Koji Nakatsuji

Self‐Organized Liquid‐Crystalline Nanostructured Membranes for Water Treatment: Selective Permeation of Ions

A membrane with ordered 3D ionic nanochannels constructed by in situ photopolymerization of a thermotropic liquid-crystalline monomer shows high filtration performance and ion selectivity. The nanostructured membrane exhibits water-treatment performance superior to that of an amorphous membrane prepared from the isotropic melt of the monomer. Self-organized nanostructured membranes have great potential for supplying high-quality water.

Development of Nanostructured Water Treatment Membranes Based on Thermotropic Liquid Crystals: Molecular Design of Sub‐Nanoporous Materials

Abstract Supply of safe fresh water is currently one of the most important global issues. Membranes technologies are essential to treat water efficiently with low costs and energy consumption. Here, the development of self‐organized nanostructured water treatment membranes based on ionic liquid crystals composed of ammonium, imidazolium, and pyridinium moieties is reported. Membranes with preserved 1D or 3D self‐organized sub‐nanopores are obtained by photopolymerization of ionic columnar or bicontinuous cubic liquid crystals. These membranes show salt rejection ability, ion selectivity, and excellent water permeability. The relationships between the structures and the transport properties of water molecules and ionic solutes in the sub‐nanopores in the membranes are examined by molecular dynamics simulations. The results suggest that the volume of vacant space in the nanochannel greatly affects the water and ion permeability.

Efficient synthesis of a novel m-phenylene derivative as a selective EP4 agonist inducing follicular growth and maturation in the ovary.

An efficient and straightforward synthesis of a novel m-phenylene derivative has been developed. The optically pure dibromo compound was selected as a starting material. Through a protocol involving the Prins reaction and two steps of the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, the basic skeleton was constructed with appropriate alpha and omega side chains. The compound proved to be a highly selective EP(4) agonist and a possible drug candidate for maturation of the uterine cervix.