Suzuki was born on September 12, 1930, inMukawa, Hokkaidō, his father died when he was in high school. He studied chemistry atHokkaido University (Hokudai) and after receiving hisPhD while he worked there as assistant professor. He initially wanted to major inmathematics, as his favorite subject in childhood wasarithmetic.[5] It was an encounter with two books that became an opportunity to advance to the path oforganic synthesis, one isTextbook of Organic Chemistry written byLouis Fieser ofHarvard University, and another isHydroboration written byHerbert C. Brown ofPurdue University.[6]
From 1963 until 1965, Suzuki worked as a postdoctoral student withHerbert C. Brown atPurdue University and after returning to the Hokudai he became a full professor there. The postdoctoral experience was utilized in the study of thecoupling reaction with his assistantNorio Miyaura and led to the discovery ofSuzuki reaction announced in 1979.[7] Its organicboronic acids witharyl andvinyl group are stable to water and air, easy to handle, and because the conditions required for use are also relatively mild, even among the several cross-coupling techniques, it is said to be easy to use.[8] Its full mechanism is shown in the image below.
To celebrate International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011), Suzuki was interviewed by theUNESCO Courier magazine, he said：
Today some people see chemistry just as a polluting industry, but that is a mistake ... Without it, productivity would drop and we could not enjoy the life we know today. If there is pollution, it is because we are releasing harmful substances. Obviously, we have to adapt treatment and management regimes and work to develop chemical substances and manufacturing processes that respect the environment.[11]
In 2014, a Canadian-Chinese student asked for Suzuki's advice: "how can I become a great chemist like you?", Suzuki answered him: "... above all else, you must learn to see through the appearance to perceive the essence."
Suzuki has not obtained a patent onSuzuki reaction technology because he thinks that the research was supported by government funds,[6] therefore coupling technology has become widespread, and many products using this technology have been put into practical use.[12] To date, there are more than 6,000 papers and patents related to Suzuki reaction.[6]
