Successful synthesis of a full-azine carbon nanoring

June 9, 2025

Paving the way for supramolecular materials and energy storage materials

An international collaborative research group from the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute, the RIKEN CSRS, and Nagoya University has successfully synthesized an "all-azine nanoring" composed exclusively of azine rings, which are aromatic heterocycles that contain nitrogen atoms. This breakthrough paves the way for the development of advanced supramolecular materials and energy storage systems that leverage the unique properties of azine-based nanorings. It may also significantly contribute to the creation of innovative nanodevices.

Azine rings are widely used in functional molecules, including pharmaceuticals, due to their distinctive electronic characteristics derived from the nitrogen atoms. For many years, chemists have sought to synthesize nanorings made entirely of azine units. However, the strong coordination ability and high reactivity of nitrogen atoms have made such syntheses extremely challenging. In this study, the international team overcame these obstacles by combining state-of-the-art nanoring synthesis techniques with a novel synthetic strategy. As a result, they achieved the world's first successful synthesis of an all-azine nanoring. These azine nanorings structurally resemble segments of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes—materials currently under active investigation for semiconductor applications. Therefore, this achievement is expected to contribute to the development of next-generation nanodevices. Moreover, the synthesized nanorings exhibit reversible electron injection and release behavior, indicating their potential as promising new materials for energy storage applications.

Original article: Nature Communcations　doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59934-5; T. Drennhaus, D. Imoto, E. S. Horst, L. Lezius, H. Shudo, T. Kato, K. Bergander, C. G. Daniliuc, D. Leifert, A. Yagi, A. Studer, K. Itami,; "Cycloparaazine, a full-azine carbon nanoring".
Contact: Kenichiro Itami
Team Director
Expanded Chemical Space Research Team