Design and synthesis of dome-shaped nanocarbon molecules with gigantic curved pi-electron systems

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15254
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 33010:Structural organic chemistry and physical organic chemistry-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ikemoto Koki 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 講師 (30735600)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ナノカーボン / 構造化学 / 空間 / ドーム状構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes, nanocarbons with non-planar structures have attracted much attention because of their unique properties associated with their curved π-electron systems. However, the peculiarities of these curved π-electron spaces have been rarely discussed based on "structural chemistry" at the atomic and molecular levels. In this study, gigantic curved dome-shaped nanocarbon molecules were designed and synthesized by utilizing coupling of 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzene units (phenine). The phenine design allowed for the synthesis of not only the dome-shaped nanocarbon molecules but also their precisely hetero-doped analogs, providing an in-depth understanding of their properties based on structural chemistry.

Free Research Field

構造有機

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

カーボンナノチューブに代表されるナノカーボンは，湾曲構造に付随した特異な電子的性質を示すことから幅広い応用が期待されている．しかしながら，これらナノカーボンは様々な構造の「混合物」であり，このことが精密な構造に基づく物性の理解を妨げていた．本研究では，一義的構造を有する「分子」として，巨大湾曲ドーム状ナノカーボン分子を設計・合成した．これらナノカーボン分子の物理的性質・化学的性質を解き明かし，構造を踏まえた原理的な理解に繋げることができた．