Chemical Communications Blog

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 Dr Hamid Arandiyan (RMIT University) below!

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Dr. Hamid Arandiyan is a leader of the Critical Minerals for Clean Energy (CMCE) Research Group at the Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC) and a Senior Industry Research Fellow at the School of Science at RMIT University. His research is focused on resource recovery for environmental remediation, energy applications, hydrometallurgy, and solid-state chemistry. He is currently serving as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a Chartered Chemist with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (MRACI CChem). His publications have received notable recognition from ChemComm, including being featured in the “Pioneering Investigator” series in the ChemComm 60th Anniversary Collection (ChemComm 60, 2024, 5104-5135), highlighted as a “Hot Article” (ChemComm 54, 2018, 6484-6502), and included in the “Emerging Investigator Special Edition” (ChemComm 54, 2018, 6442-6457).

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

In my experience, ChemComm has significantly evolved over the years, expanding its scope and deepening its impact within the chemical sciences community. I have noticed the journal’s impressive integration of interdisciplinary research, particularly in areas like catalysis, materials science, and environmental science. What stands out to me the most is its increasing focus on emerging areas such as green chemistry, environmental remediation, energy applications, and sustainable materials. ChemComm’s rising reputation for high-quality, rapid communications reflects its ongoing commitment to excellence.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

My favourite thing about ChemComm is its commitment to rapidly broadcasting high-quality research. The journal’s ability to quickly publish cutting-edge findings allows researchers to stay at the forefront of scientific advancements, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and innovations. This rapid publication process and its interdisciplinary scope make ChemComm a fundamental platform for sharing impactful discoveries across the chemical sciences.

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

ChemComm’s format promotes concise and focused articles, making it an ideal platform for reporting breakthrough findings or discoveries in my field, such as heterogeneous catalysis, nanotechnology, functional materials, fundamental catalytic reaction mechanisms, and chemical surface sciences without requiring extensive background or supplementary material. Despite its fast publication times, ChemComm upholds a precise peer-review process, ensuring the high quality of published research.

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

The peer review process at ChemComm is known for being rigorous and efficient. Reviewers are selected for their expertise and are expected to provide thorough, constructive feedback, ensuring that only high-quality, impactful research is published. The interaction with the editorial team is professional and supportive, with Editors who are responsive and engaged in facilitating a smooth review process. Their commitment to maintaining high standards while ensuring a rapid publication timeline is a hallmark of the journal, making the overall experience both positive and rewarding for authors.

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

I believe there may be opportunities for ChemComm to enhance its support for future scientists, particularly early career researchers (ECRs). Initiatives such as dedicated sections for ECR-led research, mentorship programs, or hosting webinars and workshops on essential topics like scientific writing and career development could be beneficial. Additionally, offering more travel grants or awards for young researchers to present their work at conferences could potentially increase their visibility and networking opportunities.

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

Our recent review paper in ChemComm explores the advancements over the past decade in transition metal (TM)-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline media. TM-based electrocatalysts have attracted attention due to their high electronic conductivity, tunable valence electron configurations, stability, and cost-effectiveness. While noble metals like Pt, Ir, and Ru show promising performance, their high cost and limited availability restrict their use. Significant progress has been made in designing TM-based catalysts, including alloys, metal oxides, borides, carbides, phosphides, nitrides, and chalcogenides. This review highlights current trends, challenges, and prospects, providing valuable guidance for designing high-performance electrocatalysts for water-splitting applications.

Be sure to read Hamid’s Feature article, “Transition metal-based electrocatalysts for alkaline overall water splitting: advancements, challenges, and perspectives” to learn more!

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 Hon Wai Lam (University of Nottingham) below!

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Hon Lam obtained an MChem degree in chemistry from the University of Oxford in 1998, and a PhD in organic chemistry in 2001 from the University of Nottingham, where he worked under the supervision of Gerald Pattenden, FRS. During 2002-2003 he was a postdoc with David A. Evans at Harvard University. He began his independent academic career at the School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh in October 2003 and moved to the School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham in October 2013, where he is currently a Professor of Organic Synthesis. Hon’s research interests are in the development of new reactions and strategies for organic synthesis, for the efficient preparation of valuable building blocks and target compounds.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

I have found submitting papers to ChemComm to be a smooth process; the communication with the editors has always been professional, courteous, and fair, and the standard of peer review is high. The team at ChemComm is also very keen to build good relations with authors and reviewers.

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

Morphinan opioids are therapeutically important compounds used in the treatment of pain and other disorders, and several are classified as World Health Organisation Essential Medicines. One subset of morphinan opioids are 14-hydroxy-6-oxomorphinans without an E-ring (lacking a 4,5-ether linkage), and these have been shown to have interesting biological activities. Previously, these compounds have been prepared only through semisynthetic methods using natural product starting materials (mainly through the poppy plant). Our recent ChemComm paper describes a way to prepare these compounds using total synthesis starting from commercially available chemicals. The synthesis is applicable to the synthesis of the non-natural enantiomeric series of morphinans, which is not possible using poppy-derived starting materials. The biological activities of two compounds prepared, 4,5-desoxynaltrexone and 4,5-desoxynaloxone were also measured against the opioid receptors, and were found to be partial agonists.

Be sure to read Hon’s open access article, “Enantioselective de novo synthesis of 14-hydroxy-6-oxomorphinans”, to learn more!

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 Shuli You (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry) below!

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

Over the years, ChemComm has expanded to a very broad scope covering all topics in chemistry.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

I am very impressed with the rapid publication process, which allows scientists to share their exciting findings promptly with the scientific community.

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

ChemComm is a prestigious primary chemistry journal with world-class and professional editorial teams.

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

The peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm are smooth and pleasant.

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

Continuing to support younger researchers by creating special issues featuring early-career researchers and providing them a platform to showcase their work.

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

The C-H alkynylation of 1-aryl isoquinolines with hypervalent iodine-alkyne reagents was realized in the presence of chiral cyclopentadienyl-Rh(III) complex, providing axially chiral alkynylated 1-aryl isoquinolines in excellent yields and enantioselectivity.

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

The ongoing research down the road includes the construction of structurally diverse chiral molecules by enantioselective C–H functionalization reactions and their potential applications in organic synthesis.

Be sure to read the article, “Rh(iii)-catalyzed atroposelective C–H alkynylation of 1-aryl isoquinolines with hypervalent iodine–alkyne reagents” to learn more!

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 Dr Karthikeyan Sekar (SRM Institute of Science and Technology) below!

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Dr. Karthikeyan Sekar currently working as a Research Assistant Professor, at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, India. Visiting Faculty at the University of Edinburg, Scotland, UK and JSPS Invitational Fellow at Kyushu University, Japan. Before joining SRMIST, he worked as Special Researcher at the University of Tokyo. He has received prestigious the Royal Society Newton International alumni grant in this September 2021, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan (2018 to 2020), and the Royal Society Newton International Fellowship at Aston University (2016 to 2018), UK. He has awarded the Fellow of Higher Education Academy, United Kingdom (2018). He has many memberships few namely Member of International Water Association, Member of Royal Society of Chemistry, UK; Member of Member of American Chemical Society, USA; International Academic Partner of Africa Centers of Excellence Project.  His research interest towards development of biomass derived carbon-based materials used as a catalyst for energy and environmental remediation. He has published 129 research articles (Advanced Energy Materials, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Chemical communications, ChemSusChem, ACS applied Materials & Interfaces, Green Chemistry, PCCP, Langmuir etc., Citation 5360, h-index 36), including four patents (one international), which has transferred many industries in India and abroad.

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

ChemComm has been evolving with the publications dealing with interesting explorations, new findings, and novel research outputs.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

One of the favourite things about ChemComm is, easy submission process, ability to track the status of the submitted manuscript and swift final decision. The ‘communication’ option given for immediate publication of new emergent output is highly appreciative.

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

The standard of ChemComm lies in the quality of the research that gets published every year irrespective of the different branches in chemistry.

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

The peer review process is seemingly transparent where the quality of the manuscript is highlighted and modified during the same. The cooperative results from the editorial team along with the reviewers’ opinion is non-negotiable in compliance with the journal standards.

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

In the recent communication, we reported the creation of an interface between the crystalline and amorphous phases of nickel sulfide configuring the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction rate in an alkaline medium with an enhancement in the intrinsic activity. The intriguing interplay of different phases enabled to achieve an ultra-low overpotential of 15mV to deliver 10 mAcm^-2 current density.

Be sure to read the article, “Crystalline/amorphous nickel sulfide interface for high current density in alkaline HER: surface and volume confinement matters!” to learn more!

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 Dr Chaohua Cui (Soochow University) below!

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Dr. Chaohua Cui is currently a professor at Soochow University. He received his Ph.D. degree in chemistry in 2014 from Hong Kong Baptist University under the supervision of Prof. Wai-Yeung Wong. His research focus is on organic photovoltaic materials and devices. His research accomplishments are summarized in over 90 peer-review journal articles in Adv. Mater., Energy Environ. Sci., Angew. Chem., etc., which have received over 6000 citations. He serves as an Associate Editor for Royal Society Open Science and a Young Advisory Board Member for InfoMat and InfoScience. He was selected as “Emerging Investigator” by Journal of Materials Chemistry A in 2020, Chemical Communications in 2021, and Science China Chemistry in 2021, respectively.

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

I have seen ChemComm constantly adheres to the purpose of publishing urgent results with outstanding significance from across the chemical sciences over the years. The papers published in ChemComm represent the high impact research achievements in chemical sciences. It is noteworthy that the authors could receive many helpful revision suggestions to improve the manuscript and the publication times are very fast. My first research paper (first author) was published in ChemComm. I really enjoy the publication experience offered by the journal.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

My favourite thing about ChemComm is the requirement of communication format which is ideally suited to short and urgent studies, prompting the authors and readers to focus on the outstanding significance of the work.

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

I would describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm is efficient and professional.

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

In addition to efficiency, device stability is a critical issue that should be addressed during the development of organic solar cells. Designing all-fused-ring acceptors is a feasible strategy to tackle the inherent instability issue of organic photovoltaic materials. In our recent ChemComm publication, we developed three all-fused-ring acceptor molecules with different conjugated expansion directions to investigate their photovoltaic performance. Our results reveal the structure–performance–stability relationship of all-fused-ring acceptors, which provides important guidelines for the further design of high-performance and stable OSCs.

Be sure to read the article, “Conjugated backbone optimization of an all-fused-ring acceptor for efficient and stable organic solar cells” to learn more!

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 Yong Ding (Lanzhou University) below!

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Yong Ding received his Ph.D. degree from Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005. Then, he joined Lanzhou University. In 2009, he went to Emory University as a visiting scholar. He is now the director of the institute of physical chemistry of Lanzhou University and is Feitian scholar distinguished professor. He is the editorial board of Chin. J. Catal., Chin. Chem. Lett. and Polyoxometalates. As the corresponding author, he published more than 160 research papers. Ding’s main research interests are as follows: 1) Water splitting; 2) CO2 reduction reaction; 3) Synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications of polyoxometalates.

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

The review speed is very fast, and there is timely interaction with the editorial team

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

My recent ChemComm publication title is Recent development of photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide” (10.1039/D4CC01577K), the summary is as follows: This highlight article summarizes the recent developments in the photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide. This review first briefly introduces the reaction pathway, detection techniques and evaluation metrics. Then, the recent advances in photocatalysts are highlighted. Furthermore, the existing challenges and possible solutions in this field are presented. At last, we look forward to the future development direction of this field. This review provides valuable insights and guidance for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production.

Be sure to read the Highlight article, “Recent developments in photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide” to learn more!

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 Shenyou Nie (Chongqing Medical University) below!

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Shenyou Nie was born in 1986 and received his BS degree (2009) from Wuhan University. He completed his PhD (2014) at Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry(SIOC, P. R.of China) under the supervision of Prof. Biao Yu. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the labs of Prof. Arun K Ghosh(Purdue University, 2015-2016) and Prof. Yongcheng Song(Baylor College of Medicine, 2016-2020), respectively. He started his independent research at Chongqing Medical University in 2020. His research interests focus on the development of small molecule inhibitors and degraders targeting ferroptosis and cancer, and construction of diverse compound libraries based on employing Ugi reaction, photoredox catalysis and C-H activation/domino strategies.

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

ChemComm has drawn my great attention since I started my research in organic chemistry in 2009 as a first-year doctoral student. I was impressed by its consistent publishing the outstanding and significant research work across the chemical sciences worldwide. Thus, I feel excited to submit my first research work to ChemComm when I became an independent academic principal investigator.

What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?

The layout of the research article in ChemComm is my favorite. It is concise, clear, and straightforward, which could quickly draw the interest of the general reader.

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

In my opinion, I would like to say that ChemComm features a timely and efficient peer-review process with high-quality control.

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

During the peer-review process, the most impressive thing was the professional and thoughtful scientific questions raised by the editor and the reviewers, which significantly improved the quality of our paper. Moreover, the editorial team deals with the article rigorously and efficiently. In addition, the proofing of the article is very convenient.

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

In 2023, our group published our first research work on ChemComm, which is a one-pot base-promoted post-Ugi 5-exo-dig “Conia-ene” type cyclization, enabling metal-free access to diverse 2,2-disubstituted 3-methyleneindoline derivatives under room temperature (Chem. Commun., 2023, 59, 3099-3102). We found that an intramolecular hydrogen bond plays a vital role for the Conia-ene type cyclization. Inspired by this key finding, we further developed a DBU-catalyzed post-Ugi amide-ester exchange and Conia-ene double cyclization reaction, facilitating the construction of bioactive benzo-fused spiroindolines in a “Green” fashion with significant anticancer activity (Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 5455-5458).

Be sure to read the Communication, “Green synthesis for diverse bioactive benzo-fused spiroindolines through DBU-catalysed post-Ugi double cyclization” to learn more!