Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica – Research
Directions
The research thrusts of the Institute are currently grouped along three major directions: materials chemistry, chemical synthesis and catalysis, and chemical biology. The current topics of materials sector include organic electroluminescent materials and devices, organic field-effect transistor materials and devices, photovoltaic materials and devices. The chemical catalysis and synthesis sector is focusing on the development of new synthetic methodology, drug discovery, carbohydrate chemistry, and the development of new catalytic systems for the generation of renewal energies and green fuels. The chemical biology program has made important advances in the delineation of bio-macromolecular structures and the development of new analytical platforms for disease detection and diagnosis.
Materials Chemistry: Organic Electronic and Optoelectronic Materialsy
Applications of organic optoelectronic materials and molecular engineering of nanomaterials are two major research directions under the materials division. Noticeable results include developments of blue fluorescent molecular materials for high performance organic light-emitting diodes, rational design of field-effective organic memory devices based on pentacene and gold nanoparticles, the very first stable organic thin film transistor based on single crystal of hexacene, rare single-walled metal–organic nanotube (MONT) with a large exterior wall diameter, the applications of metal-organic framework as optoelectronic materials, and a number of high performance materials for efficient solar energy harvesting devices such as dye-sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells, or organic photovoltaics. Researchers in this sector also develop stimuli-responsive materials, core-shell nanomaterials, and biomaterials. A recent report shows that a cell membrane–mimicking conducting polymer is capable to integrate biochemical and electrical stimulation to promote neural cellular behavior with great enhancement of neurite outgrowth on this conducting polymer.
Chemical Catalysis and Synthesis: Green Catalysis and Synthetic Methodology
In response to the increasingly demands of sustainable fuel and green synthetic technology, researchers in the organic synthesis and chemical catalysis divisions have strived to advance the development of cutting-edge technology for chemical transformations. The synthetic chemistry division of this sector focuses on the advances of synthetic methodology and drug discovery. The research topics under catalysis division is reconciling to catalysis relating to renewable energy. Major research directions in this sector include: (1) synthetic methodology: silyl ethers for hydroxy- directed nucleophilic acyl alkylation, microwave-assisted carbohydrate synthesis, smart fluorescent probes for bioorthogonal sugar labeling; (2) coordination chemistry: approaching unconventional catalysis via amino-NHC and carbodicarbene, unconventional porphyrin complexes for small molecule activations, engineering cytochrome P450 BM3 and alkane hydroxylase (AlkB) for alkane oxidations; (3) renewable energy catalysis: catalytic hydrogen evolution and mechanistic studies, encapsulated tricopper cluster for methane to methanol conversion, and novel catalysts for valorization of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks.
Chemical Biology: New Material and Method towards Sustainable Health
Chemical biology division focus on the development of new material and methodology to explore the structure and function of macromolecules associated with cellular function or human diseases. The research activities are directed to unravel the underlying pathological mechanism and to derive new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Research topics in this division cover (1) development of smart biomaterials based on novel molecular principles; (2) chemical probe and advanced techniques in bio-imaging and structural biology; (3) drug discovery in cancer, infectious and neurodegenerative diseases; (4) development of structural biology techniques for infectious diseases, and (5) development of advanced proteomics strategies for biomarker discovery. The major achievements from the chemical biology group include the establishment of multiplexed quantitative strategy for membrane proteomics and post-translational modification for delineating disease mechanism and mining therapeutic targets discovery of amyloid fibrils induced from the TDP-43 in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and development of a photocontrollable probe to induce TDP-43 aggregates in live cells, mapping of the RNA exit channel on transcribing RNA polymerase II by FRET analysis, development of nano velcro chip to capture circulating tumor cells for liquid biopsy, construction of a near-infrared- activatable enzyme platform using an up-conversion nanoparticle to remotely trigger intracellular signal transduction.
導電高分子梯度界面結合 Netrin-1 以促進人類 iPSC 分化之視網膜神經節細胞的軸突引導
Gradient conducting polymer surfaces with netrin-1-conjugation promote axon guidance and neuron transmission of human iPSC-derived retinal ganglion cells
Biomaterials 2025, 313, 22770.
Jia-Wei She, Chia-Mei Young, Shih-Jie Chou, You-Ren Wu, Yu-Ting Lin, Tzu-Yang Huang, Mo-Yuan Shen, Chih-Ying Chen, Yi-Ping Yang, Yueh Chien, Hailemichael Ayalew, Wei-Hao Liao, Yi-Chung Tung, Jing-Jong Shyue, Shih-Hwa Chiou*, Hsiao-hua Yu *
人類誘導多能幹細胞（hiPSCs）在再生醫學領域已取得許多重大進展。然而，將hiPSCs順利融入再生目標組織仍然是個挑戰，特別是視網膜神經節細胞（RGC）相關的修復。在本研究中，我們提出了一種為視網膜再生細胞提供方向性引導的可行方法。首先，我們開發了一種基於導電高分子的梯度界面構建技術，該技術可應用於各種帶官能基的乙烯二氧噻吩（EDOT）單體。利用PDMS製作樹枝狀微流道和特別設計的電化學腔體，生成的濃度梯度流可通過循環伏安法轉化為具官能基密度梯度的PEDOT薄膜。我們利用螢光標記、飛行時間二次離子質譜（TOF-SIMS）和X射線光電子能譜（XPS）分析了成功製備的梯度流和材料表面特性。實驗結果表明，種植於PEDOT上的hiPSC-RGCs在神經突觸生長、軸突引導及神經電生理皆有所改善。我們的新型PEDOT介面可能作為hiPSC技術的一種有潛力的組織工程支架，用於視網膜退化性疾病及視神經病變中RGC的功能性修復。
Major advances have been made in utilizing human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, the delivery and integration of hiPSCs into target tissues remain significant challenges, particularly in the context of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) restoration. In this study, we introduce a promising avenue for providing directional guidance to regenerated cells in the retina. First, we developed a technique for construction of gradient interfaces based on functionalized conductive polymers, which could be applied with various functionalized ehthylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomers. Using a tree-shaped channel encapsulated with a thin PDMS and a specially designed electrochemical chamber, gradient flow generation could be converted into a functionalized-PEDOT gradient film by cyclic voltammetry. The characteristics of the successfully fabricated gradient flow and surface were analyzed using fluorescent labels, time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Remarkably, hiPSC-RGCs seeded on PEDOT exhibited improvements in neurite outgrowth, axon guidance and neuronal electrophysiology measurements. These results suggest that our novel gradient PEDOT may be used with hiPSC-based technologies as a potential biomedical engineering scaffold for functional restoration of RGCs in retinal degenerative diseases and optic neuropathies.