Ooi has been creating a bold stream of research on the molecular design of various chiral organic ion pairs and their rational structural modifications for eliciting unique functions as molecular catalysts, providing a solid basis for safe and sustainable supply of useful organic compounds. His accomplishments have had a significant impact on the frontiers of chemistry in terms of developing a fundamental understanding of the relationship between the three-dimensional structure of a chiral organic ion pair and its catalytic and stereocontrolling abilities. He will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that selectively induce plant growth, molecules that improve animal reproduction, and molecules that can overcome species barrier, collaborating with the groups of Kinoshita, Yoshimura, Higashiyama, Bode, and Itami.

Research Highlights

• Highly challenging construction of contiguous all-carbon quaternary stereocentres
• Rapid synthesis towards optically active α-aminocarbonyl therapeutics
• Pinpoint creation of chirality by organic catalysts
• Development of a new anionic phosphate catalyst

Selected Awards and Honors

2014	Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
2013	Inoue Prize for Science, Inoue Foundation
2011	IBM Japan Science Prize
2010	JSPS Prize, Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences
2008	ACP Lectureship Award, Taiwan

Selected Publications

• Ohmatsu, K.; Imagawa, N.; Ooi, T. Nature Chem. 2014, 6, 47-51. Ligand-enabled Multiple Absolute Stereocontrol in Metal-catalysed Cycloaddition for Construction of Contiguous All-carbon Quaternary Stereocentres. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1796
• Ohmatsu, K.; Ando, Y.; Ooi, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 18706-18709. Asymmetric Substitution at the Tetrasubstituted Chiral Carbon: Catalytic Ring-Opening Alkylation of Racemic 2,2-Disubstituted Aziridines with 3-Substituted Oxindoles. DOI: 10.1021/ja411647x
• Uraguchi, D.; Tsutsumi, R.; Ooi, T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 8161-8164. Catalytic Asymmetric Oxidation of N-Sulfonyl Imines with Hydrogen Peroxide-Trichloroacetonitrile System. DOI: 10.1021/ja403491j
• Ohmatsu, K.; Ito, M.; Kunieda, T.; Ooi, T. Nature Chem. 2012, 4, 473-477. Ion-paired Chiral Ligands for Asymmetric Palladium Catalysis. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1311
• Uraguchi, D.; Ueki, Y.; Ooi, T. Science 2009, 326, 120-123. Chiral Organic Ion Pair Catalysts Assembled Through a Hydrogen-Bonding Network. DOI: 10.1126/science.1176758