Chemistry: redefining our view of life

Humans have advanced society by using chemical reactions to produce various useful substances. At the same time, chemical reactions are deeply intertwined with nature, and life is also the result of chains of these reactions. If we could freely control and understand chemical reactions, not only would our lives be enriched, but we would also be able to answer the fundamental question of “What is life?” I am working on developing new chemical reactions using solid catalysts, substances that promote these reactions. I aim to establish methods to control reactions with solid catalysts, not only for industrial processes where they are already used but also for reactions related to living systems, that were previously thought to have little connection to solid catalysts, thereby endowing chemical reactions with a new value based on solid catalysis.

URL

https://research.kyoto-u.ac.jp/documentary/d053/ (in Japanese)