Molecular Recognition Material / Supramolecular Device Study Group

「分子」から「デバイス」の
一貫した研究

Systematization of research on areas ranging from molecules to devices 

分子レベルでの超分子材料設計・開発とそれに続くデバイス応用を
包括的に研究し，ひいては社会実装の迅速化を目指します。

This research society welcomes participants from different fields, such as chemistry, mechanics, electronics, information, environment, medicine, food, trade, and art to promote discussions on the imminent launch of supramolecular devices into society from various standpoints.

研究会の概要 OUTLINE 入会について JOIN

Molecular Recognition Material/Supramolecular Device Study Group

This research society welcomes participants from different fields, such as chemistry, mechanics, electronics, information, environment, medicine, food, trade, and art to promote discussions on the imminent launch of supramolecular devices into society from various standpoints.


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FROM “MOLECULE” TO “DEVICE”

Molecular Design Molecular Arrangement Molecular Assembly

Molecular Design

Our bodies are composed of small molecules. Similar to the construction of architectures with small blocks, self-assemblies can form robust structures through relatively weak interactions among the elements. Notably, the functionality of self-assembled structures can be tuned by using different types of building blocks. In this research society, we attempt to establish a way to maximize the functionality of self-assembled materials through molecular design.

Molecular Arrangement

In our olfactory system, odorant receptors that recognize smells can simultaneously detect many types of odorant molecules. Through pattern recognition of the information obtained from our memories, we can recognize these smells.

Chemosensor arrays inspired by biological recognition systems, which consist of optical molecules showing color or fluorescence changes, could be powerful analytical tools because of their capability to detect numerous types of chemical information. Chemosensor arrays display various color or fluorescence changes upon catching target molecules, enabling the discrimination of chemical species and their concentrations by means of pattern recognition. Thus, we have developed chemosensor arrays that detect chemical species related to diseases and toxic elements for environmental assessment with the aim of establishing chemical sensor platforms in society.

Molecular Assembly

Our bodies can be referred to as sophisticated molecular machines that function through the continuous transmission of chemical information that is triggered by molecular recognition. In contrast, organic transistors can be referred to as supramolecular devices because their electrical properties are the result of systematically arranged molecules in an organic semiconductive layer. Organic transistor-based chemical sensors can exhibit changes in the current and voltage upon the detection of chemical species. Therefore, chemical information, such as chemical species and their concentrations, can be determined.

Overall, we believe that our approach based on supramolecular devices with novel functionalities originating from self-assembled systems comprising molecular building blocks will pave the way for the creation of guidelines to maximize the potential of synthetic recognition materials.