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Cooperative Catalysis Lab
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A catalytic chemistry lab that creates new catalysts and new modes of catalysis.
AboutAbout the lab
Creating new catalysis for environmentally benign reactions.
The Cooperative Catalysis Lab aims to create new catalysts and new modes of catalysis, and to develop environmentally benign chemical reactions based on them.
The lab develops new types of catalysts in which metal complexes, organic molecules, and functional groups on support surfaces act cooperatively in catalysis, enabling faster reactions, one-pot synthesis, and the activation of inert molecules and bonds.
Not confined to the divide between immobilized (heterogeneous) catalysts and molecular (homogeneous) catalysts, the lab aims to create catalysts that go beyond conventional concepts of catalysis, for highly efficient fine chemicals synthesis and the conversion of diverse resources into chemical products.
On the lab's website, it is presented under the name "Motokura Lab."
Key terms
- Catalyst
- A substance used to control chemical reactions. High-performance catalysts are said to lead to more efficient production of materials.
- Cooperative effect
- An effect in which reactions are accelerated because multiple catalytic active sites coexist on the same surface.
- One-pot synthesis
- A method of making a target substance by carrying out multiple reactions in a single reactor. It removes the need to isolate and purify intermediates.
NewsLab news
A master's student received the Excellent Poster Presentation Award at the Korea–Japan International Symposium
Prof. Motokura received the Technology Advancement Award of the Yokohama National University Outstanding Researcher Award
A paper on an immobilized Pd/Cu complex catalyst that is highly active for the allylation of ketones was published in ACS Catalysis
A master's student received the Excellent Poster Presentation Award at CSJ Chemistry Festa 2025
A master's student received the GSC Poster Award at the 14th JACI/GSC Symposium
ResearchResearch themes
This lab develops new types of catalysts in which metal complexes, organic molecules, and functional groups on support surfaces act cooperatively in catalysis, aiming to establish new concepts in catalytic chemistry on solid surfaces. It takes on the challenge of synthesizing useful compounds from carbon dioxide, and is also extending its work to one-pot synthesis, in which multiple reactions proceed in a single reactor.
*Illustrative imageSequential reactions using acid and base active sites
When acid sites and base sites coexist on the same solid surface, each acts as a catalytic active site, and multiple reactions proceed in sequence, allowing compounds to be synthesized in one pot. This produces a "cooperative effect" in which the active sites do not lose their function and the individual reactions are accelerated.
*Illustrative imageCooperative effect of a Pd complex and an organic base
With a catalyst in which a Pd complex and an amine are immobilized on the same solid surface, the allylation reaction was greatly accelerated by the cooperative effect.
*Illustrative imageFormic acid from CO2 using a silicon-based reductant
The lab succeeded in using silicon compounds, which may be recovered as industrial waste, as reductants in the conversion of carbon dioxide. In this reaction, fluoride acts as an effective catalyst.
*Illustrative imageCO2 reactions with copper complex catalysts
The lab found that a copper hydride complex with a diphosphine ligand shows extremely high catalytic activity in the reaction between carbon dioxide and hydrosilane.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Cooperative Catalysis Lab consist of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, researchers, administrative assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKen Motokura
- Assistant ProfessorShingo Hasegawa
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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: “Chemical reactor ( )” Oregon State University / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Sequential reactions using acid and base active sites: “Zeolite Mordenite (with Al substitution)” Spacegroup143 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Cooperative effect of a Pd complex and an organic base: “Palladium catalyst solutions with varying concentration” / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Formic acid from CO2 using a silicon-based reductant: “Formic acid 85 percent” W. Oelen / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- CO2 reactions with copper complex catalysts: “Copper Cadmium catalyst filter” Wetitpig0 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Muromachi Lab): “Gas hydrate from Indian Ocean” USGS / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Takagaki Lab): “Plastic waste” Ka23 13 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Organic Electrochemistry Lab): “Conjure Segmented Flow Chemistry System” Jankhughes / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Advanced Environmental Measurement Chemistry Lab): “Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer ( )” IAEA Imagebank / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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