CNRS Chemistry welcomes Kenichiro Itami as the Ambassador in Chemical Sciences

Carbon-based materials, in all their forms, are increasingly attracting interest from the organic chemistry community. How do you explain this enthusiasm, and can you tell us more about your team's work in this field?

Nanocarbons –nanometer-sized carbon materials– conduct electricity, absorb and emit light, and exhibit intriguing magnetic properties. Among their most iconic forms are spherical fullerenes, cylindrical carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and sheet-like graphenes. Beyond these, theoretical simulations have long predicted a wealth of exotic three-dimensional nanocarbon architectures that remain unsynthesized. Yet, current synthetic approaches almost invariably yield mixtures of compounds with diverse structures and properties, which are difficult to separate and refine into pure forms. This persistent “mixture problem” is one of the central challenges in nanocarbon science and technology. Thus, the preparation of structurally uniform nanocarbons must be achieved in order to properly relate structure and function of these important building blocks. The building up of such structurally uniform materials is crucial for the development of functional materials in nanotechnology, electronics, optics, and biomedical applications.

By developing new synthetic strategies and methods, we have succeeded in creating a family of structurally uniform nanocarbons (>2,000 molecules), including entirely new, aesthetically striking forms of carbon. Notable accomplishments include: the development of single-step aromatic π-extension (APEX) methods for the rapid and programmable synthesis; the synthesis of carbon nanorings (cycloparaphenylenes), carbon nanobelts and well-defined; and the creation of topologically unique carbon allotropes such as warped nanographenes, carbon nanocages, all-benzene catenanes, trefoil knots, and infinitene. 

Remarkably, many of these molecular nanocarbons exhibit promising properties in organic electronic devices, bioimaging and photodynamic therapy. To date, 23 of our compounds are commercially available, and numerous others have found use as indispensable materials and reagents in industrial applications. We are excited that this organic chemistry-driven campaign has given rise to a vibrant new discipline: molecular nanocarbon science.

What progress can we expect in this area over the next few years?

The coming years promise an exciting convergence between innovation in chemical synthesis and the structural diversity that dictates associated properties or functions. We can thus hope to lay the foundations for a new science of molecular nanocarbons, which are not only the cornerstones of nanotechnology but also fertile sources of unprecedented bioactive molecular entities. We believe that the use of nanocarbons as bioactive molecules will open up unprecedented possibilities at the interface between chemistry, biology, and medicine. Their well-defined architectures and tunable properties can be exploited to probe, regulate, and even reprogram biological systems in ways that other small molecules or “conventional” biomacromolecules cannot. These new forms of carbon are not simply original materials; they are molecules with functions that remain to be explored.

It is synthetic chemistry itself that is at the origin of this new world. It is one of the most creative disciplines, offering infinite possibilities for generating high value-added materials. Combined with the rapid evolution of molecular building assembly technologies, synthetic chemistry provides an infinite range of potential molecular targets and therefore physical and biological properties and functions. The discovery of fullerenes is a prime example. It revealed unexpected properties and functions associated with this particular form of carbon. We can hope that each new carbon architecture will exhibit a particular behavior that is still difficult to predict at the time of its discovery.

History reminds us that in the molecular world, aesthetic elegance is often linked to remarkable properties. Molecules have the power to transform the world by providing unprecedented physical and biological properties that lead to non-linear scientific and technological advances. The discovery of benzene revolutionized organic chemistry. The first conductive polymers profoundly changed electronics, as did fullerenes for nanoscience. Breakthroughs of the same magnitude could well arise from this new nanocarbon chemistry.

Finally, I would say that introducing molecules into scientific fields that are unrelated at first glance can initiate new areas of research, echoing Steve Jobs' famous notion of “connecting the dots.” Just as the fusion of physics and computer science gave rise to quantum information science, the cross-pollination of nanocarbon chemistry with life sciences, materials science, and even data science could catalyze advances that we cannot yet imagine. In this vision, molecular nanocarbons are not just new structures in chemistry, but represent real seeds for new ways of thinking in all disciplines.

As Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France, do you have any particular expectations of this upcoming tour? 

As Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France, I regard this upcoming tour as a precious opportunity not only to present our recent advances in molecular nanocarbon science but also to engage in an open dialogue with the French scientific community. I look forward to exchanging ideas with colleagues across disciplines, learning from their perspectives, and identifying synergies that may lead to new collaborative directions.

In particular, I hope to connect with young scientists and students, to share with them the excitement of molecular discovery, and to encourage bold creativity in their own research journeys. Chemistry is, at its core, a profoundly international and collaborative enterprise, and I believe that interactions of this kind can spark new ideas that transcend borders.

More broadly, I expect this tour to strengthen the ties between French and Japanese science, fostering a spirit of mutual inspiration. Just as molecules gain new properties when connected in unexpected ways, so too can new value emerge when scientific cultures are bridged. I am therefore truly excited about the chance to “connect the dots” together with my French colleagues and to envision future frontiers of chemistry.

Editor : CCdM

Read the French version here