Ryōji Noyori

Ryōji Noyori
Born 3 September 1938
Kobe, Japan
Nationality Japan
Fields Chemistry, Asymmetric catalysis
Institutions Harvard University, RIKEN, Nagoya University
Alma mater Kyoto University
Doctoral advisor Elias J. Corey
Notable awards Asahi Prize (1992)
Tetrahedron Prize (1993)
Arthur C. Cope Award (1997)
Nobel Prize for Chemistry (2001)
Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2001)
Lomonosov Gold Medal (2009)

Ryōji Noyori (野依 良治 Noyori Ryōji, born September 3, 1938) is a Japanese chemist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001. Noyori shared half of the prize with William S. Knowles for the study of chirally catalyzed hydrogenations; the second half of the Prize went to K. Barry Sharpless for his study in chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions (Sharpless epoxidation).

Biography

Ryōji Noyori was born in Kobe, Japan. He became fascinated with chemistry at age twelve, after hearing a presentation on nylon. He saw the power of chemistry as being the ability to "produce high value from almost nothing". He was a student at Kyoto University, an instructor in the research group of Hitoshi Nozaki, and an associate professor at Nagoya University. After postdoctoral work with Elias J. Corey at Harvard he returned to Nagoya, becoming a full professor in 1972. He is still based at Nagoya, though he is also now president of RIKEN, a multi-site national research initiative with an annual budget of $800 million. In 2000 Noyori became Honorary Doctor at the University of Rennes 1 where he taught in 1995,[1] and in 2005, he became Honorary Doctor at Technical University of Munich and RWTH Aachen University, Germany.

Research

Noyori believes strongly in the power of catalysis and of green chemistry; in a recent article he argues for the pursuit of "practical elegance in synthesis".[2] In this article he states that "our ability to devise straightforward and practical chemical syntheses is indispensable to the survival of our species." Elsewhere he has said that "Research is for nations and mankind, not for researchers themselves." He encourages scientists to be politically active- "Researchers must spur public opinions and government policies toward constructing the sustainable society in the 21st century."[3]

Noyori is currently a chairman of the Education Rebuilding Council, which was set up by Japan's PM Shinzō Abe after he came to power in 2006.[4]

Noyori is most famous for asymmetric hydrogenation using as catalysts complexes of rhodium and ruthenium, particularly those based on the BINAP ligand. (See Noyori asymmetric hydrogenation) Asymmetric hydrogenation of an alkene in the presence of ((S)-BINAP)Ru(OAc)2 is used for the commercial production of enantiomerically pure (97% ee) naproxen, used as an anti-inflammatory drug. The antibacterial agent levofloxacin is manufactured by asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones in the presence of a Ru(II) BINAP halide complex.

He has also worked on other asymmetric processes. Each year 3000 tonnes (after new expansion) of menthol are produced (in 94% ee) by Takasago International Co., using Noyori's method for isomerisation of allylic amines.[5]

Myrcene Diethylamine Citronellal Zinc bromide MentholMenthol synthesis.png
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More recently he and Jessop have developed an industrial process for the manufacture of N,N-dimethylformamide from hydrogen, dimethylamine and supercritical carbon dioxide in the presence of RuCl2(PMe3)4 as catalyst.[6]

Publications

See also

References

  1. ↑ (French) Ryoji Noyori, honorary doctorate awarded Nobel Price, Rennes1 campus, November–December 2001
  2. ↑ Noyori, Ryoji (2005). "Pursuing practical elegance in chemical synthesis". Chemical Communications (14): 1807. doi:10.1039/B502713F.
  3. ↑ Keynote address, June 23, 2005, at the Second International Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry, Washington DC.
  4. ↑ Abe panel wants kids in class more, plus harsher discipline | The Japan Times Online. Search.japantimes.co.jp (2007-01-20). Retrieved on 2011-06-27.
  5. ↑ Japan: Takasago to Expand L-Menthol Production in Iwata Plant. FlexNews. 10/01/2008
  6. ↑ Walter Leitner; Philip G. Jessop (1999). Chemical synthesis using supercritical fluids. Wiley-VCH. pp. 408–. ISBN 978-3-527-29605-7. Retrieved 27 June 2011.

External links