Switching between four organic reactions using one catalyst with ease

February 6, 2026

As a result of a sequence of serendipitous findings

A joint research group of the RIKEN CSRS and Kyushu University successfully developed the “Quadruple Switchable Catalysis,” which allows selection among four distinct organic reactions generated with the same substrates and reagents using a single catalyst.

The reactions were switched by modifying minor conditions, such as additives (amines, which are compounds having nitrogen) and reaction temperatures. This switching was achieved using a catalyst, SiNA-Pd, in which palladium is fixed on silicon nanowire arrays. The catalyst was only 65 mol ppm (65 ppm per 1 mol of the material; 0.0065 mol%); however, a high yield of the reactant and the catalyst's reusability were observed, and the metallic residues met pharmaceutical standards.

Additionally, this research demonstrated that magnetic field components in microwave irradiation are essential for catalytic activation and that, using modulation excitation infrared spectroscopy (ME-IR) and phase sensitive detection, magnetic field components in microwaves dynamically activates the silicon nanowire structure in the catalyst. This discovery has also advanced the understanding of principles of microwave chemistry.

These findings are all serendipitous, as the researchers examined every condition and came across them unexpectedly. They will open up new possibilities for multifunctionalizing organic synthetic processes and achieving greater efficiency in medicinal chemistry.

 

Original article

ACS Catalysis　doi: 10.1021/acscatal.5c08315

A. Sen, Y. Matsukawa, A. Muranaka, Y. Hatakenaka, A. J. A. Abdulghani, N. Maeda, A. Ohno, H. Baek, Y. M. A. Yamada,

"Quadruple switchable catalysis: sp³ C-H arylation, aminomethylation, sp² C-H arylation, and deiodination".

Contact

Yoichi M. A. Yamada; Team Director
Abhijit Sen; Research Scientist
Green Nanocatalysis Research Team

Atsuya Muranaka; Senior Research Scientist
Molecular Structure Characterization Unit