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Author Archive

ChemComm’s 60th Anniversary – Ashlee Howarth

13 May 2024

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 Ashlee Howarth (Concordia University) below!

Ashlee J. Howarth is an Associate Professor and Concordia University Research Chair at Concordia University in Montréal. She was born and raised in London, Ontario. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario in 2009, and then went on to do her PhD in inorganic materials chemistry at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Michael O. Wolf. Before joining the faculty at Concordia, she completed an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University with Joseph T. Hupp and Omar K. Farha. At Concordia, the Howarth group is focused on the design and synthesis of rare-earth cluster-based metal–organic frameworks targeting applications in pollution remediation, catalysis, drug delivery, X-ray detection, and chemical sensing.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

My favourite thing about ChemComm is the communication format. I prefer reading short and high impact communications and I also prefer writing that style of manuscript. This also goes hand-in-hand with the fast review process at ChemComm, which is a bonus!

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

ChemComm has a strong reputation in the field of chemistry that has lasted many years. I remember researchers being very excited to publish in ChemComm when I was a graduate student, and that is still the case today 10-15 years later. ChemComm will always have name brand recognition in the field.

How would you describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm?

The editors at ChemComm are always very fair and professional. I often receive very useful comments from reviewers at ChemComm too, comments that are critical but fair and make our manuscript better.

Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?

I think ChemComm is already doing a great job of this with their “emerging investigator” special issues, and blog/social media posts when researchers publish their first article in ChemComm. Perhaps another way to engage with future generations would be to also feature senior PhD students and postdocs who are publishing their work in ChemComm. A special issue or blog/social media post for emerging researchers that are not fully independent yet.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

In our most recent ChemComm publication, we show that rare-earth acetates can be used as precursors for the synthesis of rare-earth cluster-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Traditionally, rare-earth nitrate precursors are used to make these MOFs, but it’s important to explore alternatives that are safer but also easier to handle (nitrates are very hygroscopic).

Be sure to read Ashlee’s Communication article, “Rare-earth acetates as alternative precursors for rare-earth cluster-based metal–organic frameworks” to learn more!

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ChemComm’s 60th Anniversary – Youhei Takeda

08 May 2024

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.

For the first of these interviews, we caught up with Professor Youhei Takeda (Osaka University). Read the full interview below!

Youhei Takeda received his Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 2010 and thereafter joined the Timothy Swager group at MIT as a JSPS post-doctoral research fellow. He started his academic career as Assistant Professor at Osaka University in 2011, and he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015. He received Incentive Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan (2019), The Young Scientists’ Prize from the MEXT (2020), The Nozoe Memorial Award for Young Organic Chemists (2020), and Thieme Chemistry Journals Award (2021). His research interests include the design, synthesis, and interdisciplinary applications of hetero-atom-embedded exotic π-conjugated organic compounds.

How have you seen ChemComm evolve over the years, and what aspects do you find most noteworthy?

I believe that ChemComm has always been a source of cutting-edge research in the field of chemistry, continually inspiring researchers. The most noteworthy aspect is its publication of pioneering research.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

The process from submission to publication is handled very professionally and swiftly.

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

The journal provides an approach that is attentive to the needs of the authors.

How would you describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm?

The peer review process at ChemComm is quick and scientifically fair, which helps maintain the quality of the journal. Additionally, the editorial team does its best to smooth the process from paper acceptance to publication.

Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?

Of course, there are ways. To support the next generation of scientists, ChemComm could feature early-stage researchers, such as doctoral students and postdocs, who have published papers in the journal, in its articles.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

The recent paper I published in ChemComm discusses the development of luminescent π-conjugated molecules with an electron donor-acceptor-donor structure, which demonstrate good dispersibility in water. By utilizing this dispersibility, dispersion of the luminophore into hydrophilic polymers is also possible, and we were able to demonstrate humidity-responsive changes in the emission color in the thin films produced from the fabrication process.

In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?

I believe that by further improving dispersibility in water and luminescence efficiency, it would be possible to apply the findings to humidity-responsive sensors and highly sensitive bioimaging within cells.

Be sure to read Youhei’s Open Access Communication, “Water-dispersible donor–acceptor–donor π-conjugated bolaamphiphiles enabling a humidity-responsive luminescence color change” to learn more!

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ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

02 May 2024

Chemical Communications will be 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 these celebrations, we’ve brought together a special collection highlighting the latest work from the pioneering researchers who have supported the journal in reaching this milestone by serving on ChemComm’s Editorial and Advisory boards in the last two decades. Throughout the year, we’ll be catching up with these current and former Board Members to discuss their work and reflect on ChemComm’s 60th anniversary. Check out our interviews with current and former Advisory Board members, Professor David González Rodríguez and Professor Tim Bugg below!

David González-Rodríguez obtained his PhD degree in 2003 in the group of Prof. T. Torres. Between 2005 and 2008, he worked in the laboratories of Prof. E.W. Meijer at the Eindhoven University of Technology as a Marie Curie fellow. Since 2012, he leads the Nanostructured Molecular Systems and Materials (MSMn) group at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He has been the recipient of numerous Grants, among them a ERC-Starting Grant and 2 ERC-Proof of Concept Grants, and awarded with several prizes: the 2011 RSEQ-Sigma Aldrich Emerging Investigator Award, the SPP-2012 Young Investigator Award, or the 2019 Barluenga Medal. His research interests focus on the development of versatile strategies to improve or create novel functions in organic materials by rationally ordering molecules at the nanoscale using the tools of self-assembly.

What attracted you to the role as Editorial Board Member for ChemComm?

In terms of scope, attractive contents, scholarly presentation and tradition in publishing excellent research results, ChemComm is clearly one of the top general chemistry journals

Read Davids’s full Open Access Communication here: Highly efficient grafting of hetero-complementary amidinium and carboxylate hydrogen-bonding/ionic pairs onto polymer surfaces by Ana M. Fernandes, Manuel C. Martos-Maldonado, Javier Araujo-Morera, Claudia Solek and David González-Rodríguez

Tim Bugg is Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Warwick. His academic career started at the University of Southampton in 1991, where his group studied enzymes involved in the bacterial degradation of aromatic compounds and enzymes involved in bacterial peptidoglycan assembly. Since moving to Warwick in 1999, his group has more recently studied enzymes involved in bacterial degradation of lignin, and the application of biocatalysis to convert lignin into renewable aromatic chemicals. He is the author of the undergraduate textbook “Introduction to Enzyme and Coenzyme Chemistry”.

What attracted you to the role as Editorial Board Member for ChemComm?

I had read Chem Comm as a PhD student and postdoc, and always considered it to be the flagship RSC journal, with high quality, innovative papers. It was therefore a journal that I aspired to publish in as an independent academic, and was delighted to join the Editorial Board.

How have you seen ChemComm evolve over the years, and what aspects do you find most noteworthy?

Including some Feature articles was a nice addition to the Journal, raising the profile of certain areas of research. The move to 3 page articles allowed more space for articles with complex figures, which also helped the journal.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

Speed of reviewing and publication has always been something that academics really value and appreciate.

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

Speed of reviewing and publication, as noted above. I’ve also always found the Editorial staff helpful and knowledgeable.

Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?

Keep up the high standards. New areas will appear across Chemistry, but I think they can be dealt with perfectly well by the current system.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

The article discusses the interesting chemical mechanisms used by Nature to break down the aromatic polymer lignin found in plant biomass. Converting lignin into aromatic monomers has been a really challenging problem to solve since the 1980s when fungal lignin-oxidising enzymes were first studied, but since 2011 there has been a lot of progress in solving this problem, and developing new routes to aromatic chemicals from renewable lignin. The article sets out the major challenges in deconstructing lignin, and how they have been solved by Nature, and what the underlying Chemistry is.

In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?

The challenge for the next 10 years is to translate these ideas into commercially viable processes that could be used industrially to convert lignin into high-value chemicals, which will require improvements in the titre of isolated products, or combining the best features of biocatalysis and chemocatalysis.

Read Tim’s Open Access Feature article here: The chemical logic of enzymatic lignin degradation by Timothy D. H. Bugg

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ChemComm Milestones – Abhijit Sau

26 Apr 2024

We are excited to share the success of Abhijit Sau’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Deoxyfluorinated amidation and esterification of carboxylic acid by pyridinesulfonyl fluoride“ included in the full milestones collection.

Read our interview with Abhijit below.

What are the main areas of research in your lab and what motivated you to take this direction?

Primary focus of our lab lies in designing and synthesis of biologically active molecules of medicinal interest. We desire to explore catalysis and mechanisms in depth to extend the present understanding in the organic reaction. Currently, our goal is to develop efficient methodologies for stereoselective synthesis of small molecules including synthesis of different glycosides and sugar-functionalized bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical application. During my school days, I was always excited to draw new organic molecules in my notebook. The idea that fascinated me was the possibility that a molecule may not exist, but I could bring it to existence by synthesizing it. I can create libraries of molecules yet unknown to science. This excitement always drives me to pursue unique challenges in synthetic organic chemistry.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

The amide bond synthesis is one of the most used reactions in medicinal chemistry. In this article, 2-pyridine sulfonyl fluoride has been employed as a deoxy fluorinating reagent of carboxylic acids to acyl fluorides under mild conditions, followed by one-pot amidation and esterification. Moreover, it is a more atom-economic amide coupling reagent than commonly used chemicals. This finding will encourage the extension of the synthesis of organofluorine compounds, which are the essential intermediate in several chemical transformations.

What do you hope your lab can achieve in the coming year?

In the coming year, we would like to further explore deoxyfluorination method on carbohydrate chemistry. Our aim is to offer a sustainable process to access complex natural and unnatural organic molecules including glycohybrid structures for potential application.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

I progressed as a researcher after joining at Bose Institute for doctoral studies (with Prof Anup Kumar Misra). Throughout this time, I was interested in new catalytic methods for organic reactions, including carbohydrate functionalization and different types of coupling reactions. I was fortunate enough to get further opportunities that enabled me to continuously explore this diverse area specialising in stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy glycosides (with Prof. M. Carmen Galan at the University of Bristol, Unite Kingdom) and modifying the chemical reactivity of organic molecule using physical tools vibrational strong coupling (with Prof. Joseph Moran, University of Strasbourg). In 2021, I started my independent research journey to further explore the deoxyfluorinated chemistry and synthesis of different type of bioactive molecules.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

My postdoc supervisor’s wise words – “Do slowly but surely”

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

ChemComm is one of the most renowned and reputed chemistry journal. ChemCom has greatly supported organic synthesis, constantly pushing new horizons with exciting publications showcasing novel ideas and robust findings. The pleasant surprise was the fast-paced timescale ChemComm adhered to.

Dr Abhijit Sau earned his BSc (2007) and MSc (2009) in Chemistry from Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, India. Subsequently, he carried out his doctoral research at Bose Institute, Kolkata with Prof. Anup Kumar Misra during 2009 – 2014. Moving forward, Dr Sau secured Johan Gadolin postdoctoral fellowship from Åbo Akademi University, Finland, in 2014. In 2015, he started working as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof M. Carmen Galan at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Afterward, he joined the Prof. Moran group at the University of Strasbourg, France, with the prestigious Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship. He was recognized for his academic excellence and was awarded the Ramanujan Fellowship from SERB, India, to start his independent career at CSIR-IICT Hyderabad in 2021. Since April 2022, Dr Sau has been working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at IIT Hyderabad.

Webpage: https://iith.ac.in/chy/asau/

Explore more ChemComm Milestones news and updates on our X Feed (@ChemCommun) and LinkedIn (ChemComm Journal)

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ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

09 Apr 2024

As part of these celebrations, we’ve brought together a special collection highlighting the latest work from the pioneering researchers who have supported the journal in reaching this milestone by serving on ChemComm’s Editorial and Advisory boards in the last two decades. Throughout the year, we’ll be catching up with these current and former Board Members to discuss their work and reflect on ChemComm’s 60th anniversary. Check out our interviews with current Associate Editor, Professor Marinella Mazzanti, and Advisory Board member, Professor Silvia Marchesan, below!

Marinella Mazzanti was born in Vinci, Italy. She obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Pisa in 1985 and a PhD from the University of Lausanne in 1990. Shortly after she moved as a post-doc to the University of California, Berkely, before moving to the University of California, Davis. In 1994 she was awarded a Marie-Curie fellowship to work at the French National Laboratory, CEA, in Grenoble. In 1996 she took a research scientist and team leader position at the CEA Grenoble. In September 2014 she joined the EPFL as a Professor and founded the Group of Coordination Chemistry. Her research activities have been centered on f element coordination and supramolecular chemistry, redox reactivity, and small molecule activation.

She received the 2021 F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry and the LeCoq de Boisbaudran Senior Award in 2023.

What attracted you to the role as Editorial Board Member for ChemComm?

The possibility to contribute to the journal with my experience and the potential to attract more members of my community to publish in the journal. ChemComm is the journal where my very first work was published as a PhD student 40 years ago (J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1984, 1116-1118) and that created a long lasting connection.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

The possibility of sharing very quickly urgent results and the competence and efficiency of the editorial stuff.

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

ChemComm has remained faithful to its original mission and gives the possibility to share important and impactful discoveries without wrapping up every single possible experiment. The format renders it a very accessible read that allow to attract attention to a single result

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

We isolated the first example of a trinuclear U(III) complex showing magnetic exchange and reported a rare magneto-structural study for a uranium system. Moreover, preliminary reactivity studies showed that the isolated trinuclear U(III) complex promotes the reduction of one molecule of dinitrogen in the presence of an external reducing agent. These studies demonstrate the versatility of the silsesquioxane scaffold for assembling polymetallic complexes of low valent uranium that possess unusual properties.

In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?

The findings presented in this paper should stimulate the use of polydentate siloxides to build polynuclear complexes of uranium both for dinitrogen functionalization or for the development of uranium based single molecule magnets leading to important step forward in both fields.

Read Marinella’s full Communication here: A trinuclear metallasilsesquioxane of uranium(iii) by Maxime Tricoire, Nadir Jori, Farzaneh Fadaei Tirani, Rosario Scopelliti, Ivica Živković, Louise S. Natrajan and Marinella Mazzanti

Silvia Marchesan obtained her PhD in Chemistry at The University of Edinburgh (2008, UK). Prior to this, she obtained her Pharmaceutical Chemist (2007, UK) & Pharmacist (2006, Italy) qualifications and was an honorary researcher at UCL (London, 2005-2007). She conducted Postdoctoral research as an Academy of Finland Fellow at University of Helsinki (2008-2010) and a CRSS Fellow jointly at Monash University and Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization, CSIRO (Melbourne, 2010-2012). In 2013 she returned as an Assistant Professor to the University of Trieste where her scientific adventure had started with the M.Sc. degree, (honours). In 2018 she became Associate Professor and received the Habilitation as Full Professor. In 2021-2022 (6 mo.) Silvia was a Visiting Academic at the University of Cambridge (UK). She is currently a member the Editorial Board of ACS Nano and of the Advisory Board of Chem, ChemComm, J. Mater. Chem. B, ACS Appl. Bio Mater., Chem. Eur. J., Soft Matter, Materials Advances.

What attracted you to the role as Editorial Board Member for ChemComm?

ChemComm gave me the opportunity to publish my first work as corresponding author on what then became my main research line. I truly enjoyed the constructive peer-review process and since then my desire grew to support the journal and emerging PIs in a similar way.

How have you seen ChemComm evolve over the years, and what aspects do you find most noteworthy?

I appreciate ChemComm‘s simple format and speedy publishing process. Through the years it maintained its leading role in publishing concise and effective communications across the chemical sciences, giving more and more visibility to emerging PIs through Feature papers and Highlights. This is important to grow and shape the community and the leaders of the future.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

ChemComm embraces diversity and is an inclusive journal that strives to present research voices from all over the world, regardless of country, nationality, gender, or specific research line. This is very important to ensure that every chemist with a brilliant idea gets the chance to grow as a PI.

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

The 4-page format and the wide readership of ChemComm make it an ideal journal to rapidly publish fresh ideas in a simple process. The number of referees involved in peer-review is consistent and appropriate. I have had articles in other journals being reviewed by as many as 5 referees and through iterative revisions that delayed the publication of our research by several months, if not years!

Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?

Ensuring the presence of ChemComm on the communication platforms and events where there is a large presence of junior chemists is an effective strategy as well as encouraging their active interaction with ChemComm. Associating ChemComm with their recognition, for instance through poster and student prizes, will certainly remind them of the opportunity to publish their best research results in ChemComm.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

The design rules for self-assembling simple molecules have been emerging recently, but often scientists are baffled by an unexpected macroscopic outcome, e.g., a crystal as opposed to a gel. This work reveals how that process is determined by the molecular conformations visited in aqueous solution, specifically depending whether they are folded or extended. We can expect opposite behavior in organic solvents, as described by Steed and colleagues using different techniques (doi:10.1039/D3SC03841F).

In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?

In our work we specifically analyzed dipeptides with hydrophobic sidechains. It would be very interesting to study how general is the process, depending not only on the nature of the gelator and the solvent, but also on the molecular size and type of design. High value lies in the identification of spectroscopic signatures that can be quickly assigned to specific conformers, so as to easily predict which type of solid will arise from self-assembly.

Read Silvia’s Communcation article here: Diverging conformations guide dipeptide self-assembly into crystals or hydrogels by M. Monti, E. Scarel, A. Hassanali, M. Stener and S. Marchesan

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ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

18 Mar 2024

As part of these celebrations, we’ve brought together a special collection highlighting the latest work from the pioneering researchers who have supported the journal in reaching this milestone by serving on ChemComm’s Editorial and Advisory boards in the last two decades. Throughout the year, we’ll be catching up with these current and former Board Members to discuss their work and reflect on ChemComm’s 60th anniversary. Check out our first interviews with current Editorial Board chair, Professor Doug Stephan, and Advisory Board member, Professor Eli Zysman-Colman, below!

Doug Stephan, born in Hamilton ON, graduated with his BSc at McMaster (1976) and PhD at UWO (1980). After a NATO PDF at Harvard, he began his independent career at the University of Windsor (1982). He was promoted to Associate Professor (1985), full Professor(1992) and named a NSERC Industrial Research Chair (2001), University Professor (2002) and Canada Research Chair (2005). In 2008 he moved to the University of Toronto as a Professor and Canada Research Chair, In 2018, he was appointed University Professor. In 2020, he established an additional satellite laboratory at Ningbo University as a Zhedong Scholar Chair Professor. He was an Associated Editor for Chemical Society Reviews for 6 years, the Chair of the editorial board and is now Chair of the editorial board of Chemical Communications

A world-leading researcher in inorganic chemistry/catalysis, he is best known as the founder of the field of “frustrated Lewis pair” (FLP) chemistry. He has received a number of National and International awards, including Humboldt and Killam Fellowships. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (London), a Corresponding Member of North-Rhein-Westfaelia Academy of the Sciences and Arts (Germany) and was a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at King Abdulaziz University, and an Einstein Visiting Fellow at TU Berlin. More recently, he was the recipient of the 2019 J. C. Polanyi Award from NSERC of Canada, a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship the 2021 Killam Prize in Science and the 2022 F.A Cotton Award from the American Chemical Society. In 2023, he wqs named the John C. Polanyi Chair in Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

What attracted you to the role as Editorial Board Chair for ChemComm?

There are a number of positives that drew me to this role. Firstly, the journal has a solid reputation for publishing quality communications. The associate editors and board members are great scientists whom I admire, and all of the RSC staff are a pleasure to work with.

How have you seen ChemComm evolve over the years, and what aspects do you find most noteworthy?

I think that ChemComm, like the discipline has evolved in sophistication and rigor. Years ago, communications were very short reports of new concepts that were worthy of further study, and they were typically followed up with a fuller report. Today, communications go so much further, substantiating claims and providing much more credible proofs of principle. So much so that they most often stand on their own merit.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

I guess the thing I like the most is that as one scans the table of contents of an issue, one can find a very broad range of chemistry. Inorganic organic, materials, polymers, theoretical and physical chemistry are all covered. Thus, even if I do not read all the papers, I feel I am at least aware of important developments outside of my particular area.

In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?

As other journals take communications, full papers and numerous reviews, ChemComm stands out as the journal that focuses on communications. These short but impactful papers cover areas across the discipline of Chemistry and beyond.

Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?

I think that young (and old) scientists want to engage with quality, quality papers, quality reviewing and quality editors. The sustained focus of ChemComm on these aspects augurs well for continuing engagement of the community through the generations.

I also believe that ChemComm’s efforts to continue to increase their presence and use of social media is critically important. This is a terrific tool for the rapid dissemination of information allowing scientist to ensure that their community is aware of their work.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

Our recent ChemComm describes a unique synthetic route to phosphorus analogues of β-lactams, exploiting FLP-type reactions.

In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?

These compounds have potential to act as antimicrobial agents. We are developing collaborations to evaluate these species and related derivatives.

Read Doug’s full Communication here: Stannyl phosphaketene as a synthon for phosphorus analogues of β-lactams by Yong-an Luo, Zhao Zhao, Ting Chen, Yanguo Li, Yufen Zhao, Douglas Stephan and Yile Wu

Eli Zysman-Colman obtained his Ph.D. from McGill University in 2003 under the supervision of Prof. David N. Harpp as an FCAR scholar, conducting research in physical organic sulfur chemistry. He then completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one in supramolecular chemistry with Prof. Jay Siegel at the Organic Chemistry Institute, University of Zurich as an FQRNT fellow and the other in inorganic materials chemistry with Prof. Stefan Bernhard at Princeton University as a PCCM fellow. He joined the department of chemistry at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada as an assistant professor in 2007. In 2013, he moved to the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, UK, where he is presently Professor of Optoelectronic Materials, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a past holder of a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship. His research program focuses on the rational design of: (I) luminophores for energy-efficient visual displays and flat panel lighting based on organic light emitting diode (OLED) and light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEEC) device architectures; (II) sensing materials employed in electrochemiluminescence; and (III) photocatalyst developing for use in organic reactions.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

I enjoy the breadth of chemistry covered in Chem. Commun.

Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?

Our paper demonstrates a new multiresonant thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitter design, DDiKTa-F wherein we annelate on either side of a fluorene a known MR-TADF moiety that we had previous studied, DiKTa. In doing so, we produced a narrower, brighter and red-shifted emission compared to a previous emitter we had developed, DDiKTa. We then demonstrated its utility as the emitter in an organic-light emitting diode.

Read Eli’s Open Access Communcation article here: A fluorene-bridged double carbonyl/amine multiresonant thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter for efficient green OLEDs by Sen Wu, Ya-Nan Hu, Dianming Sun, Kai Wang, Xiao-Hong Zhang and Eli Zysman-Colman

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ChemComm Milestones – Jonathan De Tovar

01 Mar 2024

We are excited to share the success of Jonathan De Tovar’s first-time article in ChemComm; “Insights into non-covalent interactions in dicopper(ii,ii) complexes bearing a naphthyridine scaffold: anion-dictated electrochemistry” included in the full milestones collection.

Read our interview with Jonathan below.

What are the main areas of research in your lab and what motivated you to take this direction?

Our research team, CIRe, is actively engaged in addressing challenges related to bio-inspired catalysis, bio-targeted coordination chemistry, and photo-induced processes. CIRe’s work encompasses both fundamental research and practical applications, including strategies for the conversion of CO₂ and alkanes into high-value building blocks and hydrocarbon fuels, along with efficient solar energy utilization.

Additionally, while exploring diverse research domains, our trajectory is influenced by the challenges we encounter. For instance, we have delved into understanding the influence of non-covalent interactions in tuning the redox potentials of dicopper(II,II) complexes.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

This article positions itself within the broader context of non-covalent interactions in dicopper(II,II) complexes, with a specific focus on their impact on redox potentials. The significance of this work extends to the wider field of catalysis, where the exploration of non-covalent integrations holds promise for unlocking new possibilities in selective C-H functionalization. Our findings contribute to advancing the understanding of these interactions, providing valuable insights for the development of catalysts with enhanced efficiency and selectivity in challenging electrochemical reactions.

What do you hope your lab can achieve in the coming year?

In the coming year, our lab aims to further unravel the subtleties of non-covalent integrations in transition metal complexes for electrochemically catalyzed reactions. We aspire to refine our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and explore novel ligand architectures that enhance the catalytic performance of such complexes. Additionally, we aim to disseminate our findings through impactful publications and foster collaborations that will accelerate the translation of our research into practical applications.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

My journey to becoming an independent researcher has been marked by a continuous exploration of both molecular and colloidal catalysts for small molecules activations. Starting from my doctoral studies, where I investigated Pd- and Co-based (nano)catalyst for C-C coupling reactions and artificial photosynthesis, progressively focused on the development of my expertise in designing and optimizing molecular catalysts for pivotal transformations.

Continuing as postdoctoral researcher in the design of catalysts exhibiting agostic interactions followed by their immobilization trough both covalent and non-covalent interactions, highlighted the importance of such interactions when understanding the modus operandi and fate of catalysts under turnover conditions.

This journey has been instrumental in shaping my commitment to addressing challenges in different electrocatalysis domains and establishing myself as an independent researcher in the field of non-covalent interactions.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

One of the most valuable advices I received came from my colleague Dr. Catherine Belle: “Sometimes, it’s not just about focusing solely on the immediate path but exploring lateral perspectives. Learning to see things from other points of view by changing your way of thinking may help you better understand what surrounds you.”

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

Choosing to publish in ChemComm was a strategic decision aligned with the journal’s reputation for disseminating cutting-edge research. The rapid dissemination and broad readership of ChemComm provide an excellent platform for sharing our findings on non-covalent integrations in dicopper(II,II) complexes. By contributing to ChemComm, we aim to stimulate discussions within the scientific community and showcase the potential of our research to influence the broader landscape of catalytic transformations involving such non-covalent interactions.

Dr J. De Tovar completed his PhD in 2018 at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he explored Pd- and Co-based (nano)catalysts for C-C coupling reactions and artificial photosynthesis under the guidance of Dr. Jordi García-Antón and Dr. Xavier Sala. Notably, his research delved into photophysical and dynamical phenomena within molecular and colloidal systems, thanks to the privilege of engaging in collaborative research with esteemed scientists such as Dr. Karine Philippot (LCC-CNRS, Toulouse), Dr. Zoraida Freixa (UPV-EHU, San Sebastián), Dr. Antoni Llobet (ICIQ, Tarragone), and Dr. Nathan McClenaghan (ISM-CNRS, Bordeaux).

Following his doctoral studies, J. De Tovar continued his research by joining Dr. Laurent Djakovithc and Dr. Franck Rataboul for a 2-year postdoctoral stay at the Institute des Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon. There, he focused on developing NHC-containing Pd complexes for the in-situ generation of highly reactive Pd species in C-C coupling reactions. Afterward, he joined Dr. Vincent Artero and Dr. Matthieu Koepf at Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA-Grenoble), dedicating 2 years to studying the mechanisms of CO₂ and N₂ electrochemical reduction reactions using pincer-containing transition metal complexes.

In 2023, J. De Tovar joined Dr. Aurore Thibon-Pourret and Dr. Catherine Belle at the Département de Chimie Moléculaire – Université Grenoble Alpes as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on the development of Cu-based complexes for the activation and further selective oxidation of recalcitrant C-H bonds. His current research interests center around bio-inspired catalysis, showcasing his dedication to pushing the boundaries of knowledge in this dynamic field.

Twitter/X: @DCMGrenoble

Linkedin: Jonathan De Tovar Villanueva

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First Article in ChemComm – Dr Anuj K. Sharma

26 Feb 2024

We are pleased to highlight Anuj K. Sharma’s first article in ChemComm; “A bis-quinoline ruthenium(ii) arene complex with submicromolar cytotoxicity in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells“. We recently caught up with Anuj to discuss his work in more detail.

Read our interview with Anuj below.

What are the main areas of research in your lab and what motivated you to take this direction?

Our group in the Department of Chemistry at Central University of Rajasthan is practicing coordination chemistry and its wide possible applications in diseases like Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Ligands designed purposefully and then formations of interesting metal complexes showing useful medicinal applications are the main focus in our research group. We have been able to develop series of ruthenium and copper complexes that have potential to selectively kill cancerous cells. Detailed investigation of cell death mechanism remains a challenge that we undertake by collaborating with experts in this field. We are also working on developing multifunctional chelators capable of not only competing for metal ions from amyloid beta peptides but also to control their aggregation into toxic species. Socially relevant research topics are a natural motivation and keep us moving forward in these directions.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Prostate cancer is one of the most diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancies among men worldwide. While early-stage prostate cancer can often be successfully treated with surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy, some cases of the disease may become resistant to these treatments. Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) develops when prostate cancer resist standard treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which inhibits the production and signalling function of androgens (such as testosterone), which drive cancer’s growth. The main ligand design here involved use of quinoline moieties as inspired from its remarkable biological applications. In this article, we presented a new Ru(II) arene chlorido organometallic complex named as pCYRuL using 2-bis(quinolin-2-ylmethylene) hydrazine (Ligand L) that exhibit potent anticancer activity against a castration-resistant human prostatic adenocarcinoma cell line (PC-3) with 45 times more effective than the standard drug cisplatin. Very interestingly, pCYRuL is non-toxic in normal human kidney cells (HK2) as well as normal breast cells (MCF10A). Detailed studies reported in this article is about the mechanism of cell death as found that pCYRuL exerted anticancer activity via apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest.

What do you hope your lab can achieve in the coming year?

In the project of developing metal based anticancer agents, we are very curious to know what kinds of structure is favoured for their antitumor activity and how structural variations determine the activity. We are now attempting an “structure-Activity relationship” by preparing a series of similar complexes as reported in this ChemComm paper for a broader understanding of anticancer behaviour. In an another project, we are able to make a series of multifunctional chelators that can not only compete for metal ions with Amyloid-beta peptides but also act as antioxidants, potential acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors and much more. We are very excited to complete it soon and bring to the community. In addition, we would like to be very active for research grants and many other aims to maintain an active scientific exploration.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

I am very fortunate to be trained by two superb mentors, first by Prof. R. N. Mukherjee at IIT Kanpur as a Ph.D. student and then as a post-doc at Washington University in St. Louis, USA in the group of Prof. Liviu M Mirica. They have shaped me as a researcher in a way to do coordination chemistry with thinking and the one with definitive goals. I started my own research in year 2014 in the “still under construction” campus of Central University of Rajasthan, India. I was fortunate to have a DST_INSPIRE research grant that helped me in setting a decent synthetic chemistry lab initially. Series of first few Azo-Stilbene based metal chelators designed to chelate metals from amyloid forming peptides related to Alzheimer’s disease was published in Inorganica Chimica Acta, later we published more. More research grants from SERB, India were received to sustain the costly lab experiments. I have now more than 25 research papers but first in ChemComm is this one in 2024. I am helped by a number of collaborators and very thankful to all of them. Most special is to thank the Ph.D. scholars who worked extremely hard to make my ideas into reality. My group is slowly but steadily contributing to bioinorganic and medicinal inorganic chemistry and that is what I see myself doing in the years to come.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“Hard work always pays off” often told by my father.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

ChemComm has its wide readership, long history and huge reputation as one of the most prestigious journals of Chemistry. It is a matter of pride to have a manuscript accepted in ChemComm. Having a Ru complex with unusual activity in prostate cancer cell line was very interesting and first thought was to publish it in ChemComm as a short communication followed by the detailed work later. I always wanted to publish here and very happy to have finally one. Hope to produce more research results worthy to be published in this reputed journal.

Dr. Anuj Sharma (he/him) received his Master of Science in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India in the year 2004 and then Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India in 2009 working with Prof. Rabindranath Mukherjee in the area of Coordination Chemistry with special emphasis on magneto-structural correlations and electronic properties of metal complexes of non-innocent ligands. After completing Ph.D., he joined as postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, with Prof. Liviu M. Mirica till March 2014 and contributed significantly in the ongoing Alzheimer’s disease research directions. He joined Department of Chemistry, Central University of Rajasthan in March 2014, as DST-INSPIRE Faculty before he became a regular Assistant Professor in December 2016. His research interests lie in inorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry, to develop new smart inorganic complexes for applications as therapeutics for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. He has ~45 publications in high impact factor international journals and also a US patent to his credit. He has received Best research presentation awards in international conference of coordination chemistry, DST-INSPIRE faculty award, SERB International travel support and several sponsored research projects worth ~INR 25 million to his credit.

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Congratulations to the 2024 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize Winner: Hao Li

21 Feb 2024

We are delighted to announce that Professor Hao Li, at Zhejiang University, is the recipient of this year’s Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize in Supramolecular Chemistry. This prize, sponsored by ChemComm, is named in honour of the winners of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and recognises significant original and independent work in supramolecular chemistry. Please join us in celebrating Hao’s achievement.

Hao Li got his bachelor degree at Wuhan University in China in 2005. After getting a master degree in the group of Professor Chuluo Yang at Wuhan University in 2007, Hao Li moved to Northwestern University and got a PhD under the supervision of Fraser Stoddart in January of 2013. He then worked with Jonathan Sessler at the University of Texas at Austin as a postdoctoral research fellow until the June of 2015 when he moved back to China and joined Zhejiang University as a tenure-track professor. He was promoted as a tenured associated professor in 2021. Hao Li’s research focuses on dynamic covalent chemistry based on imine and its heteroatom derivatives such as hydrazone and oxime.

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ChemComm Milestones – James Cumby

20 Feb 2024

We are excited to share the success of James Cumby’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Mixed anion control of negative thermal expansion in a niobium oxyfluoride“ included in the full milestones collection.

Read our interview with James below.

What are the main areas of research in your lab and what motivated you to take this direction?

I am interested in how, by substituting oxygen with another anion (such as fluorine) we can directly tune the properties of inorganic materials.

Beneath this simple idea lies a lot of complexity. For instance, while the number of metal oxides known is huge (~100,000) only a few (~5,000) oxyfluorides have been reported. For an experimental chemist, this gives a lot of choice of materials to discover! Even once synthesised, the arrangement of oxide and fluoride ions within the material can have a big influence, but is difficult to analyse. To address these problems, my group combines experimental synthesis with advanced crystallography, as well as using data-driven computational models to predict and understand new materials.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Normally, materials expand as they get hotter. This can lead to problems like concrete cracking or dental fillings failing. A materials-based solution to these problems would be something that could stay the same volume as it was heated or cooled. Such materials exist, but they are very rare and difficult to design or control. In this research, we have discovered that by substituting oxygen with fluorine in a material we can directly control the thermal expansion behaviour. By tweaking the atomic composition, we can get a material that expands, stays the same, or even contracts as we heat it.

What do you hope your lab can achieve in the coming year?

Having discovered this new thermal expansion control, we hope to develop a better understanding of why it occurs and to extend the use of anion doping to related materials. Beyond this specific study, we will continue to develop machine learning models for predicting new materials, and to continue to develop tools to understand how anion structure influences physical properties.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

I began my research career at the University of Birmingham, UK, where I made and characterised magnetic analogues of a rare mineral called Schafarzikite under the supervision of Prof. Colin Greaves. During my PhD, I also used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand the magnetic behaviour of these compounds. As a postdoc I joined the group of Prof J. Paul Attfield, FRS at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Here, my focus switched to understanding charge-driven phase transitions in solids such as magnetite. I continued to synthesise new materials and explore or simulate their properties, but also developed my expertise in crystallography. Adding to my expertise in neutron powder diffraction, I helped to push the limits of micro-crystal X-ray diffraction (measuring small powder grains using single crystal diffraction) and gained expertise in total scattering (pair distribution function) techniques for analysing short-range atomic structure. Throughout this time I developed my interest in using crystallographic data to aid materials discovery.

As an independent group leader I combine a variety of approaches to solve research problems, and continue to explore new areas at the intersection of solid state chemistry, materials science, condensed matter physics and crystallography.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

I’m grateful to the many people who have given me advice during my career so far, but I doubt any of it can be expressed in a single quote! In lieu of that, I think a good guiding principle was best expressed by Prof. Linus Pauling:

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas”

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

The ChemComm format is perfect for studies which highlight a new research area with the potential for further exploration. The broad readership is the ideal audience for our work which shows an interesting chemical phenomenon, even though the exact cause requires a more extensive study.

Dr James Cumby is a lecturer (assistant professor) in inorganic chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, working in the School of Chemistry and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Birmingham, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Edinburgh. Following a year in a teaching-focussed role, he launched the functional materials group in 2019.

The functional materials research group aims to understand and exploit the effects of combining multiple anions in materials in order to control physical properties. Structure-property relationships are at the heart of what we do, and we try to ignore existing subject boundaries; methods we apply include experimental synthesis, detailed structural characterisation, and computational or data-driven methods.

Twitter/X: @CumbyLab

Website: www.cumby.chem.ed.ac.uk

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Chemical Communications Blog

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ChemComm’s 60th Anniversary – Ashlee Howarth

ChemComm’s 60th Anniversary – Youhei Takeda

ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

ChemComm Milestones – Abhijit Sau

ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

ChemComm 60th Anniversary Board Member Collection

ChemComm Milestones – Jonathan De Tovar

First Article in ChemComm – Dr Anuj K. Sharma

Congratulations to the 2024 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize Winner: Hao Li

ChemComm Milestones – James Cumby

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