The
Helping you react with chemical reactions

Issue

5
September2021

HowCatalysts
WorkHow Catalysts WorkAt ICReDD, we are studying how to develop new
chemical reactions efficiently and rapidly. One method
is the study of catalytic reactions. A catalyst isa substance that acts as a "medium" for a chemicalreaction. Catalysts interact with the reacting chemicals
to change the rate of the reaction, but do notundergo a permanent change themselves. Let's get
to know the catalysts around us and learn about
the catalysts we are studying at ICReDD.

mylopectinCatalyst:
amylaseamylose aa

Catalyst:
Photosystem II (PS2)

Honeycomb
structure
COndN2
CO2HC
H2O

NOx

Catalyst:
Three-way catalyst

thylakoid
membrane2High energy state

Reactants
ActivationenergyActivation energy
in the presenceof a catalyst
Products

Progress of reaction

Level

3

Catalysts incorporated into4

Catalyst for automobile muffler
Honeycomb
structureCO

In the body, the actionof digestive enzymes breaks
down carbohydrates intoglucose, proteins into aminoacids, and fats into fatty acids,etc. The enzymes do notchange before or after thedecomposition reaction, but
only facilitate the reaction.
Photosynthesis uses the sun's
energy to produce
carbohydrates and oxygenfrom carbon dioxide and water.
Photosynthesis is not a single
reaction, but consists of many
reactions. It includes a catalytic
reaction that uses light energy
to break down water.

Levelautomobile mufflers

Precious metals such as
platinum, rhodium, andpalladium are artificial
catalysts used inindustrial products.
Three-way catalysts areused to purify exhaustgases from automobiles
and other vehicles
through catalytic
reactions. Other catalysts
are also used to makemany chemical products
from petroleum andother materials.

Catalysts in the human bodyand in plants

Activation

Catalyst:amylasetin

By using a catalyst,
the activation energy
can be lower thanusual.

Naturally occurring catalysts

pec

Relationship between
catalyst and reaction energy

Reaction energy

We learned in the first issue
that in order to break a bond
between atoms of a moleculeand combine it with anotheratom in a chemical reaction,a specific bond in the moleculemust be broken and passthrough a state of high energy.
The energy required to get tothis state is called activationenergy. When a catalyst isused, this activation energy islowered, making it easier forthe reaction to proceed.

Level

A digestive enzyme found insaliva and pancreatic juice
breaks down starch (amyloseand amylopectin).
Chloroplast

ylo1

How catalysts workm

Levelamylose a

Thylakoids

nda

Catalyst:
Photosystem II (PS2)

Photosystem II (PS2), which isembedded in the thylakoid
membrane of chloroplasts, uses
light energy to break down water.

thylakoid
membraneQuiz
A catalyst itself does notchange, but makes it
easier for a reaction toproceed by lowering
the _____.
Send us your answer!
1) Activation energy
2) Pressure3) Sunʼs energy4) Humidity

Research at ICReDD

In ICReDD, we have modeled chemical reactions using the mostadvanced chemical reaction simulation methods in the world. As aresult, we have developed a groundbreaking artificial catalyst that canefficiently synthesize various useful organic compounds from fatty acids. This isimportant because fatty acids are a chemical raw material of biological origin(biomass) that provide an alternative to petroleum. The production of biomass
through photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide, thus it is expected thattransitioning from the use of petroleum-derived raw materials to biomass willcontribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

Challenge
Send us if you find any
catalysts around you.

N2
Metal center

CO2

HC
H2O

NOx
Catalyst:
Three-way catalyst

Three-way catalysts in car mufflers are coated with platinum, rhodium, andpalladium on the surface of honeycomb-shaped ceramics to purify carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides in exhaust gas.

Catalysts
developedby ICReDD

Receptor site

Adjustment site(length)

Chemical structure of fatty acids
Our new catalyst has an adjustable site by which the length of the catalyst can be changed. By changing thislength, it is possible to select a specific carbon-hydrogen bond to undergo the reaction, producing different
organoboron compounds. These compounds can then be further converted into various forms.

Share your answer
on social media!

#ReactWithUs@ICReDDconnectNew ResearchersNEWSGw ee Shu
H ui E unice

Ruben Staub

Clement Fang
Jin K ohMachine Learning for
Chemistry, Active
Learning

Mathematicalmodelling of plant
hormone flow

Polymer Networksand Gels

Selected Publications( from May 2021 to July 2021 )Development of a Simple
Method for Preparing
Luminescent Polymers(K. Kubota, S. Maeda, M. Jin, H. Ito)
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202105381

Computationally Designed
Synthesis of Difluoroglycine
Derivatives from Amines,
Difluorocarbene, and Carbon
DioxideSingle-moleculenanospectroscopy(T. Iwasa, T. Taketsugu)
DOI:10.1126/science.abg8790(H. Hayashi, H. Takano, H. Katsuyama,
Y. Harabuchi, S. Maeda, T. Mita)

A fluorescent metal-ion
detector generated from a‘masked’ tetraketone

Unlocking the Mysteries
Behind the Synthesis of the“Pigments of Life”(Y. Kitagawa, Y. Hasegawa, T. Yoneda,
Y. Ide, Y. Inokuma)(Y. Ide, J. Pirillo, Y. Hijikata, T. Yoneda,Y. Inokuma)

DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202100784

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c06331

DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100812

Symposia ( invited and more)AwardsOutreach・WPI Online Seminar for Educators: ICReDD x I²CNER “Relatable
State-of-the-Art Chemistry” (T. Nakajima)

・Japanese Associationfor Molecular Target
Therapy of Cancer
Excellent Presentation
Award (M. Tsuda)・Monthly news postcards

・RIKEN AIP Open Seminar (I. Takigawa)・Symposium for Reaction Path Search 2021 （T. Komatsuzaki, K. Suzuki,T. Mita）〈Co-organized Symposium〉
・The 33rd Banyu Sapporo Symposium・The 15th Annual Meeting of Japan Society for Molecular
Science 2021

・Quarterly news poster
The CATALYST 4th issue

React With Us!
To stay up to datewith what’s happening at ICReDD,follow us on our social media channels:@ICReDDconnect

Researcher Profile

Ronald LazoReyes

Ronald Lazo Reyes develops new
catalytic reactions at ICReDD, andeverythingstarts

intheglovebox(photo). Reactions are ﬁrst performedin this protective, inert environment
and then they are moved to ambientconditions for further optimization.
He is presently working on the catalytic borylation and transformation ofC–H bonds common in organic molecules (Science 2020, 369, 970–974; J. Am. Chem.
Soc. 2020, 142, 589–597; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019,141, 6817–6821).

Short biography
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor,Institute for Chemical Reaction Design andDevelopment (WPI-ICReDD). BSc Chemistryfrom the University of the Philippines-Diliman (2007). MSc Chemistry from the Ateneode Manila University, Philippines (2012).
PhD from Faculty of Science, Hokkaido
University in 2018. Postdoctoral Researcher
at HU in 2018, then, at ICReDD in2019 – 2020. Current position since 2020.
He works mainly on the strategic functionalization of C – H bonds allowing the preparation of molecules with three-dimensional
structural diversity. Inspired by theefficiency of enzymes in enabling suchchallenging transformations, his ultimate
dream is to create highly competentsynthetic catalysts that can facilitate similar
reactivities in a sustainable, green, andatom-economical manner.

About ICReDD
The development of new chemical reactions is intrinsically entangledwith the prosperity of humanity and the preservation of the environment. A
recent example of such transformative chemical reactions with profound
impact is cross-coupling reactions, the discovery of which was awarded
with the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These reactions are used toproduce approximately 20% of all medicinal reagents, and almost all liquid
crystalline and organic electroluminescent materials. The industrial use of
these chemical reactions contributes ~60 trillion yen per annum to theglobal economy. The development of new chemical reactions thus significantly affects the evolution of society.
ICReDD is the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery, aWPI center at Hokkaido University where researchers from different
disciplines combine their strengths to take full control over chemicalreactions. The institute was born out of the realization that the purposefuldesign of chemical reactions requires cross-sectional collaborations at
every step. Working on such a fundamental natural process, quantum-chemical computations, information technology, modern experimental techniques, and the development of advanced materials can no longer
be separate fields if we want to achieve significant breakthroughs. Rather,
they have to become part of a diverse toolbox for truly integrated
research.

The Catalyst is inspired by catalysts used in chemistry to bring molecules
together, to reduce reaction barriers, and to activate molecules—to make reactions
happen faster. In this spirit, this poster series should enable its readers to make theconnection between chemical reactions and the wellbeing of our society, and to look at
the world in a new way, seeing how chemical reactions and chemistry shape the world
around them. And if we can take this opportunity to introduce ourselves, too, this may
also catalyze new friendships and opportunities. #ReactWithUs

Photographed before the pandemic

Published in September 2021
Published by theInstitute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD)
Hokkaido University
North 21, West 10, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0021 Japan
Telephone: + 81-11-706 -9646 (Public Relations)
Email address: public_relations@icredd.hokudai.ac.jp

https://www.icredd.hokudai.ac.jp/
Social media: @ICReDDconnect