Field of Research

Polymer and supramolecular chemistry and bio-related chemistry. His current research interests include artificial helical polymers with a one-handed screw-sense and their self-assemblies, stereocontrol during polymerization, asymmetric polymerization, molecular and chiral recognition by helical polymers, chirality sensing, chiral molecular switch and memory, and separation of enantiomers by chromatography.  The current research projects in his group are

1. Design and synthesis of chiral supramolecules and macromolecules

2. Synthesis and application of helical polymers

3. Development of novel organometallic catalysts for precision polymerization

4. Development of self-assembled functional materials capable of chiral discrimination.
Selected Publications
  • Takehiro Kawauchi, Jiro Kumaki, and Eiji Yashima, Synthesis, Isolation via Self-Assembly and Single-Molecule Observation of a [60]Fullerene-End-Capped Isotactic Poly(methyl methacrylate), J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127, 9950-9951 (2005).
  • Yoshie Tanaka, Hiroshi Katagiri, Yoshio Furusho, and Eiji Yashima, A Modular Strategy to Artificial Double Helices, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 44, 3867-3870 (2005).
  • Taro Nishinaka, Atsushi Takano, Yuko Doi, Makiko Hashimoto, Akira Nakamura, Yushu Matsushita, Jiro Kumaki, and Eiji Yashima, Conductive Metal Nanowires Produced from the Nucleoprotein Template, Complex of DNA and RecA Protein, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127, 8120-8125 (2005).
  • Jiro Kumaki, Takehiro Kawauchi, and Eiji Yashima, Two-Dimensional Folded Chain Crystals of a Synthetic Polymer in a Langmuir-Blodgett Film, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127, 5788-5789 (2005).
  • Toyoharu, Miyagawa, Akira Furuko, Katsuhiro Maeda, Hiroshi Katagiri, Yoshio Furusho, and Eiji Yashima, Dual Memory of Enantiomeric Helices in a Polyacetylene Induced by a Single Enantiomer, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127, 5018-5019 (2005).
  • Hisanari Onouchi, Toyoharu Miyagawa, Akira Furuko, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Eiji Yashima, Enantioselective Esterification of Prochiral Phosphonate Pendants of a Polyphenylacetylene Assisted by Macromolecular Helicity: Storage of a Dynamic Macromolecular Helicity Memory, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127, 2960-2965 (2005).
  • Katsuhiro Maeda, Yoshihisa Takeyama, Koichi Sakajiri, and Eiji Yashima, Nonracemic Dopant-Mediated Amplification of Macromolecular Helicity in a Charged Polyacetylene Leading to a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal in Water, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 16284-16285 (2004).
  • Katsuhiro Maeda, Masayoshi Ishikawa, and Eiji Yashima, Macromolecular Helicity Induction in a Cationic Polyacetylene Assisted by an Anionic Polyisocyanide with Helicity Memory in Water: Replication of Macromolecular Helicity, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 15161-15166 (2004).
  • Tatsuya Nishimura, Kayo Tsuchiya, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Eiji Yashima, Macromolecular Helicity Induction on a Poly(phenylacetylene) with C2-Symmetric Chiral Bis-Substituted [60]Fullerenes, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 11711-11717 (2004).
  • Katsuhiro Maeda, Nobuto Kamiya, and Eiji Yashima, Poly(phenylacetylene)s Bearing a Peptide Pendant: Helical Conformational Changes of the Polymer Backbone Stimulated by the Pendant Conformational Change, Chem. Eur. J., 10, 4000 - 4010 (2004).
  • Katsuhiro Maeda, Kazuhide Morino, Yoshio Okamoto, Takahiro Sato, and Eiji Yashima, Studies on the Mechanism of Helix Induction on a Stereoregular Poly((4-carboxyphenyl)acetylene) with Chiral Amines and on the Memory of the Macromolecular Helicity Assisted by Interaction with Achiral Amines, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 4329-4342 (2004).
  • Masayoshi Ishikawa, Katsuhiro Maeda, Yuuki Mitsutsuji, and Eiji Yashima, An Unprecedented Memory of Macromolecular Helicity Induced in an Achiral Polyisocyanide in Water, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 732-733 (2004).
  • Hidetoshi Goto, Hal Qian Zhang, and Eiji Yashima, Chiral Stimuli-Responsive Gels: Helicity Induction in Poly(phenylacetylene) Gels Bearing a Carboxyl Group with Chiral Amines, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 2516-2523 (2003).
  • Ryuji Nonokawa and Eiji Yashima, Detection and Amplification of a Small Enantiomeric Imbalance in a-Amino Acids by a Helical Poly(phenylacetylene) with Crown Ether Pendants, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 1278-1283 (2003).
  • Tatsuya Nishimura, Kohei Takatani, Shin-ichiro Sakurai, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Eiji Yashima, A Helical Array of Pendant Fullerenes of an Optically Active Polyphenylacetylene, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 41, 3602-3604 (2002).
  • Chiyo Yamamoto, Eiji Yashima, and Yoshio Okamoto, Structural Analysis of Amylose Tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) by NMR Relevant to Its Chiral Recognition Mechanism in HPLC, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124, 12583-12589 (2002).
  • Hidetoshi Goto and Eiji Yashima, Electron-Induced Switching of the Supramolecular Chirality of Optically Active Polythiophene Aggregates, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124, 7943-7949 (2002).
  • Masayoshi Ishikawa, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Eiji Yashima, Macromolecular Chirality Induction on Optically Inactive Poly(4-carboxyphenyl isocyanide) with Chiral Amines: A Dynamic Conformational Transition of Poly(phenyl isocyanide) Derivatives, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124, 7448-7458 (2002).
  • Eiji Yashima, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Osamu Sato, Switching of a Macromolecular Helicity for Visual Distinction of Molecular Recognition Events, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 123, 8159-8160 (2001).
  • Hisanari Onouchi, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Eiji Yashima, A Helical Polyelectrolyte Induced by Specific Interactions with Biomolecules in Water, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 123, 7441- 7442 (2001).
  • Eiji Yashima, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Toshio Yamanaka, Helicity Induction and Conformational Dynamics of Poly(bis(4-carboxyphenoxy)phosphazene) with Optically Active Amines, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 7813-7814 (2000).
  • Eiji Yashima, Katsuhiro Maeda, and Yoshio Okamoto, Memory of Macromolecular Helicity Assisted by Interaction with Achiral Small Molecules, Nature, 399, 449-451 (1999).
  • Eiji Yashima, Yukio Maeda, and Yoshio Okamoto, Helix-Helix Transition of Optically Active Poly((1R,2S)-N-(4-ethynylbenzyl)norephedrine) Induced by Diastereomeric Acid-Base Complexation Using Chiral Stimuli, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 120, 8895-8896 (1998).
  • Eiji Yashima, Teruyuki Matsushima, and Yoshio Okamoto, Chirality Assignment of Amines and Amino Alcohols Based on Circular Dichroism Induced by Helix Formation of a Stereoregular Poly(4-carboxyphenylacetylene) through Acid-Base Complexation, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 119, 6345-6359 (1997).