Award Winners
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has established the "Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award" since 2004 with the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of chemistry and the chemical industry. In particular, this award is designed to recognize researchers who have made outstanding achievements in catalysis science.
"The 2009 winners will be announced in January 2009"
The winners of the awards are as follows:
* Assignments and positions are those at the time of receipt of awards.
2007 Winners
The Winners of the "Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award"
Zhaomin Hou
Chief Scientist
RIKEN
"Development of Polymerization Reactions Based on New Organo Rare Earth Metal Catalysts"
Gregory C. Fu
Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Coupling Reactions and Asymmetric Synthesis Based on Novel Catalyst Designs"
Dr. Zhaomin Hou has discovered the regio-, stereoselective polymerization and copolymerization of a wide range of olefins and dienes by use of new organo rare earth metal catalysts, thereby opening up the path to new polymer materials.
Dr. Gregory C. Fu developed new designs for chiral catalysts that are based on planar-chiral asymmetry, and he greatly expanded the scope of coupling reactions.
The Winners of the "Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award of Encouragement"
Jun Terao
Assistant Professor
Osaka University
"Carbon Bond Formation Reactions Using Anionic Transition Metal Complexes as the Key Catalytic Intermediates"
Michael C. W. Chan
Assistant Professor
City University of Hong Kong
"Importance of Weak Attractive Polymer-Ligand Interactions in Olefin Polymerization Catalysis"
Dr. Jun Terao has established that anionic olefin transition metal complexes are useful as new catalysts for carbon-carbon bond formation reactions including coupling reactions and addition reactions, thereby opening up a new field in organic synthesis.
Dr. Michael C. W. Chan experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of weak attractive polymer-ligand interactions and their significance in olefin polymerization processes, and thereby presented new guidelines for the design of polymerization catalysts.
2005 Winners
The Winners of the "Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award"
Eric N. Jacobsen
Professor
Harvard University
"General Asymmetric Catalysts for Oxidation, Hydrolysis, and C-C Bond-forming Reactions"
Shu Kobayashi
Professor
The University of Tokyo
"Development of Novel Catalysts Directed toward Environmentally Benign Organic Synthesis"
Dr. Eric N. Jacobsen has formulated several key principles in asymmetric catalysis; these principles can be applied in industrially important target molecules.
Dr. Shu Kobayashi has developed new organic reactions using water as a solvent, by inventing the water-stable Lewis acid, which indicates a new direction for environmentally benign research for processes.
The Winners of the "Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award of Encouragement"
Ryoichi Kuwano
Associate Professor
Kyushu University
"Development of New Asymmetric Catalysis and Transition Metal-Catalyzed Reactions"
Kenichiro Itami
Assistant Professor
Kyoto University
"Removable Directing Group Strategy in Metal Catalysis"
Dr. Ryoichi Kuwano has developed a new chiral phosphine ligand, whose trans-chelation property was essential for the high degree of chirality.
Dr. Kenichiro Itami has developed removable directing groups, particularly in palladium catalyzed reaction and has succeeded in enhancing the efficiency of organic synthesis.
