Selected Publication 

Non-enzymatic Nitrogen Cycle 

1. Copper sulfide mineral performs non-enzymatic anaerobic ammonium oxidation through a hydrazine intermediate, Nature Chemitry, 2024,  DOI 

2. Regulation of the electrocatalytic nitrogen cycle based on sequential proton−electron transfer Nature Catalysis 2022, 5, 798-806, DOI 

3. D. He, H. Ooka, Y. Kim, Y. Li, F. Jin, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura, Atomic-scale evidence for highly selective electrocatalytic N-N coupling on metallic MoS2, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2020, 117, 31631-31638. DOI

4. Y. Li, Y. K. Go, H. Ooka, D. He, F. Jin, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura, Enzyme Mimetic Active Intermediates for Nitrate Reduction in Neutral Aqueous Media, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 9744-9750. DOI

5. D. He, Y. Li, H. Ooka, Y. K. Go, F. Jin, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura, Selective electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite to dinitrogen based on decoupled proton-electron transfer, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 2012-2015. DOI

6. Y. Li, A. Yamaguchi, M. Yamamoto, K. Takai, R. Nakamura, Molybdenum Sulfide: A Bioinspired Electrocatalyst for Dissimilatory Ammonia Synthesis with Geoelectrical Current, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2017, 121, 2154-2164. DOI

Chemical evolution ＆ deep-sea electrochemistry 

7. N. Kitadai, R. Nakamura, M. Yamamoto, S. Okada, W. Takahagi, Y. Nakano, Y. Takahashi, K. Takai, Y. Oono, Thioester synthesis through geoelectrochemical CO2 fixation on Ni sulfides, Commun. Chem., 2021,4,37 DOI

8. J. Lee, A. Yamaguchi, H. Ooka, T. Kazami, M. Miyauchi, N. Kitadai, R. Nakamura, In situ FTIR study of CO2 reduction on inorganic analogues of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 3267-3270. DOI

9. R. Hudson, R. Graaf, M. Rodin, A. Ohno, N. Lane, S. McGlynn, Y. Yamada, R. Nakamura, L. Barge, D. Braun and V. Sojo, CO2 reduction driven by a pH gradient, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2020, 117, 22873-22879. DOI

10. N. Kitadai, R. Nakamura, M. Yamamoto, K. Takai, Y. Li, A. Yamaguchi, A. Gilbert, Y. Ueno, N. Yoshida, Y. Oono, Geoelectrochemical CO production: implications for the autotrophic origin of life, Sci. Adv., 2018;4: eaao7265. DOI

11. H. Ooka, S. McGlynn, R. Nakamura, Electrochemistry at deep-sea hydrothermal vents: utilization of the thermodynamic driving force towards the autotrophic origin of life, ChemElectroChem, 2019, 6, 1316-1323. DOI

12. M. Yamamoto, R. Nakamura, T. Kasaya, H. Kumagai, K. Suzuki, K. Takai, Spontaneous and Widespread Electricity Generation in Natural Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Fields, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 5725-5728. DOI

13. R. Ang, A. Khan, N. Tsujii, K. Takai, R. Nakamura, T. Mori, Thermoelectricity Generation and Electron-Magnon Scattering in a Natural Chalcopyrite Mineral from a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 12909-12913. DOI

14. M. Yamamoto, R. Nakamura, K. Oguri, S. Kawagucci, K. Suzuki, K. Hashimoto, K. Takai, Generation of Electricity and Illumination by an Environmental Fuel Cell in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 10758-10761. (Selected to Research Highlight by Nature) DOI

15. R. Nakamura, T. Takashima, S. Kato, K. Takai, M. Yamamoto, K. Hashimoto, Electrical Current Generation across a Black Smoker Chimney, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 7692-7694. (Selected to Hot Topics in Sustainable Chemistry) DOI

Artificial Photosynthesis 

16. A. Li*, S. Kong, K. Adachi, H. Ooka, K. Fushimi, Q. Jiang, H. Ofuchi, S. Hamamoto, M. Oura, K. Higashi, T. Kaneko, T. Uruga, N. Kawamura, D. Hashizume, R. Nakamura*, Atomically dispersed hexavalent iridium oxide from MnO2 reduction for oxygen evolution catalysis, Science, DOI

17. S. Kong, A. Li*, J. Long, K. Adachi, D. Hashizume, Q. Jiang, K. Fushimi, H. Ooka, J. Xiao*, R. Nakamura*, Acid-stable manganese oxides for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis, Nat. Catal. 7, 2024, 252-261. DOI

18. A. Li, S. Kong, C. Guo, H. Ooka, K. Adachi, D. Hashizume, Q. Jiang, H. Han, J. Xiao, R. Nakamura, Enhancing the Stability of Cobalt Spinel Oxide Towards Sustainable Oxygen Evolution in Acid, Nature Catalysis 2022, 5, 798-806, DOI 

19. A. Li, H. Ooka, N. Bonnet, T. Hayashi, Y. Sun, Q. Jiang, C. Li, H. Han, R. Nakamura, Stable potential windows for long-term electrocatalysis by manganese oxides under acidic conditions, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2019, 58, 5054-5058. DOI

20. K. Jin, H. Seo, T. Hayashi, M. Balamurugan, D. Jeong, Y. K. Go, J. S. Hong, K. H. Cho, H. Kakizaki, N. Bonnet-Mercier, M. G. Kim, S. H. Kim, R. Nakamura, K. T. Nam, Mechanistic investigation of water oxidation catalyzed by uniform, assembled MnO nanoparticles, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 2277-2285. DOI

21. A. Yamaguchi, R. Inuzuka, T. Takashima, T. Hayashi, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Regulating Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer for Efficient Water Splitting by Manganese Oxides at Neutral pH, Nat. Commun., 2014, 5:4256. DOI

22. Y. Zhao, R. Nakamura, K. Kamiya, S. Nakanishi, K. Hashimoto, Nitrogen-doped Carbon Nanomaterials as Non-metal Electrocatalysts for Water Oxidation, Nat. Commun., 2013, 4:2390. DOI

23. T. Takashima, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Inhibition of Charge Disproportionation of MnO2 Electrocatalysts for Efficient Water Oxidation under Neutral Conditions, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 18153-18156. DOI

24. T. Takashima, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Mechanisms of pH-Dependent Activity for Water oxidation to Molecular Oxygen by MnO2 Electrocatalysts, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 1519-1527. DOI

Catalyst theory

25. H. Ooka, Y. Chiba, R. Nakamura, Thermodynamic principle to enhance enzymatic activity using the substrate affinity, Nat. Commun., 2023, 14:4860. DOI

26. H. Ooka, M. E. Wintzer, R. Nakamura, Nonzero Binding Enhances Kinetics of Catalysis: Machine Learning Analysis on the Experimental Hydrogen Binding Energy of Platinum., ACS Catalysis, 2021, DOI

27. H. Ooka, R. Nakamura, Shift of the optimum binding energy at higher rates of catalysis, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2019, 10, 6706-6713. DOI

28. H. Ooka, T. Takashima, A. Yamaguchi, T. Hayashi, R. Nakamura, Element strategy of oxygen evolution electrocatalysis based on in situ spectroelectrochemistry, Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 7149-7161. DOI

29. H. Ooka, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Design strategy of multi-electron transfer catalysts based on a bioinformatic analysis of oxygen evolution and reduction enzymes, Mol. Inf., 2018, 37, 1700139. DOI

ElectroMicrobiology 

30. N. Shono, M. Ito, A. Umezawa, K. Sakata, A. Li, J. Kikuchi, K. Ito*, R. Nakamura*, Tracing and regulating redox homeostasis of model benthic ecosystems for sustainable aquaculture in coastal environments, Front. Microbiol., 13:907703. DOI

31. Y. Ichihashi, Y. Date, A. Shino, T. Shimizu, A. Shibata, K. Kumaishi, F. Funahashi, K. Wakayama, K. Yamazaki, A. Umezawa, T. Sato, M. Kobayashi, M. Kamimura, M. Kusano, F.-S. Che, M. O`Brien, K. Tanoi, M. Hayashi, R. Nakamura, K. Shirasu, J. Kikuchi, and N. Nihei, Multi-omics analysis on an agroecosystem reveals the significant role of organic nitrogen to increase agricultural crop yield, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2020, 117, 14552-14560. DOI

32. S. Kawaichi, T. Yamada, A. Umezawa, S. E. McGlynn, T. Suzuki, N. Dohme, T. Yoshida, Y. Sako, N. Matsushita, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Anodic and cathodic extracellular electron transfer by the filamentous bacterium Ardenticatena maritima 110S, Front. Microbiol., 2018, DOI.

33. T. Ishii, S. Kawaichi, H. Nakagawa, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, From chemolithoautotrophs to electrolithoautotrophs: CO2 fixation by Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria coupled with direct uptake of electrons from solid electron sources, Front. Microbiol., 6:994. DOI

34. A. Okamoto, K. Saito, K. Inoue, K. H. Nealson, K. Hashimoto, R. Nakamura, Uptake of Self-secreted Flavins as Bound Cofactors for Extracellular Electron Transfer in Geobacter Species, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, 1357-1361. (Selected to Inside Cover) DOI

35. A. Okamoto, K. Hashimoto, K. H. Nealson, R. Nakamura, Rate Enhancement of Bacterial Extracellular Electron Transport Involves Bound Flavin Semiquinones, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2013, 110, 7856-7861. (Selected to HighWire Press-hosted articles by PNAS and Key Scientific Article in Global Medial Discovery) DOI

36. 2011S. Shibanuma, R. Nakamura, Y. Hirakawa, K. Hashimoto, K. Ishii, Observation of In Vivo Cytochrome-Based Electron Transport Dynamics using Time-Resolved Evanescent Wave Electroabsorption Spectroscopy, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 50, 9137-9140. DOI

37. R. Nakamura, T. Takashima, S. Kato, K. Takai, M. Yamamoto, K. Hashimoto, Electrical Current Generation across a Black Smoker Chimney, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 7692-7694. (Selected to Hot Topics in Sustainable Chemistry) DOI

38. H. Liu, G. J. Newton, R. Nakamura, K. Hashimoto, S. Nakanishi, Electrochemical Characterization of a Single Electricity-Producing Bacterial Cell of Shewanella by Using Optical Tweezers, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 6596-6599. DOI

39. R. Nakamura, K. Ishii, K. Hashimoto, Electronic Absorption Spectra and Redox Properties of C Type Cytochromes in Living Microbes, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2009, 48, 1606-1608. DOI

40. R. Nakamura, F. Kai, A. Okamoto, G. J. Newton, K. Hashimoto, Self-Constructed Electrically Conductive Bacterial Networks, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2009, 48, 508-511. (Selected to Press released Article) DOI