astronomy

Mitsuo Sawamoto

Mitsuo Sawamoto is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mitsuo Sawamoto rather than just read about it. In short: Mitsuo Sawamoto (澤本光男 Sawamoto Mitsuo, December 12, 1954) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the field of polymer chemistry, Emeritus Professor at Kyoto University, professor at Chubu University. He is co-recipient of the Franklin Institute Award in Chemistry in 2017 with Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, for their independent discover of Atom-transfer radical-polymerization (ATRP).

Key takeaways

Mitsuo Sawamoto belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mitsuo Sawamoto to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mitsuo Sawamoto from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mitsuo Sawamoto (澤本光男 Sawamoto Mitsuo, December 12, 1954) is a Japanese chemist specializing in the field of polymer chemistry, Emeritus Professor at Kyoto University, professor at Chubu University. He is co-recipient of the Franklin Institute Award in Chemistry in 2017 with Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, for their independent discover of Atom-transfer radical-polymerization (ATRP).

Early life and education

Sawamoto was born in Kyoto, Japan, on December 12, 1954. He received his BSc, MSc and PhD degree in 1974, 1976 and 1979, respectively, from Kyoto University.

Career From 1980 to 1981, he worked as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Akron, becoming a professor at Akron in 1981. A decade later, he moved to the Graduate School of Engineering of Kyoto University, where he was a professor of polymer chemistry. From 2008 to 2010 Sawamoto was president of The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ). He is currently a member of the Science Council of Japan. He is one of the editors of Journal of Polymer Science Part A.

Research Sawamoto discovered the world's first living cationic polymerization and developed numerous initiator systems (Macromolecules, 1984; Progress in Polymer Science, 1991). In addition, he realized the world's first living free-radical polymerization by a metal complex and developed numerous initiator systems (Macromolecules, 1995; Chemical Reviews, 2001). In 1995, Sawamoto and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski described Atom-transfer radical-polymerization (ATRP) almost simultaneously and independently. Until 2008, Sawamoto published more than 350 original works and more than 30 systematic reviews. Among them, in the field of organic chemistry, his total citation times (1997-2001) was ranked first in Japan, and third in the world. This series of research inspired many studies internationally in not only polymer chemistry but also related fields such as organometallic chemistry, and its ripple effect is particularly noticeable. Sawamoto was given a quote in March 2011:

Miraculous, ingenious, creative but sincere:This is catalytic science research is all about.

Recognition 1997: The Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan 1999: The Award of the Chemical Society of Japan 2002: The Arthur K. Doolittle Award (Royal Society of Chemistry) 2012: Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievementin Polymer Science 2013: SPSJ Award for Outstanding Achievement in Polymer Science and Technology 2014: NIMS Award 2015: Medal with Purple Ribbon 2016: Humboldt Prize 2017: Franklin Institute Award in Chemistry 2021: Clarivate Citation Laureates 2025: Person of Cultural Merit

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mitsuo Sawamoto

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mitsuo Sawamoto claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mitsuo Sawamoto before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mitsuo Sawamoto ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mitsuo Sawamoto

In research: Mitsuo Sawamoto appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mitsuo Sawamoto in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mitsuo Sawamoto is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1954 births, Academic staff of Kyoto University, Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mitsuo Sawamoto outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mitsuo Sawamoto in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mitsuo Sawamoto means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mitsuo Sawamoto out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mitsuo Sawamoto in simple terms?

Why does Mitsuo Sawamoto matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mitsuo Sawamoto?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mitsuo Sawamoto.