Makoto Fujita introduced the concept of “metal-directed self-assembly” to supramolecular chemistry, creating building blocks from transition metal groups and organic molecules that self-assemble into large, stable cyclic and three-dimensional structures. He is a University Distinguished Professor at the School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, and has received numerous awards and honors for his innovative research, including the 2018 Wolf Prize in Chemistry and the 2019 Imperial Prize. He was named a Clarivate Citation Laureate in 2020.
Molecular self-assembly based on coordination chemistry has made an explosive impact in recent years. It has been shown that the simple combination of transition-metal’s square planer geometry with pyridine-based bridging ligands gives rise to the quantitative self-assembly of nano-sized, discrete organic frameworks. This lecture will explore this compelling field and highlight Fujita’s current research, including molecular confinement effects in coordination cages, solution chemistry in crystalline porous complexes and giant self-assemblies.
This Provost’s Lecture, co-sponsored by the Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, will be held on Friday, April 29, at 4 pm in the Charles B. Wang Center Theater. It is free and open to the public. Professor Fujita is the inaugural recipient of the Ojima Distinguished Lectureship Award in Chemistry.
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