Chiharu Tano - Appointed in AY2022

When I was a child, the alchemist who claps his hands together hadn't been created yet, but there was a witch who changed the color of candy by kneading it. Seeing that, I thought that even if I couldn't transform with a stick or fly on a broom, I could learn the magic of making potions! This inspired me to pursue a path of shaking flasks. Today, SDGs have become a keyword in much research, but when I was a student, the term "green chemistry" was in vogue. Therefore, as a form of chemistry aimed at reducing environmental impact, I attempted to synthesize amphiphilic compounds with catalytic functions and amphiphilic compounds derived from carbohydrate biomass to enable selective reactions in water instead of organic solvents.

There is a fascination in being able to create new, unprecedented compounds with my own hands through organic synthesis. In reality, reactions often don't proceed as planned, and it's more common for a compound created after months of hard work not to have the expected function. However, the knowledge gained precisely because I conducted the experiments myself gradually accumulates. Even today, somewhere in a laboratory, there is surely a researcher chanting a spell to their flask, "Proceed, reaction!" and praying with their hands clasped together.

Even with experiments you've often seen in textbooks or videos since elementary school, you'll likely discover new things, including textures and smells, when you actually try them yourself. I especially recommend experiments to those who wonder what those symbols and formulas they memorized for exams were really all about. If you think through the phenomena you observe and the results you obtain by comparing them with the underlying principles, you will often find that you can understand them quite easily. Due to factors like equipment availability, I believe it becomes difficult to have the opportunity to relearn through experiments after graduating from university. I encourage you to enjoy engaging in natural science experiments while you are a student at Keio.