Department of Chemistry Seminar - Development of sp3C-H Bond Functionalization by Multiple Catalyst System

Speaker: Professor Harunobu MITSUNUMA

Institution: Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Hosted By: Professor Hugh NAKAMURA

Abstract

sp3C-H bond functionalization reactions are important in a fine chemical synthesis and energy fields. Until now, most sp3C-H bond functionalization has required high temperatures and directing groups. Here, we developed mild sp3C-H bond functionalization by multiple catalyst system combining HAT catalyst, photocatalyst, and metal catalyst. In this talk, I would like to present the latest results of the catalytic Grignard reaction by using this system.

About the Speaker

Dr. Harunobu Mitsunuma received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Tokyo in 2010 under the supervision of Prof. Masakatsu Shibasaki. Then he received Ph.D. of pharmaceutical science from The University of Tokyo in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Motomu Kanai. During his doctoral course, he joined Prof. John Hartwig's group at the University of California, Berkeley as a four-month visiting scholar. After getting Ph.D. he joined Dainippon Sumitomo Pharmaceutical Company in 2015. He studied as a medicinal chemist at the company. In 2017, he moved to Professor Motomu Kanai’s laboratory at the University of Tokyo as a post-doctoral fellow and became an assistant professor in 2018. He has also been JST PRESTO researcher since 2022. His research interest is the development of new synthetic methodology to accelerate drug development. Dr. Mitsunuma has been awarded Teijin Pharmaceutical Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (The Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry Japan, 2019) and JISEDAI Symposium Lectureship Award (The Pharmaceutical Society Japan, 2020).