2019/02/13
Keio University
Associate Professor Takuya Kochi and his research group at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, have successfully developed a new method for sequentially constructing multiple bonds at distant positions on an organic molecule. In the synthesis of organic molecules, the construction of new bonds is one of the most important processes. So-called "domino" reactions, which can create multiple bonds sequentially and in a single operation, have been widely studied for many years as a highly efficient method for creating complex organic molecules. Generally, bond construction is performed by forming reactive sites on an organic molecule and connecting these sites. In domino reactions, a new reactive site is generated in the vicinity of a newly constructed bond, and this site is then used for further bond construction. Therefore, the sequentially formed bonds are located close to each other in the product. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to sequentially construct bonds at "distant positions." This study utilizes a method called chain-walking, which can efficiently move a reactive site to a distant location, making it possible to construct carbon-carbon and carbon-silicon bonds at distant positions in a single operation. The development of this method is expected to overturn the conventional wisdom that sequential bond formation occurs at positions close to each other, opening up new directions in synthetic organic chemistry.
The results of this research were published online in the German Chemical Society's journal, *Angewandte Chemie International Edition*, on February 12, 2019 (local time).
Please see below for the full press release.