2018 ~
Research
Based on organic synthesis of small molecules, we are developing synthetic tools (reactions and catalysts) and strategies for efficient and selective synthesis of drug candidates.
In particular, we focus on the development of metal catalyzed chemical transformation and total synthesis of biological active natural products.
Using established chemical libraries and synthetic strategies, our final goal is a discovery of potential drug candidates as a therapeutic solution of intractable disease, like a cancer and multi-resistant bacteria infection.
Development of methodologies using metal catalyst
Transition metal catalysis is being widely used in the organic synthesis.
Many kind of transition metals (palladium, Iridium, Ruthenium, Rhodium etc.) are applied into a synthesis of drug/drug candidates.
Based on the their intrinsic property, it can resolve longstanding synthetic problems and offer new synthetic route for future drug developments.
Our research is focused on Iron catalyzed transformations. Iron is cheap and abundant metal and it has low toxicity. So iron can be ideal catalyst for a drug synthesis as an aspect of large scale process chemistry.
The research flow of methodologies is divided into two major streams.
C-N or C-C bond formation through Cross Dehydrogenative Coupling (CDC) / N-alkylation through hydrogen borrowing method. Using the developed methodologies, we are constructing the various type of N-heterocycle library and evaluating their biological activities.
Total synthesis of natural products
Natural products are found in all of organism as a their metabolite. It has a complicated structure which is related on many biological pathway, therefore, various drugs have been developed based on the pharmacophore of natural products.
Total synthesis is developing synthetic approach to the core structure of natural products from simple starting materials. We are synthesizing many kind of biological active natural products and their derivatives to discover new pharmaceuticals
