About Us

Makoto Fujita Distinguished Professor

 

Profile

1980: B.S. Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University　
1982: M.S. Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University
1987: Ph.D.Tokyo Institute of Technology
1982-1987: Research Fellow at Sagami Chemical Research Center
1988-1991: Assistant Professor at Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University　
1991-1994: Lecture at the same university
1994-1997: Associate Professor at the same university
1997-1999: Associate Professor at Institute of Molecular Science　　
1999-2002: Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University
2002-2023: Professor at School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
2023-present: University Distinguished Professor, The University of Tokyo

2012-2013: Visiting Professor at Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)

2018-: Distinguished Professor at Division of Advanced Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science (IMS)
2018: Honorary Distinguished Professor, Chiba University
2019: University Distinguished Professor, The University of Tokyo
2023: Special University Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

1997-2013: Project Leader of JST-CREST
2012-2017: Project Leader of Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research
2014-2019: Project Leader of JST ACCEL
2019-       : Project Leader of Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research
 

Awards

1994: Progress Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan
2000: Division Award of Chemical Society of Japan (Organic Chemistry)
2001: Tokyo Techno Forum 21 Gold Medal
2001: Japan IBM Award
2003: Nagoya Silver Medal
2003: Earl L. Muetterties Memorial Lecturers (UC Berkeley)
2004: Izatt-Christensen Award
2006: G.W.Wheland Award (Chicago University Lectureship Award)
2007: Honorary Professor at Renmin University (China)
2010: The Reona Esaki Award
2010: The JSCC Award
2011: H. C. Brown Lecturer (Purdue University)
2011: 3M Lectureship Award (University of British Columbia)
2012: Thomson Reuters Research Front Award 2012
2012: Kharasch Lecturers (The University of Chicago)
2012: Abbott Lecturer (University of Illinois)
2013: The Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ) Award
2013: Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award （ACS National Award）
2013: Merck-Karl Pfister Visiting Professorship (MIT Lectureship award)
2014: ISNSCE 2014 Nanoprize
2014: Medal with Purple Ribbon (Cabinet Office, Government Of Japan)
2014: Fred Basolo Medal (Northwestern University)
2015: John Osborn Lecturer (Strasbourg University)
2016: Merit Award of The Naito Foundation
2018: Wolf Prize in Chemistry
2019: Paul Karrer Medal (University of Zurich)
2019: Imperial Prize and Japan Academy Prize
2020: Chunichi Bunka Award
2020: Clarivate Citation Laureates (Chemistry)
2022: Le Grand Prix 2022 de la Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie
2022: Ojima Distinguished Lectureship Award in Chemistry / Stony Brook University Provost's Lecture
2023: Asahi Prize
2023: 2022 Natta Award (Politecnico, Milano)
2024: Van't Hoff Award

RESEARCH

Weak interactions induce the spontaneous organization of various biological structures. Such an elegant mechanism in nature has prompted us to design and establish self-assembling molecular systems. Thus, we have been showing that well-designed molecules are spontaneously organized into functional mol ecular systems.

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1. Self-assembling molecular systems utilizing transition metals: The simple combination of transition metal geometry with well-designed bridging ligands gives rise to the quantitative self-assembly of nano-sized, discrete organic frameworks. Representative examples include square molecules, linked-ring molecules, cages, capsules, and tubes that are self-assembled from simple and small components.

2. Chemistry of isolated nano-space: The metal-directed self-assembly of nan o-meter sized frameworks gives us an opportunity to develop the chemistry of "isolated nano-space". For example, stabilization of labile molecules, specific chemical transformations, and the synthesis of labile molecules have been achieved within the cavities of the self-assembled cages and capsules.

3. Coordination polymers: The metal-directed self-assembly has been also applied to the preparation of non-covalent polymers with well-defined structures and interesting properties.