We are excited to share the success of Yasutomo Segawa’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Synthesis of penta- and hexa(3,4-thienylene): size-dependent structural properties of cyclic oligothiophenes” included in the full milestones collection.
Read our interview with Yasutomo below.
What are the main areas of research in your lab and what motivated you to take this direction?
Structural organic chemistry. I am always impressed when I synthesize a molecule that no one else in the world has yet see its structure.
Can you set this article in a wider context?
The cyclic thiophene molecules synthesized in this study serve as a platform for the nonplanar polycyclic arenes. This is a major step toward the systematic synthesis of non-planar molecules that are expected to have 3D carrier transport.
What do you hope your lab can achieve in the coming year?
We will achieve the synthesis of a 3D organic π-conjugated framework. This is the beginning of synthetic organic chemistry that designs 3D electronic structures.
Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.
After studying supramolecular chemistry (Prof. Takuzo Aida), organic main-group chemistry (Prof. Makoto Yamashita), and organometallic chemistry (Prof. Kyoko Nozaki) as a student, I spent 10 years at Nagoya University working on structural organic chemistry of non-planar aromatic hydrocarbons with Prof. Kenichiro Itami. Based on these experiences, I started my own chemistry to establish the synthetic organic chemistry that can design not only single molecules but also three-dimensional solid-state structures.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
“Some red lights are not to be crossed.” (Prof. Kyoko Nozaki)
Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?
Simply because I like ChemComm. My milestone articles are in ChemComm including my first corresponding author paper in the group of Prof. Kenichiro Itami (2012, 48, 6642), and a memorial paper with Prof. Douglas W. Stephan (2012, 48, 11963). At the beginning of my academic career, I read through the ChemComm journal in 1980s (around the year of my birth) for inspiration of research ideas.
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Yasutomo Segawa was born in Chiba, Japan (1982). He studied chemistry at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and completed his PhD in 2005 under the supervision of Prof. Kyoko Nozaki. In 2009, he became an Assistant Professor in the group of Prof. Kenichiro Itami at Nagoya University, and in 2013 a Group Leader of the JST-ERATO Itami Molecular Nanocarbon Project (Designated Associate Professor, Nagoya University). Since 2020, he is an Associate Professor (a Principal Investigator) at the Institute for Molecular Science and SOKENDAI, and a research fellow of JST-FOREST since 2022. His research focuses on the design and synthesis of three-dimensional and topologically unique organic systems.
Twitter: @Segawagroup, @YasutomoSegawa
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