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Short Biography

Takahiro Matsumoto received his Ph.D at Kanazawa University (Supervisor: Prof. Masatatsu Suzuki) in 2007. After a post-doctoral fellow from 2007 at Kyushu University (Prof. Seiji Ogo), he was made Assistant Professor in 2009, and Associate Professor in 2014 at Kyushu University (Prof. Seiji Ogo). He received young scientists’ awards; the Young Scientists’ Prize, Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry (2016) and the Young Scientists’ Prize, Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2018). His research interest focuses on homogeneous organometallic catalysts made by the established design principle "organometallic smart design" to do active small molecules such as dioxygen, dihydrogen, methane, benzene, and so on. Homogeneous molecular catalysts, which have been synthesized as models for Cu-containing tyrosinase and oxygen-tolerant [NiFe]hydrogenase, are capable of activating dioxygen and dihydrogen gases. The tyrosinase-inspired dinuclear copper-oxygen complex hydroxylates arene ring, epoxidizes styrene, and oxidizes hydrocarbon C-H bonds. The organometallic models for the oxygen-tolerant [NiFe]hydrogenase, as known for acting as hydrogenase and oxidase, have been applied to anode and cathode catalysts of hydrogen fuel cell. From 2017, he particularly focuses on aerobic transformation of methane and benzene by homogeneous organometallic catalysts with light energy input. The exited state is able to activate methane and benzene to methanol and phenol, respectively, wherein the reaction mechanisms are supported by experimental results and quantum chemical calculations. In recent years, he strongly hope to create innovative chemical reaction to solve environmental problems as a scientist, and hence deals with biomass like lignin and chitin.

Historical reviews: Matsumoto, Takahiro.* Smart Design of Organometallic Catalysts to Induce Innovative Material Transformations. J. Jpn. Petrol. Inst. 2022, 65(4), 134–139.

In Japanese: Matsumoto, Takahiro.* Organometallic Smart Design of “Metal × Ligand” Creates Innovative Material Transformations. Bull. Jpn. Soc. Coord. Chem. 2021, 78, 55–58.