Graduate school students of the YU School of Chemical Engineering Organic Materials Synthesis Lab (Advisor Lee Yong-rok) made news by publishing eight papers over the past six months one after the other in prominent international journals (impact factor=5 or higher, within top 10%). Some were selected as VIP papers and cover papers for the corresponding journals, while another won the excellent poster award for the Korean Society of Organic Synthesis, thus being recognized research experience.
Adviser Lee Yong-rok (59) is a prominent figure in the organic synthesis sector. Great minds from India, Nepal, Philippines, China and Pakistan are currently studying at Professor Lee’s research lab. The graduate school students who received guidance by Professor Lee are developing new organic reactions and are engaged in research for developing pharmaceutical products and electronic materials by synthesizing new materials through the developed reactions.
Starting with Thombal Raju Sitaram (28, PhD course) from India publishing his research results on ‘New Type of Physiological Active Substance Pyrazole Derivative Synthesis’ in the US chemical journal, ‘Organic Letters’ (Impact factor= 6.492, top 3.51%) in July, Tej Narayan Poudel (37, PhD earned in February 2016) published a paper titled ‘OLED development carbazole derivative synthesis’ and Shrestha Rajeev (29, currently in combined master’s and PhD course) published the research results of ‘Fluorescent Sensor Development New Xanthone Derivative Synthesis’ in Organic Letters.
Recently, Maezono Shizuka Mei (27) from the Philippines currently in the combined master’s and PhD program published the research results on the ‘Development of a New Synthesis Method for Aromatic Pyridine Rings with Various Function Groups’ and Gamma-Pyrone Synthesis of Various Types Using Indium Catalysts’ in the British chemical journal ‘Organic Chemistry Frontiers’ (IF= 5.455, top 7.02%). In particular, the new material gamma-pyrone researched by Miss Maezono exhibited stronger sun cream effects compared to materials used in the past and therefore, it was recognized for the research excellence, thus being selected as the cover paper of the journal (photo of cover on the right).
Two papers were also published in the SCI academic journal ‘Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis’(IF= 5.123, top 2.82%) published by the world-acclaimed publisher Wiley. The research on ‘Alpha-halogenation Reaction Using Diazo Compounds’ performed by Khanal Hari Datta (38, PhD earned in August 2017) and the research results on ‘4-Pyrone Synthesis Using Diazo Compounds’ conducted by Park Ga-eul (24, earned master’s in February 2018) were published. The paper by Dr. Khanal Hari Datta was selected as the VIP (Very Important Paper) and cover paper (photo of cover on left) in the respective journal.
Also, the research results of ‘Process for Manufacturing Various Types of Amine through Development of New Metal Catalysts’ performed by Mishra Kanchan (38, PhD earned in February 2018) was published in the online version of ChemSusChem, IF= 7.411, top 6.06%).
Their advisor, Professor Lee Yong-rok said, “The new materials published through research exhibited high strength against UV blocking, fluorescents, anti-oxidizing, and anti-bacteria, and so it has utilization value for sun cream, fluorescent sensors, and pharmaceutical products.”
Meanwhile, this research was conducted as part of the Ministry of Education’s BK21 Plus project, College Hub Research Center Support Project, the National Research Foundation’s Platform Technology Development Project and Middle-grade Researcher Support Project.
