Greener Molecular Transformation with Bifunctional Molecular Catalysts
M. Takao Ikariya
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Durée :
France-Japan Joint Forum on Chemistry of Functional Organic Chemicals
Du au
ISIS, Strasbourg
JSPS - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
hemical science and industry have been contributing to the improvement of humans’ life through the discovery and manufacture of functional organic chemicals. The most typical example in the 19th century should be the discovery and manufacture of synthetic dyes, which exhibit a coloring function. This success prompted chemists to isolate aromatics and heteroaromatics from coal tar, one of untapped resources at that time, and to apply them to the synthesis of other functional organic chemicals. As a result, marvelous development has been achieved in synthetic organic chemistry and organo-chemical industry, especially in the fields of synthetic dyes and synthetic pharmaceuticals. The most remarkable example in the 20th century was given by Wallace H. Carothers who invented 6,6-nylon; this invention stimulated remarkable development in synthetic polymers with a toughness function and promoted the progress in petrochemistry and petrochemical industry. In view of the history of chemical science and industry mentioned above, molecular functions, on which most of chemists have to focus their attention now, can be extended to biological and physical functions at a molecular level in addition to chemical functions...