MUNICH, Germany—Groundbreaking work in the field of low-coordinate silicon compounds has earned Shigeyoshi Inoue, a professor of silicon chemistry at the Technical University of Munich, the prestigious Wacker Chemie A.G. Silicon Prize for 2023.
Along with the international recognition from Wacker, Inoue, 42, will receive an endowment of $10,800 for the award. He will receive the award July 10 at the 10th European Silicon Days in Montpellier, France.
"Shigeyoshi Inoue's investigations in the field of low-valent silicon compounds are groundbreaking," said Christoph Kowitz, head of Wacker Group research. "His work is not only important from a scientific point of view. One day it will also be of great benefit to industry and pave the way for novel reagents and catalysts."
One area of Inoue's work concerns the synthesis and reactivity of novel complexes with silicon in low oxidation states.
Thus far, precious metals have been used as active components in catalytic processes. Inoue is attempting to develop the element silicon into "the new star of catalysis," according to Wacker.
"His research work is, therefore, not only groundbreaking from a scientific point of view, it also holds enormous potential for future applications in many areas of the chemical industry," Wacker said in a May 12 release.
Inoue's work also focuses on "low-valent main-group compounds, transition-metal complexes with silicon-based ligands and main-group metal hydrides" and "transition metal complexes with silicon-based ligands."
"The overarching goal is to gain an understanding of the key processes that enable the catalytic turnover through a combined experimental and theoretical approach," Kowitz said.
In particular, Inoue and his research team have analyzed methods for activating small molecules such as methane, the main component of natural gas and ammonia.
Inoue has been a professor of silicon chemistry at the Technical University of Munich since 2015 and is a member of the Wacker Silicon Institute and the Central Institute for Catalysis Research.
"Inoue's work, his research and his commitment to young scientists are exemplary. We all benefit from that," Kowitz said. "For this and for his great contribution to silicon research, Professor Inoue is the 22nd recipient of the Wacker Silicon Prize."
Wacker began issuing the silicon prize in 1987.
