The University of Tokyo · Materials Science
Professor Fuminao Kishimoto's research lab specializes in the development of advanced functional materials and interfacial systems for sustainable energy conversion and catalysis. The lab focuses on manipulating electron transfer processes through external fields—particularly microwave irradiation—enabling remote, selective control of chemical reactions without altering temperature or material composition. Key research directions include microwave-enhanced photocatalysis, nanostructured host-guest systems (e.g., in zeolites, clay, and nanosheets), and the design of artificial photosynthetic systems with tailored energy transfer and Schottky barrier engineering. The lab integrates physical chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology to create efficient, selective, and energy-saving catalytic processes.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Microwave (MW)-driven catalytic systems are attracting attention not only as an aggressive electrification strategy of the chemical industry but also as creating a unique catalytic reaction field that conventional equilibrium heating cannot achieve. This study unlocked direct and selective heating of single alkali metal cations in the pores of aluminosilicate zeolites under MW. Selectively heated Cs<sup>+</sup> cations in FAU zeolite exhibited selective CH<sub>4</sub> combustion performance, tha
The rate of electron transfer is critical in determining the efficiency of photoenergy conversion systems and is controlled by changing the relative energy gap of components, their geometries, or surroundings. However, the rate of electron transfer has not been controlled by the remote input of an external field without changing the geometries or materials of the systems. We demonstrate here that an applied microwave field can enhance the photocatalytic reduction of bipyridinium ion using CdS qu
Green incident light (λ = ∼500 nm) is converted to blue light (λ = 400-450 nm) in air using bulky alkylammonium (DMDOA<sup>+</sup>), 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), and Ru(dmb)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup> (dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) intercalated in a layered clay compound called "montmorillonite" [MMT-DMDOA<sup>+</sup>-DPA-Ru(dmb)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup>]. The two-dimensional interstitial space has an interlayer spacing of a few nanometers. Emitter DPA is present in this interlayer spacin
Interfacial Schottky barriers can impact the catalytic function of Pt on TiO2. Since the electronic structure is characteristic of each material, it may be advantageous to tailor the interfacial Schottky barrier by the addition of adsorbed layers. Here, we show that the Schottky barrier in Pt/TiO2 can be mitigated by the insertion of self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of carboranethiols that possess an oriented dipole moment. A Pt substrate with the SAM on which TiO2 nanoparticles are deposited is
Microwave irradiation has great potential to control chemical reactions remotely, particularly reactions that involve electron transfer. In this study, we found that the reduction reaction of bipyridine derivatives on metal nickel particles was accelerated or decelerated by 2.45 GHz microwaves without an alteration of the reaction temperature. The order of the extent of the microwave acceleration of the electron transfer reaction coincided with the negativity of the redox potential of the bipyri
To imitate the precisely ordered structure of the photoantennas and electron mediators in the natural photosynthesis system, we have constructed the Ru(bpy)<sub>3</sub><sup>2+</sup>-intercalated alternate-layered structure of titanate nanosheets and tungstate nanosheets via thiol-ene click reaction. Before nanosheet stacking, Pt(terpy) was immobilized at the edge of the titanate nanosheets. The visible-light-induced vectorial Z-scheme electron transfer reaction from the valence band of tungstate
Various microwave effects on chemical reactions have been observed, reported and compared to those carried out under conventional heating. These effects are classified into thermal effects, which arise from the temperature rise caused by microwaves, and non-thermal effects, which are attributed to interactions between substances and the oscillating electromagnetic fields of microwaves. However, there have been no direct or intrinsic demonstrations of the non-thermal effects based on physical ins
The current density of water reduction using a commercial Pt disk electrode was enhanced under 2.45 GHz microwave irradiation. The transitional alternation of temperature distribution was explained with a heat-transfer simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics based on the finite element method. Results show that most of the microwave energy was converted into thermal energy at the vicinity of the Pt electrode. A local high-temperature region enhancing the water-reduction reaction was hence formed.
High surface area WO<sub>3</sub> particles with mosaic patterned-structures were obtained under microwave irradiation.
Absorption properties of alternate stacked structures of niobate and tungstate nanosheets were continuously altered by a change of the interlayer distance.
The magnetic properties of n-alkylamine-intercalated ferromagnetic 3d transition metal-doped layered titanates can be manipulated by controlling the interlayer distance. The maximum magnetic moment of Co2+ substituted in layered titanates increases continuously in association with an expansion of the interlayer space. This tendency is more apparent in dilutely doped layered materials. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. S
This study investigated the ammonia decomposition mechanism over Ru/CeO<sub>2</sub>. Isotopic tests using ND<sub>3</sub> revealed that the rate-determining step involves adsorbed nitrogen atoms on Ru. Moreover, an inverse kinetic isotope effect where ND<sub>3</sub> decomposition was faster than NH<sub>3</sub> was clearly observed. The origin of the inverse effect was explained by the lower D coverage on the catalyst surface compared to H coverage for mitigating the inhibition of ND<sub>3</sub> a
Visible-light-induced electron transfer from a tungstate to a titanate layer was demonstrated to be mediated by excited rhodamine B (RhB) intercalated by ion exchange between the two layers. The distance of only 1 nm between the layers provides a large contact area that enables the efficient mediation of electron transfer by RhB.
Here, we have successfully demonstrated the dense integration of aryl radical cations within two-dimensional interlayer nanospace of abundant magnesium aluminosilicate clay minerals via spontaneous intercalation of the arylammoniums into the clays and a subsequent “clay-catalyzed deamination (CCD)” of the intercalated arylammoniums for aryl radical formation. Quantitative radical measurement reveals that every 1-anthrylammonium molecule intercalated into a Saponite clay converts to one 1-dihydra
The arbitrary design of a terminal group of polymers exploits the still-veiled functions of polymers with potential for application in fields such as drug delivery systems, photonics, and energy conversions. Here we demonstrate for the first time that polystyrenes with directly and regioselectively bonded aryl-terminal groups can be obtained via styrene radical polymerization initialized by arbitrary aryl radicals accumulated within the interlayer space of smectite clay minerals, which can be pr
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