Introduction to Research

The discipline of chemistry is steadily expanding, so that in addition to the conversion of substances - i.e., chemical reactions - it is increasingly focused on investigating the physical properties of substances in relation to their electronic structures, molecular arrangements and interactions, and on the design of novel functional molecules and materials. Molecular engineering serves to underpin the fundamental science of microscopic phenomena involving atoms, molecules, and polymers through theoretical and empirical elucidation of the interactions between atoms, molecules, and polymers and direct application of the results to engineering at a molecular level.

Outline of Research and Academic Staff in the Department of Molecular Engineering

Biomolecular Function Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Biophysical, biochemical and protein engineering studies of metalloenzymes.
  • Biomimetic chemistry for activation of small molecules.
  • Mechanism of protein folding.
  • Protein design for new artificial enzymatic systems.

Academic Staff

  • Daichi MORIMOTO [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://www.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~moleng_01/

Theoretical Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Theories of chemical reactions and solvent systems.
  • Quantum chemical design of novel reactions, chemical bonding, and molecular properties.
  • Statistical mechanics of chemical processes.

Academic Staff

  • Hirofumi SATO [Professor]
  • Masahiro HIGASHI [Associate Professor]
  • Nguyen Thanh Phuc [Junior Associate Professor]
  • Kanami SUGIYAMA [Assistant Professor]
  • Yuta Fujihashi [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://www.riron.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

Quantum Function Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Organic conducting materials.
  • Organic magnetic materials.
  • New carbon electronic materials.
  • Nanoscale electronic materials

Academic Staff

  • Masahiro SHIRAKAWA [Professor]
  • Hiroyuki FUENO [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

 

Catalysis Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Development of biomimetic catalysts for selective oxygenation with activation of molecular oxygen.
  • Spectroscopic characterization of catalysts in solution and in solid state.
  • Design of photocatalytic systems at atomic and molecular level.
  • Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis for functionalization of alkanes.
  • Synthesis and characterization of bioinorganic model complexes.

Academic Staff

  • Tsunehiro TANAKA [Professor]
  • Kentaro TERAMURA [Professor]
  • Shoji IGUCHI [Senior Lecturer]
  • Shinpei NANIWA [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://www.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~moleng_04/en/

Photoorganic Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Mimicking photosynthesis and its application to photonic molecular devices.
  • The chemistry of organoheteroatom compounds.
  • Photofunctional nano-particles and nano-films.
  • Electronic structures and properties of electron systems.

Academic Staff

  • Hiroshi IMAHORI [Professor]
  • Tomohiro HIGASHINO [Associate Professor]
  • Midori AKIYAMA [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://www.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~moleng_05/index_e.html

Condensed Matter Physical Chemistry

The Department's current research activities cover the following areas:

  • Microwave-based noncontact evaluation of charge carrier transport properties in bulk, at interface, and under high pressure.
  • Development of stimuli-responsive, semiconducting, or photoluminescent liquid crystals and polymers.
  • Synthesis and functionalization of organic radicals.
  • Fabrication of nanowires via solid-state polymerization/cross-linking reactions triggered by high energy single particles.

Academic Staff

  • Shu SEKI [Professor]
  • Masayuki SUDA [Associate Professor]
  • Takayuki TANAKA [Associate Professor]
  • Yusuke TSUTSUI [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://www.moleng.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~moleng_06/en/index.html

Quantum Materials Science

  • Design and synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid functional glass materials.
  • Research of Quantum materials.
  • NV center (Nitrogen-vacancy complex) in diamond for ultra-sensitive and ultra-high resolved sensor, bio-marker and quantum information devices.

Academic Staff

  • Norikazu MIZUOCHI [Professor]
  • Hiroki MORISHITA [Assistant Professor]
  • Naoya MORIOKA [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://mizuochilab.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/indexE.html

Molecular Rheology

  • Molecular-based theoretical elucidation of the dynamics and flow deformation characteristics of substances.

Academic Staff

  • Yumi MATSUMIYA [Associate Professor]
  • Takeshi SATO [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://molrheo.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/index_e.html

Organic Materials Science

  • Structural analysis and functional design of polymeric. functional materials such as organic EL.

Academic Staff

  • Hironori KAJI [Professor]
  • Hiroyuki TANAKA [Associate Professor]
  • Kazuyuki SHIZU [Assistant Professor]
  • Katsuaki SUZUKI [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://molmat.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

Quantum Molecular Science

Academic Staff

  • Tohru SATO [Professor]
  • Naoki HARUTA  [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

 http://www.fukui.kyoto-u.ac.jp/events_ja/2477.html

Porous Physical Chemistry

Academic Staff

  • Easan SIVANIAH [Professor]
  • Ganesh Pandian NAMASIVAYAM [Senior Lecturer]
  • Daisuke YAMAGUCHI [Senior Lecturer]
  • Detao QIN [Associate Professor]
  • Binod Babu SHRESTHA [Assistant Professor]

Laboratory Website

http://pureosity.org/