LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Hara-Ishikawa Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab creates catalysts based on new concepts from inorganic and metallic materials, aiming to contribute to a sustainable society.
AboutAbout the lab
Creating catalysts based on new concepts from inorganic and metallic materials
The Hara-Ishikawa Lab specializes in materials, surfaces, chemistry, and catalysis, and conducts research targeting energy, the environment, and carbon dioxide reduction.
To obtain energy and chemical resources for modern society, it is essential to reduce energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and costs.
To cut these as far as possible, the lab uses new scientific principles and technologies to create catalysts based on new concepts from inorganic and metallic materials.
The lab has reported an iron catalyst that synthesizes ammonia at low temperatures and a catalyst that produces useful chemicals from biomass, among others.
Key terms
- Catalyst
- A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being changed itself
- Ammonia
- A compound made from nitrogen and hydrogen. It is a raw material for fertilizers that are essential for crops
- Base metal
- Familiar metals that rust easily, such as iron and copper, as opposed to noble metals such as gold and platinum
NewsLab news
Successfully developed a "new reversal catalyst" that surpasses previous ones
Showed that iron is the metal with the highest ammonia synthesis ability
Obtained an estimate that the reversal catalyst can cut energy consumption in ammonia production by more than half
ResearchResearch themes
The lab believes it is difficult to break through the current limits by simply extending conventional materials research and development. It aims to contribute to a sustainable society by creating materials based on new concepts from inorganic and metallic materials.
*Illustrative imageInnovative catalysts from mesoscale particles
The lab focuses on mesoscale particles, larger than several tens of nanometers, made of inexpensive and abundant metals such as iron. By precisely designing their surfaces, enhancing the electronic effect that promotes the reaction, and preventing the particles from sticking together and losing performance at high temperatures, the lab aims to develop catalysts that are highly productive even under environmentally friendly conditions.
*Illustrative imageReversal catalyst
This is a new iron catalyst concept created to break through the limits of catalyst performance. It synthesizes ammonia more than three times faster than the best-performing catalysts to date, and can do so even at a low temperature of 50°C.
*Illustrative imageUnlocked base metal catalysts
This research began with the question of whether the true power of base metals has been underestimated. The lab believes that by tuning the crystal system, particles, and surfaces to bring out their inherent ability, base metals can synthesize only the target substance with performance surpassing that of noble metals.
*Illustrative imageFrom phenol to aniline
Aniline is an indispensable resource for drugs, agrochemicals, dyes, rubber, and plastics, but it can currently be made only from petroleum. If it could be synthesized from phenol, it could be obtained sustainably from biomass, so the lab has created a new catalyst that takes on the difficult challenge of converting the hydroxyl group on an aromatic ring into an amino group.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Hara-Ishikawa Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, secretaries, research assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMichikazu HaraPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorIshikawa SatoshiPublications ↗
- Project Associate ProfessorMasashi HattoriPublications ↗
- Project Assistant ProfessorYuan JingPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
On a 4-point scale, ● marks where students' answers fall
Who is this lab for?
What's great about this lab?
What did you learn after joining?
What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
Where do graduates go?
RelatedLabs similar to Hara-Ishikawa Lab
Kamata LabSchool of Materials and Chemical Technology, Department of Materials Science and EngineeringCatalytic materials, reaction development, nanoparticles, me…
Kitano LabSchool of Materials and Chemical Technology, Department of Materials Science and EngineeringElectride catalysts, ammonia synthesis, hydrogen energy, ino…
Nabae LabSchool of Materials and Chemical Technology, Department of Materials Science and EngineeringCatalysis, organic and polymer synthesis, fuel cells, electr…
Abe LabSchool of Materials and Chemical Technology, Department of Materials Science and EngineeringPolymer synthesis, polymer structure, polymer reactions, res…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Urea process plant UFFL 01” Mar11 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Innovative catalysts from mesoscale particles: “Iron oxide nanoparticles after centrifugation” Ihor Panas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Reversal catalyst: “Iron powder” Anonimski / CC0 (cropped)
- Unlocked base metal catalysts: “Alloy and metal samples - Beryllium-Copper, Inconel, Steel, Titanium, Aluminum, Magnesium” Bill Abbott / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- From phenol to aniline: “Pile of wood chips Namibia” Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) - Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation Project / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (鎌田研究室): “Perovskite-Magnetite-207500” Robert M. Lavinsky / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (北野研究室): “Pipes” Hermann Luyken / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (難波江研究室): “Activated Carbon” Ravedave / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Related lab (阿部研究室): “BiodegradablePlasticUtensils1” Scott Bauer / Public domain (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.