Kenichi Fukui

Chemist. Born in Nara Prefecture. He went on to study at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto Imperial University, graduating in 1941 (Showa 16). He studied under Kita Gen'itsu and others, and received his doctorate in engineering in 1948. After serving as a lecturer and assistant professor in the Fuel Chemistry Department at the same university, he became a professor in 1951 and trained many students. He retired from the university in April 1982 and became a professor emeritus at the same university. In June of the same year, he became president of Kyoto Institute of Technology. He was interested in the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry from an early stage, and published the first paper on "Frontier Electron Theory," which has been described as a monumental paper, in 1952, the theory of "Orbital Symmetry and Selection Rules" in 1964, and "Theory of Reactions" in 1970. For the first two achievements, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with R. Hoffman in 1981, and was also awarded the Order of Culture. His proposal of "molecular engineering" as the foundation of chemical industry is of great significance.

[Taoist Master]

"Chemical Reactions and Electron Orbits" by Fukui Kenichi (1976, Maruzen)" ▽ "Chemistry and Me - Nobel Prize Scientist Fukui Kenichi" by Fukui Kenichi (1982, Kagaku Dojin)" ▽ "The Creation of Philosophy - In Search of a New View of Humanity in the 21st Century" by Umehara Takeshi and Fukui Kenichi (1996, PHP Institute)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

化学者。奈良県生まれ。旧制大阪高等学校から京都帝国大学工学部工業化学科に進み、1941年（昭和16）卒業。喜多源逸(きたげんいつ)らに学び、1948年工学博士。同大学燃料化学科講師、助教授を経て、1951年教授となり多数の門下を育てた。1982年4月に退官し同大名誉教授。同年6月から京都工芸繊維大学学長。早くから量子力学の化学への適用に関心をもち、1952年に記念碑的論文と評される「フロンティア電子理論」第一報を、1964年「軌道対称性と選択則」の理論を、そして「反応の理論」を1970年に発表した。前の二つの業績に対し、R・ホフマンとともに1981年ノーベル化学賞を授与され、文化勲章も受章。化学工業の基礎としての「分子工学」提唱の意義は大きい。

［道家達將］

『福井謙一著『化学反応と電子の軌道』（1976・丸善）』▽『福井謙一著『化学と私――ノーベル賞科学者福井謙一』（1982・化学同人）』▽『梅原猛・福井謙一著『哲学の創造――21世紀の新しい人間観を求めて』（1996・PHP研究所）』

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