Kenso Soai

Research Statement

AI generated · Oct 7, 2026

Kenso Soai’s indexed work centers on asymmetric autocatalysis, a process in which a chiral product catalyzes its own formation, enabling dramatic amplification of enantiomeric excess. His most-cited first-author paper, a 1992 *Chemical Reviews* article on enantioselective addition of organozinc reagents to aldehydes, established foundational catalytic methods, while his 1995 *Nature* paper demonstrated asymmetric autocatalysis and amplification of enantiomeric excess in a chiral molecule, a landmark contribution with over 1,000 citations. Subsequent lead-author studies, including a 1999 *JACS* paper on d- and l-quartz-promoted highly enantioselective synthesis and a 2005 *JACS* paper as senior author on asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by circularly polarized light, extended the concept to abiotic chiral sources, probing the origins of biological homochirality. Beyond his first-author work, Soai contributed to early asymmetric synthesis methods, including a 1979 *JACS* paper on enantioselective addition of alkyllithium and dialkylmagnesium to aldehydes using chiral ligands. His senior-authored 2009 *Science* paper on asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by carbon isotope chirality further demonstrated that minute isotopic imbalances can drive enantioselection. Across these studies, Soai’s research has systematically explored how chirality can emerge and amplify from near-achiral starting points, linking synthetic methodology to fundamental questions about the origin of life.

Most Cited Works

Role of Asymmetric Autocatalysis in the Elucidation of Origins of Homochirality of Organic Compounds

Kenso Soai, Tsuneomi Kawasaki, Arimasa Matsumoto

Symmetry2019

44Citations

Reversal of the sense of enantioselectivity between 1- and 2-aza[6]helicenes used as chiral inducers of asymmetric autocatalysis

Arimasa Matsumoto, Kento Yonemitsu, Hanae Ozaki, Jiří Míšek, Ivo Starý, Irena G Stará, Kenso Soai

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry2017

Research Areas

Asymmetric Synthesis and CatalysisAxial and Atropisomeric Chirality SyntheOrigins and Evolution of LifeAsymmetric Hydrogenation and CatalysisCoordination Chemistry and Organometalli

Affiliations & Education

Education

1970–1979
The University of Tokyo(JP)
Ph.D. (1979), M. Sc. (1976), B. Sc. (1974) · Department of Chemistry

Employment

1981–present· now
Tokyo University of Science(JP)
Professor, Professor Emeritus · Department of Applied Chemistry

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