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Name

Title

Speciality

In the discipline of organic and organometallic chemistry 

Kyoto University

(京都大學)

Tamotsu Takahashi

教授

日本 北海道大學
觸媒化學研究中心
分子觸媒化學部門

Cleavage/formation of carbon-carbon bonds in organic molecules has been a major challenge in synthetic organic chemistry.  Prof. Takahashi group has developed such reactions with unique modes of C-C bond cleavage/formation or interesting stereoselectivity with utilizing transition－metal reagents or catalysts.  Recently, they have developed a novel reaction of forming an indene derivatives from a titanocene species. In this reaction, C-C bond cleavage of a Cp ligand in the titanocene and migration of an alkyl group afford the indene product.

Paul Theodore Englund

Professor Emeritus

Johns Hopkins School

Kinetoplast DNA
Trypanosome mitochondrial DNA consists of several thousand DNA rings topologically interlocked in a giant DNA network. We are studying the novel mechanism by which kinetoplast DNA replicates, the structure of isolated kinetoplast DNA, and the complex structural organization of this network in vivo. Much of our current work concerns the identification and study the proteins involved in kDNA replication and maintenance.
Trypanosome fatty acid synthesis
Trypanosomes have an abundant GPI-anchored protein named variant surface glycoprotein. This GPI anchor is unusual in that it contains the fatty acid myristate. In studies on the origin of myristate, we discovered a robust fatty acid synthesis system whose major product is myristate (even though it was thought for 30 years that these parasites cannot make any fatty acid). In an investigation of the machinery for fatty acid synthesis we discovered a novel and unprecedented mechanism. Instead of using a conventional type I or type II synthase, found in all other cells, trypanosomes use microsomal elongases to make fatty acids de novo. They also have a type II fatty acid synthase in the mitochondria.

Robert K. Yu

Professor

Institute of molecular Medicine and Genetics Medical College of Georgia, School of Medicine

Research concerns the chemistry, metabolism, and biological function of complex glycoconjugates, particularly glycosphigolipids. These compounds play crucial roles in determining cellular properties such as intercellular interactions, recognition and adhesion.

Kin Shing Chan

Professor

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

1.Carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bond

   activation by transition metal complexes

2.Green Chemistry

Masakazu Anpo  

Vice-President & Executive Director

Osaka Prefecture University

Research activities focus on how to apply titanium oxide-based photocatalytic materials to the various sustainable, non-hazardous and economic chemical processes under different reaction systems and conditions. Especially, I will introduce the development of visible light-responsive TiO₂ photocatalysts, enabling to absorb visible light and operate under visible light irradiation without any loss of their original photocatalytic reactivity under UV light irradiation. Unique and highly efficient Ti-oxide thin film photocatalytic materials which enable the absorption of visible light of longer than 550 nm and operate as an effective environmentally-friendly photocatalyst leading to the efficient use of solar energy for the separate production of clean H₂ and O₂ from water will be introduced.  Also, the artificial-light plant factory of OPU using LED lights for the cultivation of various fresh and safe vegetables as well as an idea to apply photocatalytic reaction systems to the plant factory will be introduced.

Joseph S. Francisco

Professor

Chemistry Department, Purdue University

Research in our laboratory focuses on basic studies in spectroscopy, kinetics and photochemistry of novel transient species in the gas phase. These species play an important role in atmospheric, biochemical and combustion processes. Yet questions dealing with how structures correlate to reactivity and photochemical mechanisms have not been addressed for these systems. These problems are addressed by research efforts in our laboratory. Specific research areas of interest are: 1) Spectroscopic determinations of electronic and vibrational transitions in free radicals; 2) Measurement of the kinetics of individual gas-phase reaction steps involving free radicals in complex reaction mechanisms; and 3) Characteristics of primary photo chemical processes that free radicals can undergo.

Jimmy Chai-mei Yu

Head of United College

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Preparation and characterization of novel nano-structured materials,

Environmental and energy applications of photocatalysis,

Development of analytical methods for environmental and biological samples.

Kevin Bernard Nachtrab

Senior IP Council

Johnson & Johnson

Intellectual Property related issues and Technology Licensing

Joseph S. Thrasher

Professor

Chemistry Department, Clemson University

Dr. Thrasher’s research involves the preparation, characterization, and utility of novel sulfur-fluorine compounds; industrial fluorine chemistry including agro- and pharmaceutical intermediates, fluoropolymer chemistry, and electrochemistry; fluorine-containing molten salts/ionic liquids; fluorous media for improved separations and catalysis; batteries and fuel cell technology; development of new analytical methodologies in fluorine chemistry; and computational chemistry.  Current projects in the Thrasher Group can be categorized into one of three different areas: (1) sulfur-fluorine chemistry, (2) industrial fluorine chemistry, and (3) fuel cell technology.

Hiroyuki Matsuzaka

Professor, Department Chair

Osaka Prefecture University

Highly Reactive Dinuclear Transition Metal Complexes

Hideki Tanaka

Professor,Vice Dean, Graduate School of Natural Science, Okayama Univ.

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,

Okayama University,

Japan

Prof. Tanaka’s research interest has been focused on structure and dynamics of water and ice in bulk and confined geometry and on thermodynamic stability of clathrate hydrates.

Esther Belin-Ferré

Director

Directeur de Recherche at CNRS (1991-2005)

Experimental investigation of the electronic structure of solids: metals, semiconductors, insulators, chalcogenides, oxides, silicides, hydrides, etc. using X-ray spectroscopies (Emission, Photoabsorption and Photoemission). Long standing interest in quasicrystals and complex crystalline phases for the description of their electronic structure and in relation with transport and physical properties.

Thomas Rainer Julius Voit

Judge Head of Dept. 1

Germany Federal Patent Court

Intellectual Property related issues and Litigations

TOSHIAKI IIMURA

Chief Judge

Japan Intellectual Property High Court

Intellectual Property related issues and Litigations

Daniel Howard

Science Foundation Ireland Research Fellow

University of Limerick

Science Foundation Ireland Research Fellow. The Biomedicine item of this three million Euro grant I contributed. My responsibility is to lead (manage/direct) and undertake the Biomedicine item which involves supervising PhD students, contributing software and algorithms, interacting with Breastcheck, Ireland from where we are obtaining the data. This project is an extension of the one I pioneered in 2002 at QinetiQ but now using digital Irish nationwide mammography data instead of Swedish film mammography data.

Ei-ichi Negishi

H.C. Brown distinguished Professor

Chemistry Depart., Purdue Univ.

Our research is mainly directed toward (i) discovery and development of transition metal-catalyzed organic reactions, (ii) their application to those organic transformations which are of interest in the health- and energy-related areas, and (iii) development of polymer and materials chemistry based on organotransition metal chemistry.

Yasushi Nishihara

Professor

Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology,

Okayama University,

Japan

Professor Nishihara’s research interests are organic synthesis mediated and/or catalyzed by organometallic compounds and their application towards functional materials.  In particular, activation of the chemically unreactive bond, e.g. the C-C, C-Si, and C-B bonds is one of the subjects.  The unreactive bonds might be cleaved by the highly unsaturated organometallic species and the subsequent C-C bond-forming reaction, for example, the cross-coupling reactions, can be attained.  Furthermore, the synthesized organic molecules are used as the useful functional materials such as liquid crystals, electroluminescent materials, anti-cancer agents, and organic solar cells.

Patricia Ann Thiel

教授

美國愛荷華州立大學

Metal Nanostructures on Semiconductors and Insulators

Surfaces of Complex Metallic Alloys

Stability and Coarsening of Metal Nanostructures on Metal Surfaces

Max (Shing-Chung)  Yen

Professor

Dean and Steel Dynamics Distinguished Professor
Fellow, Society for Experimental Mechanics
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanosyetems 

I have been actively engaging in the development of research initiatives and concept papers to be considered through state and federal appropriation. Some of these concept papers were also developed into proposals submitted to state and federal funding agencies. These activities are intended to form interdisciplinary teams/partnerships, to establish new programs, to bring resources for research and education, to create new jobs, and to stimulate economic development. What follows is a summary of the initiatives that I developed based on the compatibility between the national priority and the capability at SIUC. I am also responsible for building the necessary research team and advocating the initiatives. The underlined initiatives have been funded.