Norito Takenaka

Norito Takenaka is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, focusing on asymmetric catalysis and natural product synthesis. His research emphasizes the development of novel organocatalysts, particularly helical-chiral and biisoquinoline N-oxide derivatives, for stereoselective reactions involving silicon reagents.

Key research areas include:

• Organocatalysis and hydrogen-bonding mechanisms
• Chiral catalyst design (e.g., azahelicene-derived N-heterocyclic carbenes)
• Enantioselective propargylation, allenylation, and hydrosilylation reactions
• Computational modeling of stereoselectivity in catalytic processes

Recent work explores sulfoxides as chiral auxiliaries and kinetic resolution of diols. His publications highlight interdisciplinary trends in organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, and silicon-based reagents. Contact: ntakenaka@fit.edu, F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building 220, Florida Tech.