Akira Suzuki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Akira Suzuki
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Suzuki in 2010
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| Born | September 12, 1930 Mukawa, Hokkaido, Japan
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| Alma mater | Hokkaidō University |
| Known for | Suzuki reaction |
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Akira Suzuki (鈴木 章, Suzuki Akira, born September 12, 1930) is a famous Japanese chemist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010. He is best known for discovering the Suzuki reaction in 1979. This important chemical reaction helps scientists create new useful materials.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Akira Suzuki was born on September 12, 1930, in a town called Mukawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. His father passed away when Akira was still in high school.
When he was a child, Akira loved arithmetic and wanted to study mathematics. But two special books changed his mind. These books were about organic chemistry, which is the study of chemicals found in living things. They inspired him to become a chemist.
He went to Hokkaido University (Hokudai) to study chemistry. After getting his PhD, he started working there as an assistant professor.
Amazing Chemistry Discoveries
From 1963 to 1965, Suzuki worked in the United States at Purdue University. He studied with a famous chemist named Herbert C. Brown. This experience was very important for his future work.
When he returned to Hokkaido University, he became a full professor. He worked with his assistant, Norio Miyaura. Together, they discovered the Suzuki reaction in 1979.
What is the Suzuki Reaction?
The Suzuki reaction is a way to join different chemical pieces together. It uses special chemicals called boronic acids and a metal called palladium. This reaction is very useful because it works well and is easy to do. It helps make many different products, like medicines and materials for electronics.
After retiring from Hokkaido University in 1994, Professor Suzuki taught at other universities. He worked at Okayama University of Science and Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. He also visited Purdue University and other places as a guest professor.
In 2010, Akira Suzuki won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared this big award with two other chemists, Richard F. Heck and Ei-ichi Negishi. They all discovered similar important reactions.
Chemistry for a Better World
In 2011, Professor Suzuki was asked about chemistry. He said that some people think chemistry causes pollution. But he explained that chemistry is very important for our lives. It helps us make many things we use every day. He believes we must find ways to make chemicals that are safe for the environment.
In 2014, a student asked him how to become a great chemist. Professor Suzuki told him, "You must learn to see through the appearance to perceive the essence." This means looking beyond what you first see to understand how things really work.
Sharing Knowledge Freely
Akira Suzuki did not get a patent for his Suzuki reaction discovery. A patent would have given him special rights to his invention. But he believed that his research was supported by government money.
Because he didn't patent it, the Suzuki reaction could be used freely by anyone. This helped the technology spread quickly around the world. Today, thousands of scientific papers and patents use the Suzuki reaction. This shows how important and useful his discovery is.
Awards and Honors
Professor Suzuki has received many awards for his amazing work. Here are some of them:
- 1986 – Weissberger-Williams lectureship Award
- 1987 – Korean Chemical Society Award
- 1989 – Chemical Society of Japan Award
- 1995 – DowElanco lectureship Award
- 2000 – The H. C. Brown Lecture Award
- 2003 – Japan Academy Prize
- 2009 – Paul Karrer Gold Medal
- 2009 – Special Member of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- 2010 – Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- 2010 – Order of Culture
- 2010 – Person of Cultural Merit
- 2011 – Member of the Japan Academy
- 2011 – Honored on a stamp issued by Republic of the Congo
- 2016 – Honorary chair professorship, National Cheng Kung University
An asteroid (a small rocky body in space) was even named after him: 87312 Akirasuzuki.
Images for kids
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From left: Suzuki, Negishi, and Heck (2010)
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Nobel Prize Laureates 2010 at a press conference in Stockholm.
See also
In Spanish: Akira Suzuki para niños
- List of Japanese Nobel laureates
- Richard F. Heck
- Ei-ichi Negishi
- Makoto Kumada
- Kenkichi Sonogashira
