No. 116 July 1, 2018

触媒懇談会ニュース
触媒学会シニア懇談会

故田部先生を偲んで
大阪府立大学大学院 元日本触媒常務取締役 植嶌陸男
平成 30 年 4 月 24 日早朝、北海道大学名とは全くなく、若い研究者には同じ目線で誉教授 田部浩三先生が逝去（満 91 歳）さ接していただける親近感の湧く先生でした。

れたとの訃報を服部英先生から頂き、驚き

そして触媒研究は、それがどれだけ世の中とともに深い悲しみに陥りました。昨年 10に良い結果をもたらすかを常に考えて進め

月先生を訪ねたときは、再会をたいへん喜なさい、また分からないことがあれば共にんでいただき、歓談後に先生ご贔屓の和食考えましょうと励ましてくださる人間味あ

堂で昼食をしたのが最後の会合になろうとふれた方で、世界レベルで学界は言うに及は、未だ信じられない思いです。

ばず産業界の多くの方々とも今もなお親し思えば田部先生は固体触媒とくに酸塩基く交流を重ねておられ、国内外の触媒研究触媒の分野で、固体表面の酸・塩基性質が触の発展に大きく貢献された世界に誇る田部媒反応に及ぼす要因を徹底的に研究され、先生だと確信しております。

1989 年 に は 酸 塩 基 触 媒 国 際 会 議

今年も先生がいつも楽しみにされておら(International Symposium on Acid‐Base

れました有志の会「田部ゼミ」での勉強会のCatalysis)をご自身自から基金を提供し立開催をご相談しようとしておりました折、ち上げられ、今では 4 年に一度国内あるい今となっては叶わぬこととなりました。触は海外で開催される重要な国際会議の一つ媒研究以外に人生論、趣味、時の話題論議なに位置づけられており、固体酸塩基触媒をど時を忘れての熱いお話がもう伺えないと世界にまで広められた偉大な学者です。葬思うと残念でなりません。先生からご教示

儀に際し先生のご逝去を悼み国内外の多くいただきました数々の教訓を生かして進んの著名な触媒研究者から弔電があったことでまいります。田部先生ありがとうございもその証です。

ました、どうか安らかにお眠りください。

先生は自らの研究業績で紫綬褒章・日本化学会賞・触媒学会学会賞ほか種々受賞しておられますが、そのことを自慢されるこ

平成 30 年 5 月

Memorial writing by Dr. Zhongmin LIU
Profoundly saddened to hear the sadnews of the passing away of Professor
Kozo Tanabe, I, in the name of DalianInstitute of Chemical Physics, CAS, and in
my own name, express my deepest
condolences.
Prof. Tanabe was a respected and an
excellent world-class scientist, and he was
the pioneer in the field of acids and bases
catalysis. To date, the catalytic properties
of solid acids and bases which was cameup by Prof. Tanabe is still impacting thedevelopment of the catalysis science. Prof.
Tanabe was a good friend of Chinesepeople. He cared and helped us a lot inboth of scientific research and graduate
students’ education in the past decades.
The death of Professor Kozo Tanabe is agreat loss to the field of catalytic scienceand technology. We are also very sad tolose a close and sincere friend. He will besadly missed.
Zhongmin LIU
Director of Dalian Institute of Chemical
Physics & Qingdao Institute of Bioenergyand Bioprocess Technology

Memorial Writing by Prof. Feng-Shu XIAO and Prof. Xiaoming ZHENG
We were profoundly saddened by thesad news that Tanabe-sensei had passedaway. Please accept our deepest
condolences.
We
had
been
international students in Hokkaido
University in the late of 1980s and in thebeginning of this century Tanabe-sensei
had visited Catalysis Institute of Zhejiang
University. He was always nice andinspiring to us and he was also our greatteacher, advisor and yet good friend in

more than three decades. He brought to us
a lot of precious experiences and goodmemories both in Japan and China.
Tanabe-sensei will forever live in ourhearts.
Feng-Shou XIAO, Professor in Catalysis
Instiute of Zhejiang University
Xiaoming ZHENG, Professor in Catalysis
Institute of Zhejiang UniversityMemorial writing by Dr. Bo-Qing Xu
I was profoundly saddened yesterday by
the sad news of the passing of Tanabesensei. Please accept my deepest
condolences.
Tanabe-sensei had been my beloved
mentor even before I became one of his
international students in January 1986. He
was always nice and inspiring to me,remained to be my great teacher, advisor
and yet good friend in more than threedecades. He brought to me a lot of
precious experiences and good memories,in Japan, China and Europe, which I may
never have without him. I was thinking by
the day before yesterday of visiting him inSapporo after my attending the TOCAT8conference (in Yokohama) in this coming

August. Many pictures and activities ofTanabe-sensei are emerging in my eyesand brain. I hope I could fly to Sapporo topay him my last respects but to obtain aJapanese visa would take as long as tendays in Beijing.
It has been a great treasure for me to be
one of his many international students. I
learnt a lot from Tanabe-sensei and his
team at Hokkaido University for teaching
students and doing scientific research. His
many words will continue to inspire me
throughout my own life. Tanabe-sensei
will forever live in my heart.
Bo-Qing Xu (徐柏庆)Memorial wrinting by Dr. Min Hon Rei (雷敏宏)

Since January with heavy snow incatalytic society of Taiwan. We, mySapporo, I have been worry about healthcolleague in Taiwan, my students andsituation of my respected dear Professor

myself, always remember his kindness,Tanabe and wrote a letter to ask his

profoundsituation, then in the early March I added

particularly

some more words again when spring

consideration and generosity to others.

finally came but I never get around to go

My memory goes back to 1980 in the first
TOCAT Conference in Tokyo where andwhen I first met him and was absorbed
immediately by his kindness andconsideration. After the Confidence, I
invited him, Prof Tamaru and Prof

to post office to send out, now I lost theopportunity forever and will keep the mailfor myself to cherish the 40 years offriendship and the contribution Prof.
Tanabe bestows to me and to us in theknowledge
intheinsolid

catalysis,acid,hisEchigoya to visit Taiwan; Prof. Tamaru
could not come while Prof. Tanabe andProf. Echigoya quickly agree to come. I
was more than happy to be able to invite
him over to Taiwan; while in Taiwan, ProfTanabe and I agreed to have a joint
workshop in Catalysis in Peitou next year.
An acorn is thus planted then and thisstarted the long journey of longcooperation history between the twocountries and hundreds of catalysists inJapan and in Taiwan. Last January in
Kyoto for the 18th Joint workshop on
catalysis, I was very happy and very thrill
to see the happy hours of discussion andtogetherness by the young catalysists ofthe two countries and wished Prof Tanabe
could have been there to witness thegrowing of the giant oak tree we planted
almost 40 years ago. As Prof Tanabe has
walked to his destination, I wish all thecatalysists in the two countries could
continuously work together and build thesincere genuine friendship for many more
40 years to come.
Prof. Tanabe will always live in my heart
and in our colleague in Taiwan.
Min Hon Rei (雷敏宏)

Memorial writing by Dr. Chung-Yuan Mou
We learned the unfortunate newsof Professor Kozo Tanabe leaving us.
On behalf of the Taiwan Catalysis
community, I would like to express
our sincere gratitude and condolence
to Prof. Tanabe’s family andJapanese colleagues.
Professor Tanabe was a greatscientist and a kind mentor to all ofus. His decease surely is a great lossof the catalysis communities. We
shall remember his generosity,friendship, and big heart forever.
Through his efforts of promoting theJapan-Taiwan catalysis exchangeover four decades ago, we now havea treasured relation between thecatalysis communities of Taiwan andJapan. With deepest condolence,
we wish you to convey our sincere
gratitude to Professor Tanabe’scontribution for the promotion ofcatalysis science.
With our deep appreciation andcondolence,
Chung-Yuan Mou

4President, Catalysis Society ofTaiwan
Professor, Department of Chemistry,
National Taiwan University

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Memorial writing by Ben-Zu Wan
Sorrytoknow

thepass-awayofProfessor Tanabe. I am Ben-Zu Wan of
National Taiwan University. Thank youfor taking care of him many years. My

first time to meet Professor Tanabe was in
Texas A&M University in College Stationof Texas. At that time I was a graduate
student for Ph.D. degree in Department ofChemical Engineering under guidance ofProfessor Anthony. It was a small localconference. I presented my research
work of characterization of catalysis
properties of zirconium phosphate in aposter
sessionheldinlate evening.
ProfessorTanabe
accompanied by Professor Lunsford (myprevious advisor in chemistry department)
appeared in front of me. It was apparent
to me that this Lunsford's Japanese friend
had drunk a lot, but he was able tomaintain a clear mind to provide very
good advices. It was interesting because
you know, Lunsford did not drink, neither
initiated talks. I remember one of advices
from Professor Tanabe was that zirconium
phosphate was a useful acid type catalyst
for hydration of ethylene to produce
ethanol in industry. I did not realize thatthe information was very important to me
until two years later, I had an interview fora teaching position in Department ofChemical Engineering of National Taiwan
University. The tough scholar, Professor

Rei, was one of interviewers and asked"Can your catalyst be useful and applied
in industry?" Tanabe's words started
to hit my head "Sure, a Japanese Prof.
Tanabe told me the industrial applicationof zirconium phosphate in ethanol
production." I did not know they weregood friends. Anyway, it was the end ofProf. Rei's questions.
I got theposition. After serving for thirty-one andhalf years, I was retired three months ago.
I met Professor Tanabe many times either
in our (Japan and Taiwan) bilateralmeetings or in some international
meetings in my professorship. My mind
was always occupied by the up-current
researches. When everything almost
passes away, it is still the matter of the firsttime remaining the most fresh.
Thank you Professor Tanabe.
Ben-Zu Wan
Retired Professor, National Taiwan
University, Taiwan.
Secretary in General of Catalysis Societyof Taiwan.

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