Yumiko Nakajima | Chemistry | Best Research Article Award Published on 08/10/202508/10/2025 by Shen Awards Prof. Yumiko Nakajima | Chemistry | Best Research Article Award Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan Professor Yumiko Nakajima is a distinguished chemist and a leading figure in the field of organometallic catalysis and precision synthesis, currently serving as Professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo. She earned both her Bachelor of Science (2000) and Ph.D. (2005) from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, establishing a strong academic foundation in coordination and catalytic chemistry. Her professional journey reflects an impressive trajectory through top-tier institutions — beginning as a Postdoctoral Fellow (Humboldt Fellow) at RWTH Aachen University, Germany (2005–2007), followed by appointments as Special Postdoctoral Researcher at RIKEN (2007–2008), Assistant Professor at Kyoto University (2008–2013), and progressive leadership roles at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) as Senior Researcher (2013–2017) and Team Leader (2017–2023) before assuming her current professorship in 2024. Her research interests lie in the design and mechanistic understanding of transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, sustainable synthetic processes, and chemical recycling, with a particular focus on Si–Cl bond activation, hydrogenolysis, and phosphorus compound transformation for green chemistry applications. Prof. Nakajima’s research skills span catalyst design, organometallic synthesis, reaction kinetics, and computational chemistry collaboration, enabling her to pioneer innovative catalytic systems that promote environmental sustainability. She has published extensively with 88 peer-reviewed papers, accumulating 2,503 citations and an h-index of 27, including influential works in JACS Au, Angewandte Chemie, ACS Catalysis, and Chemical Communications. Her outstanding contributions have earned her prestigious honors such as the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award (Japan, 2024) and the KCS Award in Chemical Technology (2022). In conclusion, Professor Nakajima stands out as a visionary scientist whose research leadership, international collaborations, and commitment to advancing sustainable catalysis continue to shape the future of chemical innovation and inspire the next generation of researchers globally. Profiles: Scopus | ORCID Featured Publications Naganawa, Y., Fujita, A., Sakamoto, K., Tanaka, S., Sato, K., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). Borane-protecting strategy for hydrosilylation of phosphorus-containing olefins. ACS Omega, 8, Article e2C07161. Minami, Y., Matsuyama, N., Takeichi, Y., Watanabe, R., Mathew, S., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). Depolymerization of robust polyetheretherketone to regenerate monomer units using sulfur reagents. Communications Chemistry, 6(1), Article 8148. Mathew, S., Naganawa, Y., Jiang, F., Wischert, R., Streiff, S., Metivier, P., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). One-pot synthesis of polymers containing P–C bonds in the main chain. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 44(6), Article 2200921. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202200921 Kameo, H., Tanaka, Y., Shimoyama, Y., Izumi, D., Matsuzaka, H., Nakajima, Y., Lavedan, P., Le Gac, A., & Bourissou, D. (2023). Square-planar anionic Pt(0) complexes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 62(25), Article e202301509. Tanaka, S., Nakajima, Y., Ogawa, A., Kuragano, T., Kon, Y., Tamura, M., Sato, K., & Coperet, C. (2022). DNP NMR spectroscopy enabled direct characterization of polystyrene-supported catalyst species for synthesis of glycidyl esters by transesterification. Chemical Science, 13(10), 274–282. Professor Yumiko Nakajima’s pioneering research in organometallic catalysis and precision synthesis drives transformative advancements in green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing. Her innovative catalytic systems not only deepen scientific understanding of chemical transformations but also contribute to environmental preservation, industrial efficiency, and global progress toward cleaner, resource-efficient technologies.
Professor Yumiko Nakajima is a distinguished chemist and a leading figure in the field of organometallic catalysis and precision synthesis, currently serving as Professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo. She earned both her Bachelor of Science (2000) and Ph.D. (2005) from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, establishing a strong academic foundation in coordination and catalytic chemistry. Her professional journey reflects an impressive trajectory through top-tier institutions — beginning as a Postdoctoral Fellow (Humboldt Fellow) at RWTH Aachen University, Germany (2005–2007), followed by appointments as Special Postdoctoral Researcher at RIKEN (2007–2008), Assistant Professor at Kyoto University (2008–2013), and progressive leadership roles at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) as Senior Researcher (2013–2017) and Team Leader (2017–2023) before assuming her current professorship in 2024. Her research interests lie in the design and mechanistic understanding of transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, sustainable synthetic processes, and chemical recycling, with a particular focus on Si–Cl bond activation, hydrogenolysis, and phosphorus compound transformation for green chemistry applications. Prof. Nakajima’s research skills span catalyst design, organometallic synthesis, reaction kinetics, and computational chemistry collaboration, enabling her to pioneer innovative catalytic systems that promote environmental sustainability. She has published extensively with 88 peer-reviewed papers, accumulating 2,503 citations and an h-index of 27, including influential works in JACS Au, Angewandte Chemie, ACS Catalysis, and Chemical Communications. Her outstanding contributions have earned her prestigious honors such as the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award (Japan, 2024) and the KCS Award in Chemical Technology (2022). In conclusion, Professor Nakajima stands out as a visionary scientist whose research leadership, international collaborations, and commitment to advancing sustainable catalysis continue to shape the future of chemical innovation and inspire the next generation of researchers globally. Profiles: Scopus | ORCID Featured Publications Naganawa, Y., Fujita, A., Sakamoto, K., Tanaka, S., Sato, K., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). Borane-protecting strategy for hydrosilylation of phosphorus-containing olefins. ACS Omega, 8, Article e2C07161. Minami, Y., Matsuyama, N., Takeichi, Y., Watanabe, R., Mathew, S., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). Depolymerization of robust polyetheretherketone to regenerate monomer units using sulfur reagents. Communications Chemistry, 6(1), Article 8148. Mathew, S., Naganawa, Y., Jiang, F., Wischert, R., Streiff, S., Metivier, P., & Nakajima, Y. (2023). One-pot synthesis of polymers containing P–C bonds in the main chain. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 44(6), Article 2200921. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202200921 Kameo, H., Tanaka, Y., Shimoyama, Y., Izumi, D., Matsuzaka, H., Nakajima, Y., Lavedan, P., Le Gac, A., & Bourissou, D. (2023). Square-planar anionic Pt(0) complexes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 62(25), Article e202301509. Tanaka, S., Nakajima, Y., Ogawa, A., Kuragano, T., Kon, Y., Tamura, M., Sato, K., & Coperet, C. (2022). DNP NMR spectroscopy enabled direct characterization of polystyrene-supported catalyst species for synthesis of glycidyl esters by transesterification. Chemical Science, 13(10), 274–282. Professor Yumiko Nakajima’s pioneering research in organometallic catalysis and precision synthesis drives transformative advancements in green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing. Her innovative catalytic systems not only deepen scientific understanding of chemical transformations but also contribute to environmental preservation, industrial efficiency, and global progress toward cleaner, resource-efficient technologies.
Professor Yumiko Nakajima’s pioneering research in organometallic catalysis and precision synthesis drives transformative advancements in green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing. Her innovative catalytic systems not only deepen scientific understanding of chemical transformations but also contribute to environmental preservation, industrial efficiency, and global progress toward cleaner, resource-efficient technologies.