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RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team

Team Leader: Ryuhei Nakamura (D.Sc.)

Research Summary

Ryuhei  Nakamura(D.Sc.)

We work on the development of biologically inspired catalysts and their application to energy conversion and production systems. Specifically, we attempt to exploit the nature’s ingenuities of multielectron catalytic reaction, electron/proton transport, metabolic regulation, flexible response to external stimuli, and the robust energy management in a deep sea environment to develop the novel materials and systems necessary to effectively manage renewable energy sources.

For more information, please visit the following link: Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team

Main Research Fields

  • Chemistry

Related Research Fields

  • Environmental Science
  • Complex Systems
  • Biology

Keywords

  • electrocatalyst and catalyst theory
  • enzymatic reaction
  • H2 production by water electrolysis
  • energy conversion at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
  • Environmental diagnosis for marine ecosystems

Selected Publications

  • 1. S. Kong, A. Li, J. Long, K. Adachi, D. Hashizume, Q. Jiang, K. Fushimi, H. Ooka, J. Xiao, R. Nakamura:
    "Acid-stable manganese oxides for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis"
    Nat. Catal., (2024)
  • 2. H. Ooka, Y. Chiba, R. Nakamura:
    "Thermodynamic principle to enhance enzymatic activity using the substrate affinity"
    Nat. Commun., 14:4860(2023)
  • 3. D. He, H. Ooka, Y. Li, Y. Kim, A. Yamaguchi, K. Adachi, D. Hashizume, N. Yoshida, S. Toyoda, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura:
    "Regulation of the electrocatalytic nitrogen cycle based on sequential proton?electron transfer"
    Nat. Catal., 5, 798-806(2022)
  • 4. A. Li, S. Kong, C. Guo, H. Ooka, K. Adachi, D. Hashizume, Q. Jiang, H. Han, J. Xiao, R. Nakamura:
    "Enhancing the stability of cobalt spinel oxide towards sustainable oxygen evolution in acid"
    Nat. Catal., 5, 109-118(2022)
  • 5. H. Ooka, M. E. Wintzer, R. Nakamura:
    "Non-zero binding enhances kinetics of catalysis: machine learning analysis on the experimental hydrogen binding energy of platinum"
    ACS Catal., 11, 6298-6303(2021)
  • 6. D. He, H. Ooka, Y. Kim, Y. Li, F. Jin, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura:
    "Atomic-scale evidence for highly selective electrocatalytic N?N coupling on metallic MoS2"
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 117, 31631-31638(2020)
  • 7. R. Hudson, R.Graaf, M. Rodin, A.Ohno, N. Lane, S. E. McGlynn, Y. M. A. Yamada, R. Nakamura, L. M. Barge, D. Braun, V. Sojo:
    "CO2 reduction driven by a pH gradient"
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 117, 22873-22879(2020)
  • 8. A. Li, H. Ooka, N. Bonnet, T. Hayashi, Y. Sun, Q. Jiang, C. Li, H. Han, R. Nakamura:
    "Stable potential windows for long-term electrocatalysis by manganese oxides under acidic conditions"
    Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 58, 5054-5058(2019)
  • 9. D. He, Y. Li, H. Ooka, Y. K. Go, F. Jin, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura:
    "Selective electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite to dinitrogen based on decoupled proton-electron transfer"
    J. Am. Chem. Soc., 140, 2012-2015(2018)
  • 10. A. Yamaguchi, R. Inuzuka, T. Takashima, T. Hayashi, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura:
    "Regulating proton-coupled electron transfer for efficient water splitting by manganese oxides at neutral pH"
    Nat. Commun., 5:4256(2014)

Recent Research Results

Related Links

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Ryuhei Nakamura
Team Leader

Core members

Yoko Chiba
Senior Scientist
Hideshi Ooka
Research Scientist
Ailong Li
Research Scientist
Taejung Lim
Special Postdoctoral Researcher
Chen Chen
Special Postdoctoral Researcher
Koichi Yatsuzuka
Postdoctoral Researcher
Tomoharu Suda
Postdoctoral Researcher
Aufandra Cakra Wardhana
Postdoctoral Researcher
Nao Tsunematsu
Technical Staff II

Careers

Position Deadline
Seeking a Research Part-time Worker I or II (W23206) Open until filled
Seeking a Technical Staff I or II (W23224) Open until filled
Seeking a few Research Scientists or Postdoctoral Researchers (W22178) Open until filled

Contact Information

S103, Sustainable Resource Science Building,
2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan

Email: ryuhei.nakamura [at] riken.jp

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