Ken Itami
kenitami.bsky.social
Ken Itami
@kenitami.bsky.social
A chemist believing the power of molecules. Synthetic chemistry, molecular nanocarbon science, catalysis, and chemical biology. Be unique, go crazy!

kenichiro.itami@riken.jp
https://itami-lab.com/?lang=en
Big news! 🎉 Our very own Hideya Kono has been awarded the Inoue Research Award for Young Scientists, recognizing outstanding researchers under 37. Massive congrats, Hideya!
February 5, 2026 at 5:12 AM
Finally, L-region-selective APEX reaction through dearomative activation. Congrats to Kanami, Wataru, and Hideto!!

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
L-Region-selective annulative π-extension through dearomative activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Annulative π-extension (APEX) reaction is a useful aromatic ring-fusion method for synthesis of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from unfunctionalized small PAHs. While APEX reactions in ...
pubs.rsc.org
January 29, 2026 at 7:58 AM
Super excited to hear significant research progress at our year-end presentation! Of course we fully enjoyed the year-end party afterwards!! Thank you all for our great 2025 and let’s make our 2026 even greater!!
December 27, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Our very own Hideya Kono will receive Inoue Research Award for Young Scientists!!! Huge congratulations Hideya!!!

www.inoue-zaidan.or.jp/b-01.html?ei...
新着情報 | 井上科学振興財団
www.inoue-zaidan.or.jp
December 25, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Mini ASPiRE happening at Honolulu with @cathleencrudden.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 12:04 AM
German Christmas Night in Itami Lab!! Thank you all!! Sooo fun!
December 6, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Short but very concentrated visit to Tottori University for the lecture and short course. I sincerely thank Nokami-san, Matsuura-san and many other profs and students there for sharing exciting discussions!! Many many thanks for the wonderful hospitality!
November 29, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Great pizza party!!! Otsukare party for the Itami Lab Reunion Symposium which was huge success! Many thanks all!!
November 28, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Itami Lab Reunion Symposium, IKOCS, was huge success!!! 140 people gathered in RIKEN! Great lectures, discussion, and party!!! So many thanks for coming and also to current members for dedicated organization! GOAT!
November 8, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Mission complete! As a CNRS chemistry ambassador, I did 7 lectures at 7 different places in France in 11 days! 3800 km by trains! It was hard but huge fun to find lots of seeds for future collaboration! Thanks everyone! I will come back!!
October 24, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Ken Itami
Today we have the pleasure to host Ken Itami in Rennes as a @cnrs.fr ambassador. Fantastic talk! 👍

@kenitami.bsky.social
@iscr-rennes.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 9:13 AM
We welcome Lucas (6 month master course study) and Ayaka (staff scientist) in Itami Lab!! So nice to have you two! Let’s explore crazy chemistry!!!
October 3, 2025 at 10:23 PM
It was huge fun!! Many thanks Murakami Lab!!! See you next at RIKEN!!
September 18, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Kei Murakami (previous staff) and Yota Sakakibara (previous student) in front of beautiful campus. Super great host!
September 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Yesterday I fully enjoyed the really exciting discussion and mixing with Murakami Lab, Kwansei Gakuin University. Door to door it took me 6 hours to come but worth it! Today and tomorrow, I will do extensive short course and lecture!
September 16, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Thanks Larry!!!
Congratulations, Ken!
Extremely excited to be selected as CNRS Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France!
I expect the upcoming lecture tour to strengthen the ties between French and Japanese science, fostering a spirit of mutual inspiration. 

www.inc.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/...
September 14, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Extremely excited to be selected as CNRS Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France!
I expect the upcoming lecture tour to strengthen the ties between French and Japanese science, fostering a spirit of mutual inspiration. 

www.inc.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/...
CNRS Chemistry welcomes Kenichiro Itami as the Ambassador in Chemical Sciences
On 13 October, 2025, Kenichiro Itami, Chief Scientist and Direc
www.inc.cnrs.fr
September 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Tomoki’s work making non-emissive [6]CPP fluorescent by simple multiple methyl substitution is now out @chemicalscience.rsc.org ! We hope this simple, yet pronounced ‘methyl effect’ facilitates the design and application of CPP-based materials in various fields!
pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/A...
September 11, 2025 at 10:36 PM
A bioactive nanocarbon that targets cross-species PPIs.
We discovered a molecular nanocarbon (clionene) that inhibits PPIs in insect diapause and human immune signalings. Very exciting collaboration with Larry Scott @scott61144.bsky.social and Hasegawa lab!
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...
A bioactive nanocarbon that targets cross-species protein–protein interactions
The quest for bioactive molecules has long been confined to a rather narrow chemical space, limiting the discovery of uncharted chemical structures. Identifying such compounds is essential for uncover...
chemrxiv.org
September 4, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Happy birthday Prof. Noyori and Dorae-mon!

Don’t miss Noyori’s autobiography “Research should be fresh, simple, and clear”, recently released !

l-i-c.org/ryoji-noyori...
September 3, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Could caterpillar guts help to manufacture nanomaterials?
Check out the RIKEN research highlight!

www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs...
Could caterpillar guts help to manufacture nanomaterials?
www.riken.jp
August 17, 2025 at 12:01 AM
We very much enjoyed the lecture by Bruce Yu from Academia Sinica, Taiwan! Very insightful and exciting!! Thanks Bruce!
August 8, 2025 at 5:26 AM
So great to have two very active players in our lab! Welcome Asim and Ando-kun to Itami Lab!! It was very nice welcome party last night with LOTS of Indian curry!
August 8, 2025 at 12:19 AM
A great collaborative paper with Jean Bouffard Lab is out in JACS! From your arenes and molecular nanocarbons, you can make C-H amination products! My favorite examples are double amination of CPP and coronene! Congrats Rikuo, Sajan, and the team!

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
July 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
A simple, Mg-mediated, 12-fold dearomative esterification of carbon nanobelt, dedicated to Fraser Stoddart in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social. Huge congrats to Tsubasa, Takehisa & the team! Nice artwork created by Issey Takahashi!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
July 7, 2025 at 8:09 AM