Chemical Communications Blog

We are excited to share the success of Rajendra Kumar Konidena’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “A streamlined steric-shielding approach toward efficient narrowband (FWHM ∼ 18 nm) ultra-violet emitters for OLEDs” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Rajendra below.

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

Replacing traditional metal-based functional materials with purely organic alternatives in energy-related optoelectronic devices and biomedical applications is one of the current key goals of chemical sciences research. Despite their advantages in cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability, achieving high performance demands a deep understanding of the interplay between molecular structure and functional properties. Driven by this challenge, our group — the Organic Materials Laboratory (OM-Lab) at IIT Patna — is dedicated to designing and synthesizing innovative organic building blocks and exploring their structure–property correlations and device performances. Our long-term vision is to develop efficient organic materials that can enable real-world devices with significant technological and societal impact.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Developing metal-free, purely organic narrowband ultraviolet (UV) emitters with emission < 380 nm remains a significant challenge. UV emitters are not just important in lighting and display technologies— they also play key roles in sterilization, sensing, photocatalysis, and biomedical imaging. Traditional approaches often rely on complex boron-based systems, which limit scalability and sustainability. Our work addresses this gap by introducing a simple, yet versatile, molecular design by combining two rigid organic building blocks — indolocarbazole and carbazole — in a sterically controlled, non-conjugated fashion. This design unveiled a new molecule that produces sharp, color-pure UV emission with an impressively narrow bandwidth. This study highlights how smart molecular engineering can lead to cost-effective, sustainable, and high-performance organic materials that could power the next wave of optoelectronics.

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

The group has now grown to a substantial size, and individual research projects are gaining momentum. In the coming year, I hope our lab will continue to explore new molecular designs and synthesize new heterocyclic building blocks that challenge the boundaries of what organic materials can do. My vision is that each discovery from our lab should bring us a step closer to being both scientifically exciting and technologically impactful.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

There have been many crucial moments that have shaped my journey to where I am today, and I am deeply grateful to the many people who have supported me along the way—especially my supervisors. Their invaluable guidance and mentorship have played a central role in shaping me into the scientist I am today.

I earned my Ph.D. in 2017 under the guidance of Prof. K. R. Justin Thomas at IIT Roorkee, where I developed a keen interest in functional organic materials for optoelectronic applications. Following my Ph.D., I held a NRF-sponsored Postdoctoral Fellowship in Prof. Jun Yeob Lee’s group at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea, where I explored advanced organic emitters for modern displays. I then worked with Prof. X. L. Feng at TU Dresden, Germany, and later with Prof. Jangwook Park in South Korea. Subsequently, I joined Prof. Takuma Yasuda’s group at Kyushu University, Japan, where I developed multiresonant TADF materials for OLEDs.  Across these experiences, I gained deep expertise in the rational design, synthesis, and structure–property studies of organic functional materials, which have become the foundation of my research philosophy. Motivated to translate these experiences into a distinct research vision, I established the independent research group, named OM-Lab at IIT Patna in 2024.

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

I’ve been fortunate to receive valuable advice from many mentors, but the quote immediately come to mind while reading this is from my Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Justin: “Keep trying until you succeed” It continues to shape my approach to research and life.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose ChemComm for its strong reputation in publishing high-quality, interdisciplinary, and cutting-edge research. Its broad and diverse readership also provides an excellent platform to maximize the visibility and impact of our work

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Dr Rajendra Kumar Konidena is an accomplished chemist with a strong academic and research background in organic chemistry and functional materials. He earned his Ph.D at IIT-Roorkee in 2017 under the guidance of Prof. K. R. Justin Thomas. Then, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship sponsored by the NRF at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea, in Prof. Jun Yeob Lee group. He then joined the TU- Dresden, Germany, for a short postdoctoral stint. In July 2021, he began his tenure as a Research Professor at Kyung Hee University, Korea until March 2022. Subsequently, he moved to Kyushu University, Japan, where he served as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow until April 2023. During his journey, he has been received prestigious fellowships, including the National Postdoctoral Fellowship, Ramanujan Fellowship (SERB, India), NRF Postdoctoral Fellowship (South Korea), JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, Marie-Curie ERA Fellowship. In May 2024, Dr Konidena joined the Department of Chemistry at IIT Patna as Assistant Professor. His research interests lie in the design and synthesis of innovative organic functional materials for applications in optoelectronics and biomedical sciences.   Group webpage: https://rkonidena531.wixsite.com/organic-materials–1

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We are excited to share the success of Hongbing Wang’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Surface acidity as the decisive descriptor for hydroxyl-mediated hydrogen spillover in hydrogen isotope exchange” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Hongbing below.

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

My group at Chengdu University of Technology focuses on computational catalysis and materials design. We use first-principles calculations to understand reaction mechanisms at the atomic level and to design novel, efficient catalysts for sustainable chemical processes. I was motivated by the urgent global need for clean energy solutions, and I believe that fundamental, theory-driven research can accelerate the discovery of materials for critical applications like hydrogen energy and CO₂ valorization.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

This work on hydrogen isotope exchange is crucial for advancing hydrogen energy technologies. Efficiently separating hydrogen isotopes like deuterium and tritium is vital for heavy water production in nuclear reactors and for fuel processing in future fusion power plants. Our paper reveals that surface acidity is a key factor, providing a clear design principle for developing better catalysts for these important, large-scale applications.

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

In the coming year, I hope to grow my research team by recruiting talented graduate students. We aim to expand our research from fundamental understanding to tackling more complex catalytic systems described in our article. Securing new funding and establishing strong collaborations with experimental groups will also be a key focus, as we want to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and real-world applications.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

My journey began with my undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at Chengdu University of Technology. My master’s at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and my PhD at the Institute of Materials, CAEP, provided me with a solid foundation in catalysis and materials science. I was fortunate to have excellent mentors who encouraged curiosity and independent thinking. The desire to pursue my own research ideas and to mentor the next generation of scientists was the driving force behind my decision to start my own lab.

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

The best piece of advice I’ve received is “Focus on the important problems.” In research, it’s easy to get lost in minor details. This advice constantly reminds me to step back, look at the bigger picture, and direct my efforts toward questions that could truly make a difference in our field.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

ChemComm is a prestigious journal with a broad readership across all areas of chemistry. We chose it because we wanted our findings on a fundamental aspect of catalysis to reach a wide and diverse audience quickly. The journal’s reputation for publishing timely and significant research made it the perfect venue for our first independent work.

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Hongbing Wang is a  Associate Professor  at Chengdu University of Technology. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Chengdu University of Technology, followed by a master’s degree in the same field from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was awarded his PhD from the Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics. Throughout his academic career, his research interests have focused on heterogeneous catalysis, with specific expertise in interface catalysis, zeolite-mediated transformations, C1 chemistry, and solar-driven interfacial evaporation.

Explore more ChemComm Milestones news and updates on our Bluesky Feed (‪@chemcomm.rsc.org‬) and LinkedIn (ChemComm Journal)

We are excited to share the success of Marcel Schorpp’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “A diazadiphospholenium cation featuring a reactive P=P bond: synthesis and reversible main-group bond activation” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Marcel below.

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

Our lab focuses on reactive main-group species, particularly the design and synthesis of molecular systems capable of reversible bond activation. A central theme is triggerable reactivity. We investigate compounds that respond to external stimuli, such as coordination, redox changes, and photoexcitation, enabling the controlled uptake, release, or transformation of chemical bonds.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

This article introduces a new heterocyclic cation featuring a reactive P=P bond. Typically, compounds with heavier p-block element multiple bonds require substantial kinetic stabilization through bulky ligand frameworks. In contrast, our system features a sterically exposed formal P=P double bond, which remains stable yet reactive. We believe its stability arises from a delicate balance between electronic delocalization and cationic charge. We are currently exploring its coordination chemistry and have already made some exciting observations. Looking ahead, we aim to extend this motif to other p-block elements, where we anticipate similarly intriguing reactivities and bonding scenarios.

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

The group has now reached a decent size. It’s starting to look like the individual research projects are taking up pace, and we hope to finalize some stories from the various research directions we’re currently exploring over the next year.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

My journey isn’t anything unusual: I completed a Ph.D. followed by two postdoctoral positions. I finished my Ph.D. just as COVID hit, which unfortunately prevented me from pursuing a planned postdoc in Australia. Thanks to the flexibility of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, I was able to change plans on short notice. While that period was challenging, everything has worked out well in the end, likely due to a good portion of luck and the excellent mentors I met along the way, who played a key role in shaping my path.

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

I’ve had, and still have, many great supervisors and colleagues whose advice has been truly impactful. However, the quote that immediately came to mind while reading this is: “You have to be in it to win it,” a phrase a good friend often used to say.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

ChemComm was the right fit for this work due to its focus on concise, high-impact communications and its broad readership in inorganic and main-group chemistry. It’s an excellent platform for sharing new molecular designs and reactivity concepts.

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Marcel Schorpp studied Chemistry at Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, earning both B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees. During this time, he completed a research internship with Prof. Jose Goicoechea, working on structurally constrained main-group compounds. From 2017 to 2020, he pursued a Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Ingo Krossing, focusing on the development of novel cationic oxidants and reactive main-group cations for bond activation. He then held a postdoctoral position with Prof. Lutz Greb at Heidelberg University, investigating structural constraint and electromerism in stibenium ↔ stibonium systems, demonstrating triggerable Lewis superacidity. From 2021 to 2023, he joined the group of Prof. Simon Aldridge at the University of Oxford, co-supervised by Prof. Cameron Jones, as a Feodor Lynen Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. His research there explored Group 14 and 15 compounds bearing aluminyl ligands for bond activation. Since April 2023, he has been a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Regensburg, where his research focuses on main-group compounds with triggerable reactivity. Instagram: @schorpplab Bluesky: @m-schorpp.bsky.social webpage: go.ur.de/schorpp-group

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We are excited to share the success of Yang Song’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Aqueous–organic hybrid electrolyte stabilizing zinc metal anodes” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Yang below.

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

My research group focuses on the following areas: Molten salt electrochemistry, including the reduction mechanism of titanium ions in molten salts, the design and development of molten salt aluminum-ion batteries, and the molten salt synthesis of MAX and Mxene materials. In terms of energy conversion, my research is dedicated to the development of novel electrolytes and electrode materials, as well as the electrochemical performance regulation of multivalent batteries (magnesium, aluminum, and zinc). We have chosen zinc-ion batteries as our research focus because zinc anodes offer advantages such as high specific capacity, low redox potential, low cost, and high safety, making zinc-based batteries highly promising for large-scale grid energy storage systems.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Organic electrolytes exhibit excellent cycling stability and electrochemical performance, making them a focal point of extensive research interest in the optimization of zinc-ion battery electrolytes. Currently, systems utilizing solvents such as dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), and acetonitrile (AN) effectively suppress hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) through the high thermodynamic stability of the solvents, thereby mitigating parasitic reactions caused by water. However, practical applications face dual challenges: the inherent flammability of these organic solvents poses safety concerns, while the expensive fluorinated zinc salts, such as Zn(OTf)₂ and Zn(TFSI)₂, significantly hinder large-scale commercialization. Here, we propose a cost-effective, non-flammable hydrated organic electrolyte composed of DMF, H₂O, and hydrated Zn(BF₄)₂ salt, and report on the impact of Zn(BF₄)₂ concentration on the cycling stability of the zinc anode. At the optimal Zn(BF₄)₂ concentration, DMF plays a dominant role in the dissolution structure of Zn²⁺, reducing the amount of active water involved in Zn²⁺ coordination. This dissolution structure also facilitates the in-situ formation of a ZnF₂ solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the zinc anode, thereby suppressing zinc dendrite growth.

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

In the coming year, we aim to develop an electrolyte additive capable of in-situ film-forming and self-healing at the zinc anode interface, and to elucidate its interfacial self-repair mechanisms. Aligned with our research focus, theoretical and experimental studies on high-performance electrolytes based on Zn-Cl ion coordination are anticipated to achieve breakthroughs in the coming year.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

I obtained my Master’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology Beijing in 2017. During this period, I received extensive training in molten salt electrochemistry and battery technology, acquiring expertise in designing molten salt batteries. Subsequently, I joined Seres Group to engage in the design and development of powertrain battery systems, participating in multiple automotive battery projects. In 2020, I commenced my Ph.D. studies at Chongqing University, focusing on developing regulation strategies for zinc anodes in zinc-ion batteries. As the first author, I have published seven high-impact papers in journals including Advanced Functional Materials (2) and Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2), accumulating 279 citations to date. These research experiences have cultivated strong independent research capabilities, laid the foundation for my current projects, and established me as a proficient independent researcher.

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

“Opportunity favors the prepared mind.” This guiding principle has carried me through challenging periods in my research career, sustaining my optimism and confidence.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

As an energy electrochemistry researcher, I am a regular reader of ChemComm which is one of the best journals in the field of chemical science. The reviewer’s comments are very helpful in improving the quality of submitted manuscripts. I am also especially impressed by its strong support to early career researchers.

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Yang Song is an early-career researcher in energy electrochemistry, specializing in novel electrolyte design, electrode materials development, and electrochemical performance modulation for multivalent batteries (Mg/Al/Zn). He received his B.Eng. (2014) and M.Eng. (2017) in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and recently completed his Ph.D. (2024) in Chemical Engineering and Technology at Chongqing University. His current research focuses on molten-salt synthesis of MAX/MXene materials and rational engineering of charge-carrier coordination chemistry for next-generation energy storage systems

Explore more ChemComm Milestones news and updates on our Bluesky Feed (‪@chemcomm.rsc.org‬) and LinkedIn (ChemComm Journal)

We are excited to share the success of Ramkrishna Sarkar’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Benzyl ether: a dynamic covalent motif for designing a trans-ether based covalent adaptable network (CAN)” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Ramkrishna below.

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

Our group’s research is currently focused on the development of sustainable polymers, with research spanning four key areas:

A) The development of the chemistry for the covalent adaptable network (CAN) or Vitrimer.

B) The upcycling of polymer waste.

C) The making and breaking (recycling) of the sustainable polymer.

D) Improving mechanical performances and applicability of hydrogels.

Polymers play a pivotal role in modern society but also contribute significantly to pollution and economic losses. This dual challenge has motivated our research direction. Our goal is to minimize polymer waste, recover embedded energy, and make polymers more sustainable through innovative chemistry.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) are a unique class of polymeric materials that combine the mechanical strength of thermosets with the reprocessability of thermoplastics. Recent research in this area has focused on developing chemistries that impart both robustness and dynamic properties to CANs.

Inspired by the ether linkages’ robustness and versatility, we introduce trans-ether exchange as a robust dynamic chemistry to design CAN. The developed CAN demonstrated notable thermal stability, malleability, and reprocessability. The spectrum of materials with ether linkages is vast. We anticipate that incorporating dynamic ether chemistry into polymeric materials will lead to significant interest in developing robust dynamic materials.

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

In the coming year, we hope to develop chemistries for CANs and focus on the upcycling of waste plastic with an emphasis on their commercial and economic viability.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

At the beginning of my undergraduate studies, I developed a passion for physical chemistry (quantum mechanics!), which shifted towards organic chemistry at a later stage.  Subsequently, I enrolled in the integrated M.Sc-PhD program at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, which provided me with early exposure to the research environment. I had the opportunity to pursue my PhD in polymer science under the guidance of Prof. S. Ramakrishnan. The interdisciplinary nature of polymer science, combining aspects of physical and organic chemistry, aligned perfectly with my interests. My love for organic chemistry allowed me to design polymers with targeted properties, while my passion for physical chemistry was essential for understanding their behavior. My post-doctoral research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands, in the group of Prof. Anja Palmans, expanded my knowledge of the various sustainability aspects of polymer science. In May 2022, I joined the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur as an assistant professor where I am currently pursuing my independent research career.

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

It’s better to learn something good even if it is late.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose ChemComm because of its strong reputation for publishing high-quality, interdisciplinary, and cutting-edge research. Additionally, the journal’s broad readership helps enhance the visibility and impact of the work.

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Ramkrishna Sarkar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. He was an integrated PhD fellow at the Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore.  He received his M.Sc. in 2014 and earned his PhD in 2019 under the supervision of Prof. S. Ramakrishnan. He has carried out his post-doctoral research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands, in the group of Prof. Anja Palmans. In May 2022, he joined IIT Kanpur as an Assistant Professor, where he is now pursuing an independent research career. Research interests of his group include vitrimers/covalent adaptable network, the development of sustainable polymers from renewable resources and their closed-loop recycling, upcycling of polymer waste, reusable polymeric coatings, and enhancing the mechanical properties and functionality of hydrogels.

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We are excited to share the success of Storm Hassell-Hart’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Brønsted acid-mediated thiazole synthesis from sulfoxonium ylides” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Storm below.

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

As in my career, the research in my lab aims to use and develop synthetic organic chemistry with medicinal chemistry or biological applications.

Our current research is divided into two main areas.

1. The synthesis and application of sulfoxonium ylides. These species are typically used as surrogates for the synthetically powerful, but unstable, diazo compounds. In comparison to diazo compounds, these compounds are typically stable at room temperature and have no associated risks of explosion. Despite these advantages, research into sulfoxonium ylides remains relatively underexplored. Our research is therefore aimed at improving methods to access these species and expanding the transformations they can be used for.
2. The development of cheap and affordable robotic systems for drug discovery and synthesis. We aim to develop and showcase new robotic protocols for synthesis, using systems which are accessible for any research laboratory.

After conducting my Master’s project in the area of total synthesis, I wanted to apply my love of organic synthesis to help others. My major motivation is to conduct research that others will use, whether it be a new/improved synthetic method for medicinally chemistry relevant molecules, or the development new technologies. I believe that organic synthesis has the potential to impact a huge range of fields and want to be part of that.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Despite being developed well over a century ago, the Hantzsch thiazole synthesis remains the most common method to synthesise thiazoles, a common motif in drug discovery and natural products. One of the major drawbacks of the methodology is the use of potentially unstable and toxic α-halo carbonyls. New methods have been developed to avoid these by using safe/stable sulfoxonium ylides, but these have required expensive transition metals, forcing conditions, or suffered from low scope. Our new work addresses all these issues. Using a cheap commercial acid catalyst and mild conditions, we have developed conditions to prepare huge range of thiazoles from sulfoxonium ylides. The mild methods can be used on small scale or could be translated to industrial scales, without any safety issues.

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

In the coming year we hope to present a Lewis acid catalysed sulfoxonium ylide transformation we have been working on, as well as our work optimising an unexpected side-reaction from our thiazole work. We also have an active project ongoing for the development of automated cross-couplings which we hope to present in the near future.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

There have been many key moments which have led me to where I am today and I am indebted to a huge amount of people along the way, most notably all my supervisors. The amazing advice and training they have given me has made me into the scientist I am today.

Doing an industrial PhD with GSK/University of Strathclyde, gave me the opportunity to experience both the industrial and academic sides of organic chemistry. After graduating, I decided that I was most interested in more challenging organic synthesis and moved to the University of Sussex for my first postdoctoral position. Here I was exposed to a huge range of different synthetic and medical chemistry projects which helped develop my independence and ideas. This was further nurtured at UCL, encouraging me to test ideas and explore my own research. In 2022 I returned to Sussex as a lecturer, and have continued to build on these teachings and hopefully pass them on to my own students.

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

My (much missed) industrial PhD supervisor, Dr Vipulkumar Patel, gave me the advice “to do what you love”. At the time, I was finishing my PhD and debating whether I wanted to stay in industry or move to an academic postdoctoral position. Vipul sat me down and had a frank chat with me about what made me happy and what I enjoyed and it made my choice clear. I try to always carry that advice with me, even when another “simple” experiment has gone disastrously wrong on a Friday evening!

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose to publish in ChemComm due to its high regard and its diverse organic and medicinal readership. The objective of our research is to provide methods that will be widely applicable and the journal seemed a great fit to showcase our recent results.

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Storm Hassell-Hart is a lecturer at the University of Sussex. He obtained his BA and MSci from the University of Cambridge in Natural Sciences, conducting his MSci research in the group of Professor Steve Ley. He was awarded his PhD as part of the GSK/University of Strathclyde collaborative PhD scheme (2017) under the supervision of Professor William Kerr and Dr Vipulkumar Patel. He then moved to the University of Sussex to join the group of Professor John Spencer, working on a range of synthetic and medicinal chemistry projects. In 2021, he moved to UCL, joining the group of Professor Anderson, exploring the synthesis of luciferin and oxyluciferin analogues. Finally, in 2022 he returned to the University of Sussex to take up a lecturing position. Throughout his career, Storm’s research interests have focused on the use of synthetic chemistry to enable cutting edge biological and medicinal chemistry projects.

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

We are excited to share the success of Abhishek Kumar’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Removal of mercury and lead ions from water by bioinspired N₃Se₃ type small sized moieties” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Abhishek below.

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

My lab is primarily interested in design, development and evaluation of organoselenium species for application in (a) removal of toxic metal ions and (b) photocatalysis.

There are two reasons for taking up the current direction of research.

(i) Selenium is an essential micronutrient and plays a critical role in reducing oxidative stress in humans. It is also known to play an important role in detoxification of heavy metal ions from human body by forming metal-selenium bonded compounds. However, it is surprising that most of the systems developed for the removal of heavy metal ions continue to focus primarily on sulfur which is the lighter congener of selenium.

(ii) The photoactive nature of selenium is well established in the form of various metal selenides. However, the use of organoselenium compounds as photocatalyst remains largely unexplored.

The comparatively lower attention on organoselenium chemistry is the reason behind these gaps. Therefore, the main motivation to work in this direction is to contribute towards bringing out newer design aspects and their wider applications to further enrich organoselenium chemistry.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Due to our current pace of development, there has been an increasing concentration of toxic heavy metal ions in the environment particularly water. The chronic ingestion of relatively small daily doses of these pollutants is associated with dramatic overall health effects in humans. A serious effort is required to reduce usage and at the same time removal of already circulating ions. The biological studies have clearly indicated “selenophilicity” i.e. selenium loving nature is the reason behind detoxification and removal of these ions from human body with the concomitant loss of activity of selenoproteins. However, it is appalling that almost no research effort in selenium chemistry has been devoted to synthesis and identification of selenium based practical and cost-effective systems for remediation and removal of the toxic metal ions. In the current research project we are focusing on designing, synthesis and evaluation of practical, cost effective selenium based moieties for removal of toxic metal ions.

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

In the coming year we hope to design and bring to fruition better organoselenium moieties for removal of multiple toxic metal ions. At the same time we also hope to bring out our first results on photocatalytic aspects of organoselenium moieties in the coming year.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

During my Ph.D. from IIT Delhi under the supervision of Prof. Jai Deo Singh I worked in the area of development of organochalcogen species and their potential applications as chemical sensors. After completing my Ph.D. in 2012 I moved to Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), South Korea to work with Prof. Dr. Jin-Ook Baeg as a postdoctoral researcher in the area of photocatalyst-biocatalyst integrated artificial photosynthetic systems (2012-2016). After returning from South Korea, I was selected by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) for Senior Research Associateship (SRA-Pool Scientist) and consequently joined IIT Delhi as SRA in June 2017. In January 2020, I joined as Assistant Professor in Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where I am currently pursuing my independent research career.

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

The best piece of advice was given to me by my Ph.D. supervisor Prof. Jai Deo Singh “be patient in research and don’t lose focus or be disheartened by negative results”.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

ChemComm is an internationally recognised journal for publishing high quality research work across the entire spectrum of chemical sciences.  Due to this wide readership my work published in the journal would be noticed by chemists working in all branches of chemistry. The fast publication time is an added benefit of publishing in ChemComm.

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Abhishek Kumar received his B.Sc. (2002) from University of Delhi. He then joined Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) for M.Sc. (2004) followed by Ph.D. (2012) in Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Jai Deo Singh. He then moved to the research group of Prof. Dr. Jin-Ook Baeg at Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), South Korea to work as a postdoctoral researcher (2012-2016). After returning from South Korea, he briefly joined Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi as Assistant Professor (Guest) before moving to IIT Delhi as CSIR-Senior Research Associate (Pool Scientist) in June 2017. In January 2020 he joined as Assistant Professor in Department of Chemistry, I.Sc., Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where he is currently pursuing his independent research career. His areas of interest are in the field of development of organoselenium species for removal of toxic metal ions and photocatalysis.

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

We are excited to share the success of Puja Prasad’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Aggregation-induced emission luminogens for latent fingerprint detection” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Puja below.

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

Our laboratory is working on the synthesis and applications of metal complexes in biosensing and therapeutics. Presently we are broadly working on three areas: (a) development of metal-based complexes as antibacterial and anticancer agents, (b) design of high-throughput sensor arrays for pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test, and (c) development of novel luminogens probes having the unique property of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for the detection of amyloids, metal ions or visualization of latent fingerprinting (LFP), etc.

Cancer and infectious diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide. The development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents is essential for the efficient treatment of these diseases. Therefore, we are motivated in designing aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) theranostic probes to combat both of these deadly diseases

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Latent fingerprinting (LFP) plays an important role in the identification of individuals mainly in the realm of criminal investigation. Our highlight article has shown the development of AIEgens in the field of LFP detection. AIEgens with opulent photophysical properties, such as large Stokes’ shifts, high quantum yields, long luminescence lifetimes, and high photostability have emerged as potential candidates to provide prima facie evidence of individual identity.

This highlight focuses on the structural design of AIE-active molecules and their interactions involved in LFP detection. In addition, several future perspectives and new strategies have been highlighted for overcoming the limitations associated with AIEgens in LFP visualization. We believe that this “highlight” will help in the rational design of AIE-active molecules and inspire the scientific community to explore the full potential of AIE materials in the field of forensic and biometric sciences.

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

In the coming year, our lab would like to explore the application of AIEgens in various biosensing and therapies, and contribute significantly to the scientific community.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

The turning point in my life was when I got selected for an integrated Ph.D. program at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, a highly reputed research institute in India. During my master’s, I became interested in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry. Therefore, I joined Ph.D. in medicinal inorganic chemistry laboratory and worked on design and synthesis of oxovanadium(IV) complexes for the application in photodynamic therapy (PDT) under the supervision of Prof. Akhil R. Chakravarty in the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, IISc Bangalore, India. After completing my Ph.D. in 2014, I was offered a postdoctoral position at Rutgers University, USA and worked on a nanoparticle-hydrogel composite system for the delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs with Prof. Patrick. J. Sinko. I was awarded a National Postdoctoral Fellowship (NPDF) and CSIR-Senior Research Associate position in 2016 and 2019, respectively, and worked under the mentorship of Prof. Shalini Gupta at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. At IIT Delhi, I was involved in developing novel platform strategies for targeting, removal and screening of bacterial infections to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In July 2022, I joined as an Assistant Professor at Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida.

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

One of the best pieces of advice ever given to me was to “carefully analyze the data after each experiment.”

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose to publish in Chem Comm because it is an internationally recognized and highly reputed journal. Further, Chem Comm has a wide readership with a broad range of influential and diverse fields of audience. This will help to increase the visibility of my group within the scientific community.

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Puja Prasad received her B.Sc. from Calcutta University. She received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore in 2014 under the supervision of Prof. Akhil R. Chakravarty. She then joined Prof. Patrick J. Sinko’s group, Rutgers University, USA, for her postdoctoral research (2014–2015). Furthermore, she received a prestigious National Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016–2018) and was a CSIR-Senior Research Associate (2019–2022) and worked under the mentorship of Prof. Shalini Gupta, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. She joined Amity University Uttar Pradesh in the year 2022 as an Assistant Professor. Her research interest includes development of AIEgens for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

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We are excited to share the success of Kate Marczenko’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “Polymorph driven diversification of photosalient responses in a zinc(ii) coordination complex” included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Kate below.

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

We are very interested in exploiting intra- and inter-molecular design strategies for imparting stability, unusual reactivity, and/or targeted responses in molecular crystals. This direction is largely built from my continuing interest in crystallography and structure-property relationships. Crystal structures contain a wealth of information that can reveal unique insights into the behavior and applications of crystalline materials. By understanding these structures, we can tailor their performance in various applications, such as stimuli-responsive materials, energy conversion, and sensing technologies. Our research aims to utilize these structure-property relationships to develop innovative crystalline materials.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

Light-responsive materials have gained significant attention in materials science due to their dynamic properties under light stimuli. They are valuable for diverse applications such as energy storage, biomaterials, sensing, and actuation. Recent studies have focused on tailoring the actuating properties of functional molecular crystals to regulate dynamic properties, including the Photosalient Effect (PSE). The PSE results from sudden and rapid observable actuation of crystalline materials in response to light. The degree, or magnitude, of the PSE is closely related to structural transformations during the photochemical reaction. However, details pertaining to these transformations are difficult to ascertain due to significant disintegration of the material and loss of crystallinity accompanying the PSE.

This article presents a novel phase of a Zn(II) coordination complex that undergoes a photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition reaction via one of its 1-(4-naphthylvinyl)pyridine ligands in the solid state. This transformation is accompanied by (i) a moderate photosalient effect and (ii) a single-crystal to single-crystal transition, allowing for continuous monitoring of the unit-cell parameters and therefore internal crystalline strain. Our novel form highlights the importance of structure-property relationships and serves as a bridge in understanding the diversification of photo-mechanical responses among polymorphs of the same compound. This work highlights the role of polymorphs in fine-tuning the magnitude of the PSE and challenges previous notions about the necessity of substantial anisotropic changes for observable photomechanical effects.

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

The next year will be very exciting for me professionally and personally! I am expecting my first child and will be taking some time off for parental leave. I hope this inspires people in STEM to continuously reach for fulfillment in all aspects of their life (whatever that may look like!). I also hope my lab can continue to find excitement and make strides in understanding and manipulating crystal structures to unlock new functionalities and applications.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

I obtained my B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Guelph (2016) and a M.Sc. in Inorganic Chemistry from McMaster University (2018). My Master’s research focused on transforming shock-sensitive xenon oxides to shock-insensitive materials. In 2018, I moved to Atlantic Canada to complete my Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry at Dalhousie University (2021). My Ph.D. research examined the chemistry of heavy Group 15 amides. In 2021, I returned to the University of Guelph as a Crystallographer and Instructor. I started my independent career at Carleton University (Ottawa, ON) a little less than 2 years later, on June 1, 2023.

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

Ironically, the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to not take every piece of advice I hear. Instead, I should pick and choose what works for me. By doing this, I’ve found that I can carve out my own path, using the advice that really fits with my own experiences and goals.

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose to publish in ChemComm because it is an internationally recognized journal with a strong reputation within the field of chemistry. Its broad readership ensures that our research reaches a diverse and influential audience, which we hope will promote new collaborations.

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​Kate Marczenko obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Guelph (Guelph, ON). She completed an honours project in the laboratory of Prof. Michael Denk and held a work placement in the laboratory of Prof. Dmitriy Soldatov. Subsequently, Kate obtained a M.Sc. in noble gas and fluorine Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Gary Schrobilgen at McMaster University (Hamilton, ON). She worked on transforming shock-sensitive xenon oxides to shock-insensitive materials. In 2018, Kate moved to Eastern Canada to join the group of Prof. Saurabh Chitnis at Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS). Her Ph.D. thesis examined the chemistry of heavy Group 15 amides. In 2021, Kate returned to the University of Guelph as a Crystallographer and Instructor. Kate started at Carleton University (Ottawa, ON) on June 1, 2023.

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We are excited to share the success of Arnaud Thevenon’s first-time independent article in ChemComm; “A π-extended β-diketiminate ligand via a templated Scholl approach“ included in the full milestones collection. 

Read our interview with Arnaud below.

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

Catalysis is playing and will play an essential role in the energy, resource, and material transitions that our society is facing. In my research group, we aim at developing new concepts in thermo- / electro- / photo-chemical catalysis to contribute to these transitions. Our main research areas cover three topics: 1) exploring homogeneous molecular mimics of Single Atom Catalysts for the electrochemical conversion of small molecules; 2) developing new catalysts to convert waste and renewable feedstocks into polymers that are intrinsically circular by design; 3) creating new (electro/photochemical) post-polymerization modification methods to incorporate new functionalities into polymers.

Can you set this article in a wider context?

The discovery of Single Atom Catalysts (SACs) is one of the most exciting recent breakthroughs in the realm of (electro-)catalysis. Constituted of isolated, individual transition metal atoms dispersed on, and/or coordinated with, the surface of a heterogeneous support, SACs enable the reasonable use of abundant metal resources and facilitate atom economy. Nowadays, they are widely used to catalyze many thermo-, photo- and electrochemical reactions (e.g., small molecules conversion, biomass valorization). However, the development of SACs with higher performances (e.g., new selectivity profile, higher activity) is now facing a wall. The heterogeneity of their active sites precludes mechanistic studies and the understanding of the structure/activity/selectivity relationship remain obscure. More precisely, it is still unknown how the coordination environment of active sites and how support/active site interactions affect the final performance of a SAC during a chemical reaction. In this project, we aim at creating molecular models of active sites of SAC and investigate their reactivity in presence of small molecules such as CO₂ to shed light on the synergy between the extended 𝛑-system and the metal center during catalysis.

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

In the coming year, I hope we will make good progress in investigating/understanding the reactivity of first row transition metals coordinated to our benzo[f,g]tetracene BDI ligand in presence of various small molecules under reductive conditions.

Describe your journey to becoming an independent researcher.

My journey to becoming an independent researcher started at EPFL. During my undergraduate studies, I worked with Prof. Gabor Laurenczy on the Ru-catalyzed decomposition of formic acid. I then had the chance to conduct my Master thesis in the group of Prof. Paula Diaconescu, at UCLA, on redox-active catalysts for the polymerization of cyclic lactones. I subsequently moved to the University of Oxford, in the group of Prof. Charlotte K. Williams, where I obtained my PhD on the development of main group catalysts for the synthesis of oxygenated polymers. After completion of my PhD in 2018, I joined the group of Prof. Theodor Agapie at Caltech as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow. My research focused on the development of hybrid heterogeneous Cu electrodes for the electroconversion of CO₂-to-fuels. At the end of 2020, I moved back to Europe to complete my Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship in the group of Prof. Stefan Mecking, at the University of Konstanz, where I worked on the development of catalysts for olefin polymerization. Since August 2021, I joined the Organic Chemistry and Catalysis group as an assistant professor.

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

At the start of my PhD degree, I received a birthday card from my daily supervisor, Dr. Jennifer Garden, with a quote: “Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit”, attributed to Seneca. I console myself with that quote every time I come up with the next (unrealistic) Friday afternoon experiment to try!

Why did you choose to publish in ChemComm?

I chose to publish in ChemComm due to its high visibility and reputation within the scientific community.

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Arnaud Thevenon is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University. He received his PhD (2018) from the University of Oxford under the supervision of Prof. Charlotte K. Williams. He was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral researcher at Caltech (2018-2021) in the group of Prof. Theodor Agapie and the University of Konstanz (2021) in the group of Prof. Stefan Mecking before joining Utrecht University in 2021. His research interest includes the development of homogeneous thermo/electrocatalysts for small molecules, biomass, and waste (plastic) valorization as well as the development of novel polymers that are intrinsically circular by design.

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