Satoshi Maeda visited the Institute as Karl Ziegler Visiting Professor
The visit was marked by an intensive academic exchange with the renowned theoretical chemist
Professor Satoshi Maeda, Director of the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD) at Hokkaido University, Japan, visited the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung as this year’s Karl Ziegler Visiting Professor. The internationally renowned theoretical chemist is among the leading researchers in the field of computational reaction science and has developed innovative methods for the automated exploration of chemical processes.
In recent years, Maeda has succeeded in systematically mapping complex networks of chemical reactions using a variety of computational approaches, revealing previously unknown reaction mechanisms. His work demonstrates the remarkable potential of automated methods for reaction design and prediction.
In recognition of these pioneering contributions, Maeda was awarded the Karl Ziegler Visiting Professorship, the highest scientific honor bestowed by the institute. During his two-day visit, the 47-year-old scientist engaged in intensive discussions with researchers across the campus. “We are delighted to honor an expert in theoretical chemistry this year whose research vividly demonstrates the potential of automated methods and the integration of computational chemistry into modern chemical research,” said Frank Neese, Managing Director of the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung.
In his keynote lecture, Maeda illustrated how modern quantum chemistry is increasingly enabling a predictive understanding of chemical reactivity, complementing - or even replacing - traditional trial-and-error approaches. The audience in the packed lecture hall was particularly impressed when Maeda reported how his methods could solve, on the spot, a chemical problem that had remained experimentally unresolved for more than five decades. The results presented generated considerable interest and were discussed extensively with scientists from across the campus following the lecture.
Since 1980, the Karl Ziegler Lectures have been awarded to internationally distinguished scientists. The list of past recipients includes numerous prominent figures in chemistry, among them several future Nobel Prize laureates. Beyond recognizing scientific excellence, the professorship is designed to foster intensive scientific exchange. To this end, the family of the institute’s former director and Nobel Prize winner Karl Ziegler established a dedicated fund, which has since brought 36 leading figures in chemistry to the institute in Mülheim.
