Introduction

Recent interests concerning the characteristic reactivities of heteroatom functionalities have been concentrated in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. However, efficient methods to synthesize the compounds bearing higher-row heteroatom functionalities have not fully studied to date, and the synthetic methods for the uses of such highly-reactive compounds have not yet established. We have long been challenging to develop the new methods for syntheses, generations, trappings, structural inspections, selective transformations, and synthetic applications of highly reactive compounds possessing various chalcogenocarbonyl functionalities, and our recent interests have focused on the synthetic utilities of such compounds as novel and versatile intermediates. The current interests in our laboratory are summarized as shown below:

(1) Generation, trapping or isolation of reactive species such as chalcogenoaldehydes, chalcogenoketones, chalcogen-containing heterocumulenes, and chalcogen-containing heterodienes.

(2) Syntheses and conversions of chalcogen-containing heterocyclic compounds.

(3) Syntheses and synthetic applications of optically active organoselenium compounds.

(4) Synthetic uses of elemental sulfur, selenium, and tellurium as novel chalcogenating agents.

(5) Synthetic uses and selective transformations of sulfur-containing heterocycles directing toward the novel C-C bond forming reactions.

Now, we have been concentrating our effortst to "Synthesis of Highly-functionalized Pyridine Derivatives via Heter Diels-Alder Reaction of Isotellurazoles and their Synthetic Application to the Construction of various Fused Pyridine Alkaloid Skeletons" as the extension of (2) and "Preparation of Novel Chiral Thiourea Derivatives and the Synthetic Use of These Compounds as Novel Organocatalysts for the Use of Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis" as the extension of (5). Very recently, we just started the new research work titled "A Short-Step Construction of 2-Quinolinone Alkaloid Skeleton via Generation and Ring Closure of Propadienethione Intermediates." in the course of our synthetic studies of highly reactive heterocumulene species concerning (1).

Our previous works published in academic journals are also listed up in this Homepage. See the detailed contents of our research activities through a short blowsing of "(4) Academic Activities". The newest results of our laboratory are also presented in "(4) Acacemic Activities: Publications-(3) Graphical Abstracts of Articles".