DATE2024.01.25 #Awards & Prizes

Assistant Professor Taku Kitanosono Received the Incentive Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan 2023

Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.

Assistant Professor
Taku Kitanosono

Dr. Taku Kitanosono, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry, has received the prestigious Incentive Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan, awarded in 2023, from the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan. His award-winning work, titled "Development of Specific Synthetic Organic Reactions in Water," recognizes outstanding research or inventions in the field by young researchers.

Many organic solvents commonly used in reactions pose dangers to both the environment and human health. Replacing them with water, a safe and readily available solvent, holds great promise for achieving sustainable organic synthesis. However, water presents its own challenges, as many organic compounds are simply insoluble in it. This absence of the typical organic solvent environment becomes a major hurdle for conventional synthesis techniques. Fortunately, this very limitation also opens the door to exploring unique approaches to organic synthesis specific to water, harnessing its distinct properties. Dr. Kitanosono has ingeniously designed a reaction field that bypasses the need for solubilization of reactants, unlocking unique reactivity and selectivity not achievable in traditional organic solvents. By developing a series of such novel water-based reactions, Dr. Kitanosono has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of synthetic organic chemistry in water, pushing the boundaries beyond what conventional organic chemistry can explain. This remarkable work has garnered widespread acclaim both within Japan and internationally.

I would like to congratulate Dr. Kitanosono on receiving this award and wish him continued success in the future.

Incentive Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan (The article is written in Japanese.)
https://www.ssocj.jp/award/encouragement/

(Responsibility: Professor Shu Kobayashi, Department of Chemistry)