RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Green Nanocatalysis Research Team
Team Director: Yoichi M. A. Yamada (D.Phar.)
Research Summary

"Can we elucidate the general methodology for the development of highly active and reusable catalysts?" "If we succeed in developing exceptionally active catalysts, will they be capable of promoting hitherto unrealized reactions?" "What reactions might be promoted if catalysts are activated by light and/or microwave?" "Is it possible to develop catalysts that are aligned with the principles of green sustainable chemistry?" Our team is dedicated to addressing these pivotal questions. To achieve this, we will focus on developing self-organizing catalysts composed of polymer ligands and metal species, spatial catalysts that integrate micro/nano space materials with catalytic molecules/clusters, and catalysts activated by electromagnetic waves.
Main Research Fields
- Chemistry
Related Research Fields
- Complex Systems
- Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering
- Engineering
- Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
Keywords
- Polymer-metal catalysts
- Supported catalysts
- Highly active & reusable catalysts
- Green sustainable chemistry
- Photo catalysts
Selected Publications
- 1.
Z. Zhang, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Recent Advancements in Continuous-Flow Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling Utilizing Immobilized Molecular Palladium Complexes"
Chem. Eur. J. 30, e202304335 (2024) (doi.org/10.1002/chem.202304335) (short review) - 2.
Z. Zhang, A. Ohno, H. Takaya, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Continuous-Flow Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling in Water and Organic Solvents Promoted by Blends of Stabilized Convoluted Polymeric Palladium Catalysts and Polymeric Auxiliary Materials"
Chem. Eur. J. 29, e202300494 (2023) (doi.org/10.1002/chem.202300494) - 3.
A. Sen, V. Bukhanko, H. Baek, A. Ohno, A. Muranaka, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Overcoming the Low Reactivity of Aryl Chlorides: Amination via Reusable Polymeric Nickel−Iridium Dual Catalysis under Microwave and Visible Light"
ACS Catal. 13, 12665-12672 (2023) (doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.3c02171) - 4.
K. Motojima, A. Sen, Y. M. A. Yamada, H. Kaneko
"Catalyst Design and Feature Engineering to Improve Selectivity and Reactivity in Two Simultaneous Cross-Coupling Reactions"
J. Chem. Inf. Model. 63, 5764-5772 (2023) (doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01196) - 5.
A. Sen, A. Muranaka, A. Ohno, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Oxygen transfer reaction of haloalkyl amides catalyzed by phenylboronic acid"
Commun. Chem. 6, 29 (2023) (doi.org/10.1038/s42004-023-00842-4) - 6.
H. Baek, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Development of Silicon Nanowire Array–Metal Hybrid Catalysts for Batch and Flow Organic Reactions"
Synlett, 34, 1739-1746 (2023) (doi.org/10.1055/a-2065-4110) (Personal account) - 7.
R. N. Dhital, A. Sen, H. Hu, R. Ishii, T. Sato, Y. Yashiroda, H. Kimura, C. Boone, M. Yoshida, Y. Futamura, H. Hirano, H. Osada, D. Hashizume, Y. Uozumi,* Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Phenylboronic Ester-Activated Aryl Iodide-Selective Buchwald−Hartwig-Type Amination toward Bioactivity Assay"
ACS Omega, 7, 24184-24189 (2022) (doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c01092) - 8.
H. Baek, T. Sato, Y. Uozumi, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Highly Reusable and Active Nanometal-Silicon-Nanowire Array Hybrid Catalysts for Hydrogenation"
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 708-712 (2021) (doi.org/10.1002/ejic.202001006) (In Special Collections: Supported Catalysts) - 9.
A. Sen, T. Sato, A. Ohno, H. Baek, A. Muranaka, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Polymer-Supported-Cobalt-Catalyzed Regioselective Cyclotrimerization of Aryl Alkynes"
JACS Au, 1, 2080-2087 (2021) (doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.1c00360) - 10.
A. Sen, R. N. Dhital, T. Sato, A. Ohno, Y. M. A. Yamada*
"Switching from Biaryl Formation to Amidation with Convoluted Polymeric Nickel Catalysis"
ACS Catal. 10, 14410-14418 (2020) (doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c03888)
Recent Research Results
Jan. 17, 2014
A catalyst with a million uses
Events
- Jun. 23-26, 2025
Thailand-Japan bilateral symposium
Asian Chemical Congress
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Yoichi M. A. Yamada
- Team Director
Core members
- Zhenzhong Zhang
- Research Scientist
- Abhijit Sen
- Research Scientist
- Aya Ohno
- Technical Staff I
- Eman Hassan Elsayed Soliman Soliman
- International Program Associate
- Bosko Vrbica
- International Program Associate
- Kuan-Ju Chen
- International Program Associate
Contact Information
Chemistry and Materials Physics Building
2-1 Hirosawa,
Wako, Saitama
351-0198, Japan
Email: ymayamada [at] riken.jp