Participating Group (2020-2021)
Structural elucidation of gas-crystal reaction vapochromism in organic crystals
Co-Researcher: Haruki Sugiyama (The Research and Education Center for Natural Science, Keio University , Assistant Professor)
Research Outline
Vapochromic organic crystals, which react in response to vapor exposure to crystals, reversibly undergo phase transition and change in color. They are typical examples of “soft crystals” and are also important as gas sensor materials. In this research, we aim to create new vapochromic organic crystals and to clarify the principle of vapochromism based on the crystal structures. In particular, the detailed molecular structure and crystal structure changes are important, and it is possible to perform crystal analysis even if the single crystal is disintegrated by crystal transition, utilizing microcrystal analysis or powder crystal analysis method.
As the principle of new organic vapochromism, it is important that the electronic state change induced by the change of the intermolecular interaction due to dehydration. Thus, the target of this research is a molecular system showing molecular structure and property change due to inter- or intra-molecular proton transfer.
The mechanism and design principle of vapochromic organic crystals are expected to be applied to create gas sensor materials for detecting various harmful vapors.


Participating Group (2018-2019)
Structure Analysis of Organic Vapochromic crystals by SDPD
Research Outline
Vapochromic organic crystals, which react in response to vapor exposure to crystals, reversibly undergo phase transition and change in color. They are typical examples of “soft crystals” and are also important as gas sensor materials. In this research, we aim to create new vapochromic organic crystals and to clarify the principle of vapochromism based on the crystal structures. In particular, the detailed molecular structure and crystal structure changes are important, and it is possible to perform crystal analysis even if the single crystal is disintegrated by crystal transition, utilizing microcrystal analysis or powder crystal analysis method.
As the principle of new organic vapochromism, it is important that the electronic state change induced by the change of the intermolecular interaction due to dehydration. Thus, the target of this research is a molecular system showing molecular structure and property change due to inter- or intra-molecular proton transfer.
The mechanism and design principle of vapochromic organic crystals are expected to be applied to create gas sensor materials for detecting various harmful vapors.

