architectures, Computational Chemistry
Address
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033
JAPAN
Contact us
Address All Correspondence to:
E-mail:
Laboratory: yakkagak (at) mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Dr. Tomohiko Ohwada: ohwada (at) mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp
