Prof. Kazunari Yoshizawa | Quantum Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

PHD at Kyoto University, Japan

Kazunari Yoshizawa is the Vice Director of the Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. He earned his PhD from Kyoto University, where he studied under Professors Kenichi Fukui and Tokio Yamabe. Yoshizawa’s career includes roles as a researcher at Nippon Kokan Steel Company, a JSPS Fellow, and a visiting scientist at Cornell University. He has held academic positions at Kyoto University and Kyushu University, where he became Professor Emeritus in 2024. Renowned for his contributions to chemistry, Yoshizawa has received numerous awards and serves as an associate editor for prominent chemistry journals.

Professional Profiles

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Education

1978–1982: Kyoto University (Prof. Kenichi Fukui) 1982–1984: Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University 1989–1992: Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Received a PhD (Prof. Tokio Yamabe)

Professional Career

1984–1988: Researcher at the Central Laboratory, Nippon Kokan Steel Company 1992–1994: JSPS Fellow at Kyoto University and at the Institute for Fundamental Chemistry 1994–1995: Visiting Scientist at Cornell University (Prof. Roald Hoffmann) 1995–1997: Assistant Professor at Kyoto University 1997–2001: Associate Professor at Kyoto University 2001–2024: Professor at Kyushu University 2024-: Professor Emeritus, Kyushu University and Researcher, Kyoto University

Awards and Honors

The Chemical Society of Japan BCSJ Award (8 times) The Chemical Society of Japan Award for Creative Work (2011) Brown & Williamson Distinguished Guest Speaker, Louisville University (2016) The Japan Coordination Chemistry Society Award (2018) The Japan Society for Molecular Science Award (2022) The Chemical Society of Japan Award (2024)

Research Focuse

K. Yoshizawa’s research primarily focuses on theoretical and computational chemistry, with significant contributions to the understanding of chemical reactions and molecular properties using density functional theory (DFT) and other quantum chemical methods. His work encompasses a range of topics, including the mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, quantum transport in molecular wires, and catalytic processes on nanoparticles. Yoshizawa has explored the activation of small molecules, such as methane, and the behavior of complex molecular systems, including carbon nanotubes and conductive polymers. His studies often bridge fundamental chemical theory with practical applications in catalysis and materials science.

Publications

1. Catalytic transformation of dinitrogen into ammonia and hydrazine by iron-dinitrogen complexes bearing pincer ligand, Publication date: 2016.
2. Catalytic reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia by use of molybdenum–nitride complexes bearing a tridentate triphosphine as catalysts, Publication date: 2015.
3. Remarkable catalytic activity of dinitrogen-bridged dimolybdenum complexes bearing NHC-based PCP-pincer ligands toward nitrogen fixation, Publication date: 2017.
4. Interplay between theory and experiment for ammonia synthesis catalyzed by transition metal complexes, Publication date: 2016.
5. Direct transformation of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia catalyzed by cobalt dinitrogen complexes bearing anionic PNP pincer ligands, Publication date: 2016.
6. Direct conversion of methane to methanol by metal-exchanged ZSM-5 zeolite (Metal= Fe, Co, Ni, Cu), Publication date: 2016.
7. Methane selective oxidation to methanol by metal-exchanged zeolites: a review of active sites and their reactivity,Publication date: 2019.
8. Catalytic nitrogen fixation via direct cleavage of nitrogen–nitrogen triple bond of molecular dinitrogen under ambient reaction conditions, Publication date: 2017.
9. Roles of Zeolite Confinement and Cu–O–Cu Angle on the Direct Conversion of Methane to Methanol by [Cu₂(μ-O)]²⁺-Exchanged AEI, CHA, AFX, and MFI Zeolitesm , Publication date: 2017.
10. Phenylamine-functionalized mesoporous silica supported PdAg nanoparticles: a dual heterogeneous catalyst for formic acid/CO 2-mediated chemical hydrogen delivery/storage, Publication date: 2017.