Yamaguchi Laboratory

We are conducting research related to catalysts. It is said that “there are catalysts where there are chemical industries”, most of the raw materials are manufactured using catalysts. Catalysts are also used to clean exhaust gas from factories and automobiles. In addition, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and fertilizers are manufactured using catalysts, and therefore our comfortable life can no longer be considered without catalysts. In our laboratory, we are developing highly efficient as well as novel molecular transformations based on “green chemistry”, such as using no harmful reagents, generating as little waste as possible, and enabling catalyst reuse. Catalysts for realizing these reactions are also designed at the atomic and molecular level using our original methods and strategies.

• 2025/12/25
  Dr. Yatabe received The 75th Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ) Award for Young Chemists.
• 2025/12/01
  Our recent research work (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 27238 (2025). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c12043) was highlighted in SYNFACTS (Highlights in Chemical Synthesis).
• 2025/11/27
  The following students received awards at the 15th CSJ Chemistry Festa 2025.
  Mr. Sakai: Best Poster Presentation Award (CSJ Chemistry Festa Award)
  Mr. Sasaki: Poster Presentation Award
  Mr. Isogai: Poster Presentation Award
  Mr. Hirose: Poster Presentation Award
  
• 2025/11/16
  Mr. Haruumi Sakai received "The Poster Award" at The 58th Oxidation Reaction Debate.
• 2025/07/25
  A paper on m-disubstituted arenes synthesis via dehydrogenative aromatization using Au nanopartticle catalysts was published (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 147, 27238 (2025). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c12043) and a press release was issued (press release by the Graduate School of Engineering, The Univ. of Tokyo, JST, and Nikkei). This paper was also featured in Chem-Station Spotlight Research.
• 2025/05/01
  Dr. Kosuke Suzuki has been appointed Professor at the Department of Advanced Materials Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo. He will lead an independent laboratory at the Kashiwa Campus.
• 2025/04/25
  Mr. Kawakami, Mr. Yanai, and Mr. Yamaguchi received the "Student Lecture Award" at The 105th CSJ Annual Meeting (2025).
• 2025/04/21
  Mr. Masahiro Yamaguchi received "Outstanding Poster Award" at Joint symposium of ACS Publications JACS/JACS AU & ERATO Nozaki Project.
• 2025/03/13
  Dr. Xia (Project Assistant Professor) received "Best Poster Presentation Award" at the 16th HOPE Meeting.
• 2025/02/07
  A paper on acceptorless dehydrogenative aromatisation of cyclohexanones using Ni nanoparticle catalysts was published (Nat. Commun., 16, 1118 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56361-4) and a press release was issued (press release by the Graduate School of Engineering, The Univ. of Tokyo, JST, and Nikkei). This paper was also featured in Chem-Station Spotlight Research.
• 2024/12/26
  Mr. Hojo recieved the "Oral Presentation Award" at the 54th Petrol.-Petrochem. Symposium of JPI.
• 2024/12/02
  Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Sekine, Mr. Sakai and Mr. Sasaki received "Excellent Poster Awards" at the 14th CSJ Chemistry Festa 2024.
• 2024/11/17
  Mr. Kenshiro Sekine, Ms. Nozomi Tanaka and Mr. Haruumi Sakai received "The Poster Award" at The 57th Oxidation Reaction Debate.
• 2024/10/21
  Dr. Xia (Project Assistant Professor) received "Best Poster Award" at the 10th IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry (10th ICGC).
• 2024/09/25
  Mr. Tomohiro Hojo received the Student Poster Presentation Award at the 134th CATSJ Meeting.
• 2024/09/19
  Mr Masahiro Yamaguchi received the Student Oral Presentation Award at 74th Conference of Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry.
• 2024/09/07
  Mr. Yamaguchi recieved "Presentation Award" and Mr. Sakai recieved "Poster Presentation Award" at The 44th Summer Seminar of Young Researchers’ Committee, Catalysis Society of Japan.
• 2024/08/01
  Mr. Daiki Yanai won ‘Outstanding poster award’ at the 45th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry.
• 2024/07/03
  Our recent research work on the site-selective sulfurization of polyoxometalates （Chem. Sci., 15, 11267 (2025). DOI: 10.1039/D4SC02912G）was highlighted as ChemSci Pick of the Week.
• 2024/04/23
  Mr. Matsuyama recieved the "Student Lecture Award" at The 104th CSJ Annual Meeting (2024).
• 2024/04/06
  Dr. Yatabe (Research Associate) received IACS 2024 Awards (Young Researcher Support for attending ICC2024).
• 2024/03/26
  Mr. Matsuyama recieved "Student Best Presentation Award", and Mr. Yamaguchi recieved "Student Presentation Award", at The 133th CATSJ Meeting.
• 2024/03/22
  Seven students received awards for their graduation thesis presentations, master's thesis presentations, and doctoral dissertations in 2023.
  Bachelor： Mr. Sakai (Dean of Engineering Award)
  Bachelor： Mr. Watanabe (Presentation Excellence Award)
  Master： Mr. Kimura (Presentation Excellence Award)
  Master： Mr. Yamaguchi (Presentation Excellence Award)
  Master： Mr. Gu (Presentation Excellence Award)
  Master： Ms. Yu (Presentation Excellence Award)
  Doctor：Mr. Koizumi (Fujishima Award)
  
• 2024/03/21
  Dr. Yatabe (Research Associate) received Young Generation's Special Lecture Award at The 104th CSJ Annual Meeting (2024).
• 2024/03/15
  The study on the synthesis and catalysis of silver nanoclusters with exposed surfaces (Nat. Commun., 15, 940 (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01234-w) was introduced in SPring-8 NEWS No. 115.
• 2024/02/06
  A paper on gold nanoparticle catalysts that combine high stability and reactivity in solution was published (Nat. Commun., 15, 851 (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45066-9) and a press release was issued (press release by the Graduate School of Engineering, The Univ. of Tokyo and Nikkei). This paper was also featured in EurekAlert!, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, The Iron and Steel Daily, Science Portal, and Chem-Station Spotlight Research.
• 2024/01/30
  A paper on the development of molecular photocatalysts capable of efficiently and stably generating reactive oxygen species was published (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 146, 4549 (2024). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11394) and a press release was issued (press release by the Graduate School of Engineering, The Univ. of Tokyo and Nikkei). This paper was also featured in MIT Technology Review and Chem-Station Spotlight Research.