Yosiyuki KAGEYAMA's Website

Noticification [Apr. 2024]
We will contribute to PACIFICHEM2025, as organizers of a symposium entitled as "Frontiers in Dynamic Supramolecular Chemistry: Towards Practical Functions."

Noticification [Apr. 2024]
If you are interested in studing with us, please check the following information.

News [Jan. 2023]
We posted our recent results on the self-oscillatory crystal. Check it!

News [Nov. 2022]
We posted our view on the current non-equilibrium chemistry. We pointed out the fact that many researchers currently use the term "away from equilibrium" for behaviors that never show far-away-from-equilibrium behavior according to the traditional definition. Check it!

Advanced Notice

Visiting Europe
I stay in Strasubourg in France and other 5 cities in european countries in June 2024, and talk my study results. It is a very rare event.
PACIFICHEM2025
We will hold a symposium entitled as "Frontiers in Dynamic Supramolecular Chemistry: Towards Practical Functions."

Topics

15 Nov. (2023)

Invited Talk

Yoshiyuki talked in the 61st Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan.

10 Jul. (2023)

Invited Talk

Yoshiyuki talked in Systems Chemistry Virtual Symposium 2023.
Website of the symposium Slides in YK's presentation

1 Apr. (2023)

New Project

Our group join to a research project "Molecular cybernetics".
Webpage of the project

8 Jun. (2022)

Paper was published

Our paper for measuring dynamics of water of hydration, using DNP-NMR method with application of organic photochemistry, was published from Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn.
Visit from here.

8 Apr. (2022)

Featured in web media

Our result was featured in Japan Forward.
Visit from here.

1 Apr. (2022)

New Project

Our project "Fundamentals of Active Matter across Scales for Novel Materials" is launched.
Visit from here.

1 Feb. (2022)

Featured in web media

Y.K. was featured as "Thought Leader" in AZO Robotics.
Introduction of our research is there. Visit from here.

15-20 Dec. (2021)

PACIFICHEM2021

We held a simposium, entitled as "New Challenge in Interdisciplinary and Multiscale Supramolecular Sciences" in PACIFICHEM 2021.

27 Nov. (2021)

Publication

A current research result about self-propelling matter was published. We will release the description for this articele to press companies on 29 Nov. (Mon.).
The article was published from Small

Jul. (2021)

Publication
A book entitled as "Chemical Symmetry Breaking", ed. by Prof. Rui Tamura (Kyoto Univ) is published.
download pdf from here

10, Oct. (2020)

Publication

A paper entitled as "Robust Dynamics of Synthetic Molecular Systems as a Consequence of Broken Symmetry"is published after peer review.
download from here

17, Apr. (2020)

Recruitment
We are seeking a postdoc from the field of mathematics and its relating field.

19, Mar. (2020)

Publication

A significant paper was pre-published from the website of Chem. Eur. J.. link
The corresponding preprint is downloadable without charge. link

19, Apr. (2019)

The quest to make a synthetic molecular motor Our research was highlighted in the official webpage of Hokkaido University

17, Apr. (2019)

Free Access Review(opened on 16 Apr.)
A minireview paper was online-published from ChemPhotoChem.
In this invited review, the basic principle for self-organization under steady light-irradiation condition was described.
Since this topic is on argument and some uncertains are included, we welcome comments and discussions from readers.

18, Mar. (2019)

Yoshiyuki talked in Asian International Symposium in the 99th annual meeting of CSJ, as an invited speaker.

12, Jan. (2019)

Yoshiyuki talked in Active Matter Symposium 2019, as an invited speaker.

14, Nov. (2018)

Mr. Kazuma Obara recieved excellent poster award in CSJ(Chemical Society of Japan)-Festa

14, Nov. (2018)

Yoshiyuki have a lecture for self-replication/self-catalysis for self-organization in Univ. Strasborg, France. And he also talked in a workshop relating to molecular motors.

31, Aug. (2018)

Yoshiyuki talked in The 79th Okazaki Conference "Synthetic, Biological, and Hybrid Molecular Engines"

15, Jun. and 17. Sep. (2018)

Moleclular Technology: Energy Innovation was published. We contributed in the chapter 8. (E-book was published on 15 Jun; Hardcover will be published on 17 Sep.)

20, Mar (2018)

Domestic Meeting (talking in English)
Annual meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan in March, 2018.

15, Dec (2017)

Yoshiyuki talked in the 2nd International Symposium on Biofunctional Chemistry (ISBC2017), held by the Division of Biofunctional Chemistry of the Chemical Society of Japan, on 14-16 December.

18, Oct (2017)

Yoshiyuki talked in MIRAI symposium, held in Lund University in Sweden (17-19 in Oct). The MIRAI project is a Sweden-Japan joint program for academic research.

18, Jul (2017)

Yoshiyuki talk as a plenary speaker in the Conference on Organic Chemistry in Chicago, USA (17-19, Jul)

7, Jul (2017)

We participated in International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry in Cambridege (UK).

1, Apr (2017)

New Projects
We will start our study with two projects: "Coordination Asymmetry" and "Photo Synergetics".

Feburary (2017)

Highlighted
Our research result was highlighted in Asia Research News 2017 (published by researchSEA) and in Spotlight on Research 2016-2017 Hokkaido University (published by Hokkaido University).

7, Jul (2016)

Global Relations Office in Hokkaido University press-released about our research result on 6, July. Visit the website and read the article entitled "On the path toward molecular robots".
Many news site delivered this article. Thanks.

23, May (2016)

A short article about our research was run in Phys.org.
"Macroscopic Self-Oscillation — crystal bends and stretches in blue light"
And, Wiley-VCH and ChemPubSoc Europe also picked up our article.
"A Crystal Takes a Bow"

20, May (2016)

Angewandte Chemie and its international edition press-released our article in English and in German. And, Hokkaido University also press-released it in Japanese.

19, May (2016)

Our original short paper was published from Angewandte Chemie and its International Edition.
In this article, we reported our dissipative and autonomous motion of molecular assembly, which continuously worked under continuous photo-irradiation.
We also provide a supplementary material, here.


"Dissipative and Autonomous Square-Wave Self-Oscillation of a Macroscopic Hybrid Self-Assembly under Continuous Light Irradiation"
T. Ikegami, Y. Kageyama, K. Obara, and S. Takeda, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
DOI:10.1002/anie.200218


11, May (2016)

Our original research paper was published from Chemistry - A European Journal.
In this article, we proposed cooperative deprotonation of the component of molecular assembly induced by azobenzene photoisomerization.

"Mechanism of Macroscopic Motion of Oleate Helical Assemblies: Cooperative Deprotonation of Carboxyl Groups, Triggered by Photoisomerization of Azobenzene Derivatives"
Y, Kageyama, T. Ikegami, Y. Kurokome, and S. Takeda, Chem. Eur. J. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201600426

3rd, Nov. (2015).

Mr. Tomonori Ikegami, who is a doctoral course student, recieved two awards for his presentation in the 24th Symposium on Organic Crystals organized by the Division of Organic Crystals, the Chemical Society of Japan. One is the prize of "the Most Excellent Presentation Award", presented by the division, and the other is "CrystEngComm Presentation Award", presented by the Royal Society of Chemistry in UK.

11th, Sep. (2015).

Yoshiyuki Kageyama recieved a presentation award from the Division of Biofunctional Chemistry, the Chemical Society of Japan. The title of the presentation is "Autonomous macroscopic motion of self-assembly composed of an azobenzene derivative and oleic acid - A far-from-equilibrium supramolecular dynamics".

29th, Apr. (2015).

The paper previously accepted was published as a backcover highliting article. Soft Matter 2015, 11, 3550-3558.

17th, Mar. (2015).

A full paper manuscript entitled as "Structure and Growth Behavior of Centimeter-Sized Helical Oleate Assemblies Formed with Assistance of Medium-Length Carboxylic Acids" was accepted to publish Soft Matter.
In this manuscript, we described three-major findigs of helical assembly (structure, growth dynamics, and kinetics of assembling), and proposed a nobel hypothesis for molecular assembling dynamics.

8th, Jul. (2013).

Our article was highlighted in the Chem. Commun. Blog by Dr. Cally Haynes.
Chem. Commun. Blog.

10th, Jun. (2013).

A letter manuscript entitled as "Macroscopic Motion of Supramolecular Assemblies Actuated by Photoisomerization of Azobenzene Derivatives" was accepted.
This letter will be published as a Featured Article of Chem.Commun..

28th, Apr. (2013).

A presentation entitled as "Macroscopic coiling-recoiling motion of soft oleate assemblies activated by photoisomerization reaction of azobenzene derivatives" was awarded as an excellent presentation by the organizing committee of annual meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan.


Wellcome to my website.

Construction of Dynamic Integrated Chemical Systems
Systems Chemistry based on Physical Organic Chemistry


|Basic Commitment of Our Group|
Hokkaido University has four basic principles: frontier spirit, emphasis on practical study, all-round education for individual human, and the cultivation of internationalism. Among these, the emphasis on practical study is a fundamental principle that emphasizes the pursuit of academic or scientific essence, rather than the evaluation of honor or prestige. Despite today's competitive research environment, we will continue our research and educational activities so as not to lose sight of this basic principle.


|Current Research Aim|
We have achieved the self-sustained transformation of a microscale object composed of multiple molecules. By utilizing this autonomous motion, our aim is to achieve mechanical work and information transformation at a higher level. I'm afraid that you may confuse. Self-sustaining transformation alone cannot generate mechanical work: further symmetry broken is required. For the information transformation, it is similar. By this way, we aim to establish the concept for an autonomous chemical system with practical functions. As our group is currently a small research unit without students, we are limited to setting specific research themes. However, student assignments are expected to be allowed starting from the 2025FY. When the size of our laboratory group grows, we will create brandnew far-from-equilibrium phenomena in non-equilibrium steady conditions.


Highlights

Featured in web media

"Making Molecular Micororobots a Reality." The background of YK's study is introduced in British web media "AZO Robotics" on 1 Feb 2022.

New Project MOLECULAR ENGINE

"Molecular Engine: Design of Autonomous Functions through Energy Conversion", a Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan, is started.
http://www.molecular-engine.bio.titech.ac.jp/

Tackling Global Issues Vol.1 — Soft Matter: Material of the Future

Our research was introduced in the first issue of the magazine "Tackling Global Issues" published by Hokkaido University.
Publisher: Hokkaido University
Article: https://issuu.com/hokkaidouniversity-gro/docs/soft_matter-material_of_the_future/34

Asia Research News 2017 —Ever-shrinking robots

ResearchSEA highlighted our research in the Asia research news magazine.
Publisher: researchSEA
Article: http://issuu.com/asiaresearchnews/docs/arn-2017_issuu_med-high/7

Spotlight on Research 2016-2017 Hokkaido University

Our research was introduced in the international relations magazine of Hokkaido University
Publisher: Hokkaido University
Article: http://issuu.com/hokkaidouniversity-gro/docs/web___1-28p/16

Admission Information

Graduate School Students: Since 2020FY, our group is prevented to accept new students by our department, but it is planned that admissions resume in the near future. We are expecting that it resumes from 2025FY (fiscal year generally starts from April in Japan), the entrance examination for which will be held on August 2024 and February (or March) 2025. If you are interested in, please contact to Yoshiyuki. For the inquiry of admission to doctorial courses, you should send me your research plan and your perspectives about the chemical science, rather than your CV. For the inquiry of admission to masters courses, send me your future plans. We apologize that we could not accept new students during 2020FY-2024FY.

Postdoctoral Fellowships: Ask Yoshiyuki via e-mail. You should get your scholarship by yourself, because I cannot promise you to get funds. I will assist you in preparing your application if necessary. For the inquiry for researcher positions, you should send me your research plan in our group referring to my research results, as well as your perspectives about the chemical science, rather than your CV.

Planned Research Topics from 2025:

  1. Generalizing and understanding non-equilibrium chemical phenomena and developping their applications.
  2. Creating new dynamical systems chemically (Research on molecular robotics).
  3. Linking our research outcomes with cell biology (Research for the creation of micro-cyborgs).

Personal and Team Information

Yoshiyuki Kageyama was born in Hiroshima in 1977 and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2006 under the direction of Prof. Shigeru Murata. He continued his study of the construction of biomimetic supramolecular systems based on organic chemistry as a postdoc in Prof. Tadashi Sugawara's group at the University of Tokyo. Next he moved to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science at Tokyo University of Science as a postdoc and studied organic photochemistry and molecular-recognition chemistry in aqueous media under the direction of Prof. Shin Aoki. In 2009, he became an assistant professor at Laboratory for Condensed Matter Chemistry at Hokkaido University. His specialty is physical organic chemistry, especially the kinetic study of organic reactions.

    He is interested in the construction of integrated chemical systems that work cooperatively with their dynamic properties. When considering life phenomena, we can recognize the importance of supramolecular dynamics in their highly functionalized homeostatic feature. A well-known example is the allosteric effect of hemoglobin: the change in its structure realizes the self-catalytic trapping and releasing of oxygen. Heartbeat is another example, in which the cells, which consist of molecules, work cooperatively to beat periodically and enduringly.

    To create excellent chemical systems toward biological systems, he creates and analyzes functional and dynamic soft molecular assemblies in water. His significant studies are listed below.

Auto-catalytic Behavior Exhibited in Heterogeneous System in Water

In this research, we established self-continuous assembly formation under non-equilibrium condition.

"Autocatalytic membrane-amplification on a pre-existing vesicular surface"
H. Takahashi, Y. Kageyama, K. Kurihara, K. Takakura, S. Murata, and T. Sugawara,* Chem. Commun. 46, 8791-8793 (2010).

Unfortunately, our superviser had not understood the importance of autocatalysis to create the life-mimetic behavior, I could not continue this research work. To generate self-sustainable molecular system, non-linear behavior such as autocatalysis is required: read "Robust Dynamics of Synthetic Molecular Systems as a Consequence of Broken Symmetry." Symmetry 12, 1688 (2020).

Hierarchical Cooperation of Molecular Functions to Realize Macroscopic Motions of Assemblies in Water
— Supramolecular Motor that works with autonomous manner via dissipative self-organization

In this research, we established self-continuous flipping motion of macroscopic assembly under non-equilibrium condition. It is a big challenge in supramolecualr chemistry, which links nano-level molecular dynamics to macroscopic material dynamics.

"Dissipative and Autonomous Square-Wave Self-Oscillation of a Macroscopic Hybrid Self-Assembly under Continuous Light Irradiation"
T. Ikegami, Y. Kageyama, K. Obara, and S. Takeda, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2016).
[Press-release] from Angewandte Chemie. (May. 20, 2016) [Press-release] from Hokkaido University. (Jul. 6, 2016)

An account for this result was published from ChemPhotoChem as an open-access minireview article. We will also publish other papers based on the result.ChemPhotoChem. 3(6), 327–336 (2019).
A report of a following study with basic but imprtant concept was published. What is "responsive" and "sensing" for autonomous materials is written in the paper. The caracteristics of autonomous materials are also explained. Chem. Eur. J. 26, 10759–10768 (2020). [Press-release] from Hokkaido University. (May. 13, 2020)
A report for the self-propelling behavior of the flapper was published from Small. As known as "scallop theorem", small objects cannot swim by its flapping motion in general. However, our microrobots are capable of converting their mechanical motion into a means of self-propulsion in water.
"Self-Propulsion of a Light-Powered Microscopic Crystalline Flapper in Water" Small, 202105302

Hierarchical Cooperation of Molecular Functions to Realize Macroscopic Motions of Assemblies in Water

Proton association-dissocciation behavior was involved in light-triggered winding motion of a helical molecular assembly. An uncompleted approarch to combine non-linear dynamics of molecualr assemblies for generating dissipative self-organized structure.

"Macroscopic motion of supramolecular assemblies actuated by photoisomerization of azobenzene derivatives"
Y. Kageyama,* N. Tanigake, Y. Kurokome, S. Iwaki, S. Takeda,* K. Suzuki, and T. Sugawara,* Chem. Commun. 49, 9386-9388 (2013).
[Download from Hokkaido Univ.]

"Mechanism of Macroscopic Motion of Oleate Helical Assemblies: Cooperative Deprotonation of Carboxyl Groups, Triggered by Photoisomerization of Azobenzene Derivatives"
Y, Kageyama, T. Ikegami, Y. Kurokome, and S. Takeda, Chem. Eur. J. 13, 8669-8675 (2016).
[Download from Hokkaido Univ.]

Sustainable way for molecular assembling

Transporter molecule can contribute to the long-term molecular assembling by controlling the kinetics. A kind of a function of 'catalysts' that work for transportation not for conversion of molecule.


"Structure and growth dynamics of centimeter-sized helical oleate assemblies formed with assistance of medium-length carboxylic acids"
Y. Kageyama,* T. Ikegami, N. Hiramatsu, S. Takeda,* and T. Sugawara, Soft Matter, 11, 3550-3558 (2015).
[Download from Hokkaido Univ.]

Current Works

Research Themes:

  • 1) Creation of Reaction-Induced Macroscopic Dynamics of Supermolecules Based on the Aspect of Molecular Cooperation
    • Organic Chemistry (Synthesis)
    • Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics, Intermolecular Force, Reaction Kinetics)
    • Physics (Non-linear Phanomena, Self-Organization, Chaos)
  • 2) Dynamics of Water Molecules Related with Soft Self-Assemblies in Water
    • Physical Chemistry (DNP-NMR)
    • Organic Chemistry (Synthesis of Functional Radicals for DNP-NMR)
  • 3) Functional Dynamics of Electrons or Protons in Materials
    • Organic Chemistry (Synthesis)
    • Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics, Reaction Kinetics)

Lectures:

  • Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido Univ.
    • Practical Experimetns (Chemistry)
    • General Education Seminor for Fresh Students
  • Faculty of Science, Hokkaido Univ.
    • Practical Experiments (Physical Chemistry)
  • Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido Univ.
    • Several practice classes

Financial Grants:

  • Private Grants
    • Sasakawa Scientific Research, from the Japan Science Society (2010).
  • MEXT, JSPS and JST Grants
    • Grant-in-Aid for "Transformative Research Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Molecular Cybernetics] (Apr. 2023-Mar.2025)
    • Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Discrete Geometric Analysis for Materials Design] (Apr. 2020-Mar.2022)
    • Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Molecular Engine] (Jun. 2018-Mar.2023)
    • Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Coordination asymmetry] (Apr. 2017-Mar.2019)
    • Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Photosynergetics] (Apr. 2017-Mar.2019)
    • Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2016 - Mar. 2019).
    • PRESTO, from JST in Japan [Molecular Technology] (Oct. 2013 - Mar.2017).
    • Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research, from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2013 - Mar. 2014).
    • Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2011 - Mar. 2012).
    • The innovation research support for young teacher, from Global-COE Program (2010).
    • The innovation research support for young teacher, from Global-COE Program (2009).

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