Faculty

Eiji Shirakawa

Major research fields

EijiShirakawaSynthetic Organic Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry, Transition Metal Catalysis

Making carbon-carbon bonds, which take a crucial role in construction of organic molecules, is one of the most important missions in organic synthesis. In order to build π-conjugated organic frameworks, which are often included in various beneficial materials such as medicines and liquid crystals, we have to make bonds between carbon atoms possessing an sp2 or sp hybrid orbital. My research interest lies in the development of new synthetic methodologies to connect a carbon atom possessing an sp2 or sp hybrid orbital with another carbon atom, utilizing "electron transfer" to activate the substrates. Use of transition metal catalysts often makes handling of electrons much more easier but we recently found that single electron itself sometimes act as a catalyst for the reaction that have been believed not to proceed with no aid of transition metal catalysis. The keyword of my research is "transition metal catalysis" as it stands or paradoxically, investigating both "transition metal-catalyzed reactions" and "transition metal-free reactions".

Major relevant publications

  1. Single-Electron-Transfer-Induced Coupling of Arylzinc Reagents with Aryl and Alkenyl Halides. Shirakawa, E.; Tamakuni, F.; Kusano, E.; Uchiyama, N.; Konagaya, W.; Watabe, R.; Hayashi, T. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 521
  2. Iron-Copper Cooperative Catalysis in the Reactions of Alkyl Grignard Reagents: Exchange Reaction with Alkenes and Carbometalation of Alkynes. Shirakawa, E.; Ikeda, D.; Masui, S.; Yoshida, M.; Hayashi, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 272.
  3. Cross-Coupling of Aryl Grignard Reagents with Aryl Iodides and Bromides through SRN1 Pathway. Shirakawa, E.; Hayashi, Y.; Itoh, K.; Watabe, R.; Uchiyama, N.; Konagaya, W.; Masui, S.; Hayashi, T. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 218–221.
  4. Mizoroki–Heck Type Reaction Mediated by Potassium tert-Butoxide. Shirakawa, E.; Zhang, X.; Hayashi, T. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 4671–4674.
  5. tert-Butoxide-Mediated Arylation of Benzene with Aryl Halides in the Presence of a Catalytic 1,10-Phenanthroline Derivative. Shirakawa, E.; Itoh, K.; Higashino, T.; Hayashi, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 15537.