Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team

We work on the development of biologically inspired catalysts and their application to energy conversion and production systems. Specifically, we attempt to exploit the nature’s ingenuities of multielectron catalytic reaction, electron/proton transport, metabolic regulation, flexible response to external stimuli, and the robust energy management in a deep sea environment to develop the novel materials and systems necessary for the effective management of renewable energy sources.

Research Fields

Engineering / Chemistry / Materials Sciences / Biology & Biochemistry / Microbiology / Environment & Ecology / Geosciences

Research Subjects

• Development of water oxidation catalysts inspired by PSII center in natural photosynthesis
• Electricity production using the microbial ability of extracellular electron transfer
• Investigation of giant electroecosystems in a deep hydrothermal environment

Publications

1. * Okamoto, A., Hashimoto, K., Nealson, H. K., Nakamura, R.
   "Rate enhancement of Bacterial Extracellular Electron Transport Involves Bound Flavin Semiquinones"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, in press
2. * Nakamura, R., Kai, F., Okamoto, A., Hashimoto, K.
   "Mechanisms of Long-distance Extracellular Electron Transfer of Metal-reducing Bacteria Mediated by Nanocolloidal Semiconductive Iron Oxides"
   J. Mater. Chem. A, DOI: 10.1039/C3TA01672B
3. * Mogi, T., Ishii, T., Hashimoto, K., Nakamura, R.,
   "Low-Voltage Electrochemical CO2 Reduction by Bacterial Voltage-Multiplier Circuits"
   ChemComm, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc37986d.
4. * Takashima, T., Hashimoto, K., Nakamura, R.
   "Inhibition of Charge Disproportionation of MnO2 Electrocatalysts for Efficient Water Oxidation under Neutral Conditions"
   J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 18153-18156 (2012).
5. * Takashima, T., Hashimoto, K., Nakamura, R.
   "Mechanisms of pH-Dependent Activity for Water oxidation to Molecular Oxygen by MnO2 Electrocatalysts"
   J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 1519-1527 (2012).
6. * Shibanuma, S., Nakamura, R., Hirakawa, Y., Hashimoto, K., Ishii, K.
   "Observation of In Vivo Cytochrome-Based Electron Transport Dynamics using Time-Resolved Evanescent Wave Electroabsorption Spectroscopy"
   Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 9137-9140 (2011).
7. * Nakamura, R., Okamoto, A., Tajima, N., Newton, J. G., Kai, F., Takashima, T., Hashimoto, K.
   "Biological Iron-Monosulfide Production for Efficient Electricity Harvesting from a Deep-Sea Metal-Reducing Bacterium"
   ChemBioChem, 11, 643-645 (2010).
8. * Nakamura,　R., Takashima, T., Kato, S., Takai, K., Yamamoto, M., Hashimoto, K.,
   "Electrical Current Generation across a Black Smoker Chimney"
   Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 49, 7692-7694 (2010).
9. * Nakamura, R., Ishii, K., Hashimoto, K.
   "Electronic Absorption Spectra and Redox Properties of C Type Cytochromes in Living Microbes"
   Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 48, 1606-1608 (2009).
10. * Nakamura, R., Kai, F., Okamoto, A., Newton, J. G., Hashimoto, K.
    "Self-Constructed Electrically Conductive Bacterial Networks"
    Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 48, 508-511 (2009)