Organic compounds produced from nature have various actions on living organisms, and human beings have used natural compounds as drugs and poisons from ancient times. Since the synthesis of urea by F. Wöhler in the early 19th century, organic chemists were fascinated by the synthesis of naturally derived compounds and have synthesized many natural compounds to date. Natural compounds synthesized by chemists, including their derivatives, have been widely used such as pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals, perfumes, pigments and functional materials, and have made a great contribution to improving the welfare of mankind. Under such circumstances, we are conducting synthetic studies on biologically active natural compounds and have achieved total synthesis of various natural compounds so far.
In order to synthesize these compounds, extensive knowledge on organic chemistry is necessary to control a large number of functional groups, asymmetric centers and fused ring structures. Also, as the chemical structure becomes more complex, it is necessary to develop new reactions and synthesis methods. Through the accumulation of fundamental research in the field of organic chemistry, our synthesis research will be established.
Due to the complexity of its chemical structure, some natural compounds have not yet been synthesized in spite of all efforts by synthetic organic chemists. By targeting such molecules, we aim to contribute to basic research at the synthesis stage and contribute to related fields through quantitative supply of bioactive compounds after total synthesis is achieved.