ChemComm is publishing its 60th volume in 2024. Over the past 60 years, ChemComm has been the RSC’s most cited journal, and one of the most trusted venues for rapid publication of short communications. In our anniversary year, we recognise the important contributions ChemComm has made, and continues to make, in advancing the chemical sciences.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, we’ve brought together a collection featuring the latest research from some of our most loyal and dedicated authors. From those marking the beginning of their independent academic career by publishing their first article with us, to the rising stars and established leaders publishing in our yearly ‘Emerging Investigators’ and ‘Pioneering Investigators’ collections, this collection champions the contributions of our worldwide author community. We are proud many authors choose to support our journal by regularly publishing their best work with us. This collection also features papers from our ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship winners, and our Outstanding Reviewer awardees, whose invaluable feedback has shaped our published content through the years.
To accompany the collection, we’ll be publishing interviews with contributing authors where they provide further insight into their research and reflect on their journey with ChemComm.
Check out our interview with Professor Brandi Cossairt (University of Washington, USA) below!
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Brandi Cossairt received her B. S. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 2006. Brandi went on to pursue graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the guidance of Professor Christopher C. Cummins and was awarded her Ph.D. in 2010. She then continued her academic career as an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University between 2010 and 2012, working with Professor Jonathan Owen. Brandi joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington as an Assistant Professor in 2012 and is now the Lloyd E. and Florence M. West Endowed Professor. Her research group examines the nucleation, growth, surface chemistry, and reactivity of nanoscale materials to enable next-generation technologies in the diverse areas of displays, lighting, catalysis, quantum information, and hybrid matter. She has received a number of awards for her research, including a Sloan Research Fellowship, a Packard Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award, a Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the National Fresenius Award from the American Chemical Society. Outside of the lab, Brandi is an Associate Editor at the ACS journal Inorganic Chemistry and is the co-founder of the Chemistry Women Mentorship Network (ChemWMN). |
What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?
I love that ChemComm has maintained the short, 4-page format. It helps authors convey their science in a more concise and impactful way and is also helpful for readers to actually read the whole thing. I also love that it features all type of chemistry and that chemistry is broadly defined and includes highly interdisciplinary work in addition to things that are more squarely in what we would traditionally think of.
How would you describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm?
Submission and peer review at ChemComm is quick and seamless. It is really refreshing in comparison with some other systems.
Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?
Our paper explores how active site ensembles on transition metal phosphides, specifically Ni2P nanocrystals, influence the selectivity of the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR). Ammonia, essential for fertilizer production, is typically produced via the Haber-Bosch process, which is energy-intensive and environmentally disruptive. NO3RR, a common pollutant from wastewater treatment and agricultural runoff, offers a sustainable alternative by converting nitrate (NO3⁻) to ammonia (NH3) using electrocatalysis. We demonstrate that Ni2P nanocrystals exhibit near 100% faradaic efficiency for nitrate reduction over hydrogen evolution at -0.4 V, with maximum NH3 selectivity at -0.2 V vs. RHE. We conclude that the selectivity of NO3RR on Ni2P is tunable by adjusting the surface coverage ratio of H* and NOx*, highlighting the importance of active site ensembles in metal phosphide catalysts for selective ammonia production.
In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?
We are really excited about catalyst design moving forward. Diversifying active sites through control of stoichiometry, nanocrystal morphology, and doping will be our main focus.
Be sure to read Brandi’s full article, “Ni2P active site ensembles tune electrocatalytic nitrate reduction selectivity” to learn more!
