Kenichiro Itami
Principal Investigator, Professor
Website：http://synth.chem.nagoya-u.ac.jp/wordpress/?lang=en
E-mail：itami[at]chem.nagoya-u.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with @ when sending an email.)
Organic synthesis, catalysis, molecule activation, pharmaceuticals, organic materials
Itami will be one of the PIs in ITbM and thus will actively collaborate with all PIs, playing a key role in synthesizing molecules using our catalysts. His research group has developed a number of unique and highly efficient molecular catalysts for C-H coupling, an ideal approach to rapidly increase molecular complexity in organic synthesis. His synthesis-oriented catalyst development campaign has provided opportunities for markedly different connection/disconnection strategies in the construction of useful organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals, natural products, and new enzyme inhibitors.
Profile
| 1994 | B.S.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry) |
| 1996 | M.S.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry & Biological Chemistry) |
| 1998 | Dr. Eng.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry & Biological Chemistry) |
| 1998-2005 | Assistant Professor; Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University |
| 2005-2007 | Associate Professor; Research Center for Materials Science, Nagoya University |
| 2005-2008 | JST PRESTO Researcher |
| 2008-present | Professor; Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University |
| 2013-present | Director, Professor; WPI-ITbM, Nagoya University |
| 2013-present | Director; JST ERATO Itami Molecular Nanocarbons Project |
| 2019-present | Joint Appointment Research Fellow, Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan |
Research Highlights
- A Milestone in the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes
- The Fourth Nanocarbon: Warped Nanographene
- Environmentally Friendly Coupling Reaction
- A novel "Kabuto-like" nickel catalyst forms bioactive frameworks from low-cost phenol derivatives
- Chemists uncover new role of a key base in organic synthesis
- Selective Functionalization Synthesizes Chemotherapeutic Natural Products
- Chromium-Centered Cycloparaphenylene Rings as New Tools for Making Functionalized Nanocarbons
- Programmed Synthesis towards Multi-substituted Benzene Derivatives
- A Rapid Extension of Nanographene Sheets from Readily Available Hydrocarbons
- 'Para-shooting' boron on benzene rings
- Small molecules change biological clock rhythm
- Aromatic couple makes new chemical bonds
- AMOR, a love potion for plant fertilization
- "Helix-to-Tube", a simple strategy to synthesize covalent organic nanotubes
- One-pot synthesis towards sulfur-based organic semiconductors
- At Last: Beautiful, consistent carbon belts
- Shining rings: A new material emits white light when exposed to electricity
- More mouths can be fed by boosting number of plant pores
- "Zipping-up" rings to make nanographenes
- Flexible warped nanographene developed for bioimaging
- Scientists control molecular alignment on a graphene surface
- Making carbon nanosheets from carbon nanorings inside a beaker
- Thermal radiation from red-hot carbon nanotubes
Selected Awards and Honors
| 2018 | Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher |
| 2018 | Netherlands Scholar Award for Supra-molecular Chemistry |
| 2018 | Guthikonda Lectureship in Organic Chemistry 2018 |
| 2018 | Rowland Pettit Centennial Visiting Professorship |
| 2017 | 35th Academic Award, Chemical Society of Japan |
| 2017 | Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher |
| 2017 | Chunichi Cultural Award, Chunichi Shimbun |
| 2017 | 23rd Yomiuri Techno Forum Gold Medal Prize, Yomiuri Techno Forum |
| 2016 | Nagase Prize, Frontier Salon Foundation |
| 2016 | Ta-shue Chou Lectureship, Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan |
| 2015 | R. C. Fuson Visiting Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| 2015 | Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, American Chemical Society |
| 2015 | Swiss Chemical Society Lectureship Award |
| 2014 | Nankai University Lectureship Award |
| 2014 | The Aldrich Lectureship Award |
| 2014 | JSPS Prize, Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences |
| 2013 | Novartis Chemistry Lectureship Award |
| 2013 | Mukaiyama Award |
| 2013 | Asian Rising Star Award, Asian Chemical Congress |
| 2012 | Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK |
| 2012 | German Innovation Award "GottFried Wagener Prize" |
| 2012 | Novartis-MIT Lectureship Award, MIT, USA |
| 2011 | Overseas Distinguished Professor, Wuhan University, China |
| 2011 | ACP Lectureship Award, China |
| 2011 | ACP Lectureship Award, Malaysia |
| 2011 | Nozoe Memorial Award for Young Organic Chemists |
Selected Publications
- Segawa, Y.; Kuwayama, M.; Hijikata, Y.; Fushimi, M.; Nishihara, T.; Pirillo, J.; Shirasaki, J.; Kubota, N.; Itami, K. Science2019, 365, 272-276. Topological molecular nanocarbons: all-benzene catenane and trefoil knot. DOI: 10.1126/science.aav5021
- Koga, Y.; Kaneda, T.; Saito, Y.; Murakami, K.; Itami, K. Science 2018, 359, 435-439. Synthesis of partially and fully fused polyaromatics by annulative chlorophenylene dimerization. DOI: 10.1126/science.aap9801
- Povie, G.; Segawa, Y.; Nishihara, T.; Miyauchi, Y.; Itami, K. Science 2017, 356, 172-175. Synthesis of a carbon nanobelt. DOI: DOI: 10.1126/science.aam8158
- Segawa, Y.; Ito, H.; Itami, K. Nature Rev. Mat. 2016, 1, 15002. Structurally uniform and atomically precise carbon nanostructures. DOI: DOI: 10.1038/natrevmats.2015.2
- Oshima, T.; Yamanaka, I.; Kumar, A.; Yamaguchi, J.; Nishiwaki-Ohkawa, T.; Muto, K.; Kawamura, R.; Hirota, T.; Yagita, K.; Irle, S.; Kay, S. A.; Yoshimura, T.; Itami, K. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 7193-7197. C-H Activation generates period-shortening molecules that target Cryptochrome in the mammalian circadian clock. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201502942
- Ozaki, K.; Kawasumi, K.; Shibata, M.; Ito, H.; Itami, K. Nature Commun. 2015, 54, 7193-7197. C-H Activation generates period-shortening molecules that target Cryptochrome in the mammalian circadian clock. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7251
- Kawasumi, K.; Zhang Q.; Segawa Y.; Scott L. T.; Itami, K. Nature Chem.2013, 5, 739-744. A grossly warped nanographene and the consequences of multiple odd-membered-ring defects. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1704
- Omachi, H.; Nakayama, T.; Takahashi, E.; Segawa, Y.; Itami, K. Nature Chem. 2013, 5, 572-576. Initiation of carbon nanotube growth by well-defined carbon nanoringsDOI: 10.1038/nchem.1655
- Takaba, H.; Omachi, H.; Yamamoto, Y.; Bouffard, J.; Itami, K. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 6112-6116. Selective synthesis of [12]cycloparaphenylene. DOI: DOI: 10.1002/anie.200902617
- Members
- Yoshimura Group
- Yamaguchi Group
- Bode Group
- Crudden Group
- Frommer Group
- Itami Group
- Kamikouchi Group
- Hirota Group (collaborating with Kay)
- Kinoshita Group
- Ooi Group
- Tama Group
- Shimotohno Group (collaborating with Torii)
- Tsuchiya Group
- Yanai Group
- Laohavisit Group
- Mizuta Group
- Phung Group
- Kurihara Group
- Molecular Structure Center
- Live Imaging Center
- Chemical Library Center
- Peptide Protein Center
- Administrative Department
- Affiliated Researchers