Dr. Hajime Ito presents From Mechanochemical Organic Synthesis: Recent Developments from Our Group

Date

Tuesday June 24, 2025
11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Location

Chernoff Hall, Room 117
Event Category
Seminar Series

Mechanochemical Organic Synthesis: Recent Developments  from Our Group

 

Hajime Ito

 

Division of Applied Chemistry and Frontier Chemistry Center, Faculty of Engineering, and Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

E-Mail : hajito@eng.hokudai.ac.jp

 

Abstract

Mechanochemical synthesis offers a sustainable alternative to conventional solution-based organic synthesis. By replacing standard glassware with ball mills, this method not only minimizes solvent use but also provides several key advantages: accelerated reaction rates due to high-concentration conditions, compatibility with insoluble compounds, substrate activation through mechanical forces, and improved selectivity and yield. Capitalizing on these benefits, we have demonstrated various applications, including Suzuki coupling with insoluble compounds,1-3 "mechanoredox" reactions using piezoelectric materials,4,5 the mechanochemical synthesis of organometallic compounds such as Grignard reagents,6 heavy Grignard reagents,7 Organolihium reagents,8 and "ultra-fast" one-minute Birch reduction.9 This talk will present our latest research on mechanochemical synthesis, highlighting its transformative potential in advancing organic synthesis.

 

References

  1. Kubota, K.*; Seo, T.; Koide, K.; Hasegawa, Y.; Ito, H.* Nature Commun.2019, 10, 111.
  2. Seo, T.; Toyoshima, N; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 6165–6175.
  3. Seo, T.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 9884–9889.
  4. Kubota, K.*; Pang, Y.; Miura, A.; Ito, H.* Science 2019, 366, 1500–1504.
  5. Pang, Y.; Lee, J. W.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 22570–22576.
  6. Takahashi, R.; Hu, A.; Gao, P.; Gao, Y.; Pang, Y.; Seo, T.; Maeda, S.; Jiang, J.; Takaya, H.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* Nature Commun. 2021, 12, 6691.
  7. Gao, P.; Jiang, J.; Maeda, S.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202207118.
  8. Kondo, K.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* Nature Synth. 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-02500753-3)
  9. Gao, Y.; Kubota, K.*; Ito, H.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202217723.

             

Hajime Ito

 

 

Affiliation

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University,

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

 

Education

1991       B.Sc. Kyoto University

1996     Ph.D. Kyoto University (Ph.D. Advisor: Prof. Yoshihiko Ito)  Professional Career

1996       Assistant Professor, Tsukuba University

1999       Assistant Professor, Institute for Molecular Science

2001       Visiting Researcher, Scripps Research Institute (Advisor: Prof. Kim D. Janda)

2001       Associate Professor at Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University

2010–     Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University

2018– Vice Director at Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hok kaido University

2022–     Distinguished Professor, Hokkaido University 

Other Appointment

2008–2010       JST PRESTO [Photos on Soft Materials], Principal Researcher

2010–2014       JSPS FIRST, Principal Researcher

2019–       JST CREST [Innovative Reactions], Principal Researcher

Awards and Honors

2003       MEIJI SEIKA Research Planning Award

2008       Incentive Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

2011       Hokkaido University President's Award for Research

2014       The Chemical Society of Japan Award for Creative Work

2015       Hokkaido University President's Award for Research 2015       NAGASE Science Technology Foundation Award

2017       SSOCJ Fujifilm Functional Materials Science Award

2022       HSFC Hokkaido Governor's Award

2022       HSFC Hokkaido Governor's Award

2022       The Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ) Award