Dalton Transactions Blog

Prof. Gill Reid and Dalton Transactions

This year we are celebrating the 50^th volume of Dalton Transactions by taking a look at some of our authors who have published over 50 articles in the journal. This week, we learn what Dalton Transactions means to Professor Gillian Reid, as our final Golden Author in our series.

Our author at a glance:

Prof. Gill Reid is based at the University of Southampton in the UK. Her research focuses on main group and transition metal coordination chemistry, including macrocyclic chemistry, precursor synthesis for CVD and electrodeposition of semiconductor thin films and nanostructures, as well as metal fluoride coordination chemistry. Dalton means to Gill: “I believe that Dalton Transactions provides a great platform for disseminating research across the whole of inorganic chemistry and it is a great source of ideas and inspiration!”

Please can you summarise your most recent research published in Dalton Transactions?

In 2021, we published our most recent work describing a molecular organometallic complex, [ⁿBu₃Sn(TeⁿBu)], that is a highly effective single source precursor for the growth of high quality, stoichiometric tin telluride (SnTe) thin films by chemical vapour deposition at relatively low temperatures.  The tin monochalcogenide semiconductors are interesting thermoelectric materials for the conversion of thermal energy into electrical potential, and therefore for energy harvesting. The article describes the temperature-dependent thermoelectric properties of the p-type SnTe films, which compare favourably with bulk SnTe. We were also able to demonstrate that this precursor allows area selective growth of SnTe onto lithographically patterned substrates.

How do you intend to expand upon your research in the future?

We are keen to expand our work in two ways: firstly, to exploit the area selective deposition to develop an efficient process for the fabrication of micro-thermoelectric generators for ‘internet of things’ applications and wireless sensing; and secondly, to optimise the volatility and broaden the precursor range to allow access to other key metal chalcogenide thermoelectric thin films.

What would you say are the biggest barriers which need to be overcome to expand your research?

The key barriers in this area of research are to increase the thermoelectric efficiency of the materials and devices and to ensure the sustainability of the materials, such that they become viable for energy harvesting applications. By developing a compatible suite of molecular precursors we have the opportunity to optimise the thermoelectric properties of the films and to substitute scarce elements like tellurium for the more abundant lighter chalcogens (sulfur or selenium).

You’ve published over 50 articles in Dalton Transactions: which of these works do you find to be most interesting/significant for our broad inorganic audience?

I will take the liberty of highlighting 2 articles addressing different topics that I personally think are very interesting and also remain very relevant to current research in my group. I think they provide two distinct illustrations of how inorganic chemistry allows the creation of new molecular complexes with tailored properties that can have important applications. The first article describes precursors for technologically important transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) thin films via chemical vapour deposition; see “Thio- and seleno-ether complexes with Group 4 tetrahalides and tin tetrachloride: preparation and use in CVD for metal chalcogenide films”.

The second article describes a new class of inorganic fluoride binders, in particular for incorporating radiofluorine (¹⁸F^–) under mild conditions in water based solvents- see “Exploring transition metal fluoride chelates – synthesis, properties and prospects towards potential PET probes”. These have potential applications in medical imaging via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and the subtle differences between the different metal ions in the periodic table offer really exciting prospects for the development of new and effective PET imaging agents.

Outside of your own research, please suggest a Dalton Transactions article which you think has made a significant contribution to its field?

It’s really difficult to specify just one article as the chemistry in Dalton Transactions covers so many different topics and applications! However, the 2019 article from Gabbai and co-workers on “Phosphonium–stibonium and bis-stibonium cations as pnictogen-bonding catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of quinolines” is significant as it illustrates some very nice new chemistry based on previously understudied organoantimony compounds, revealing the importance of the stibonium functions in catalysis.

What advice do you have for young researchers new to your field?

The area of inorganic chemistry is incredibly broad, and I think that is really exciting, offering great opportunities to develop new molecules, materials and processes that are relevant to many different fields of science and technology. I encourage young researchers to seek opportunities to use their specialist skills in inorganic chemistry and to collaborate with researchers in other fields to contribute to the next generation of scientific innovations.

What does Dalton Transactions mean to you?

I consider Dalton Transactions to be one of the most important international journals for keeping track of new, high quality research in the broad field of inorganic chemistry. It is a great source of ideas and inspiration!

Why do you choose to publish in Dalton Transactions?

As our professional body for chemistry, as well as an internationally leading publisher and not-for-profit charitable organisation, I align very closely with the ambitions of the RSC to support chemists and advocate for the chemical sciences internationally. Therefore, publishing in RSC journals comes naturally!

I also believe that Dalton Transactions provides a great platform for disseminating research across the whole of inorganic chemistry as well as providing excellent author support.

What is your experience of publishing with Dalton Transactions?

I have always found that the Editors and staff provide great support to authors and reviewers, aiming to ensure a fair peer-review process and speedy publication of articles.

You can check out Gill’s recent Dalton Transactions article on [ⁿBu₃Sn(TeⁿBu)] as a precursor for the growth of tin telluride (SnTe) thin films below,

Low temperature CVD of thermoelectric SnTe thin films from the single source precursor, [ⁿBu₃Sn(TeⁿBu)]

Fred Robinson, Daniel W. Newbrook, Peter Curran, C. H. (Kees) de Groot, Duncan Hardie, Andrew L. Hector, Ruomeng Huang and Gillian Reid*

Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 998-1006

Check out the full collection of recent research published in Dalton Transactions by all of our featured Golden Authors in our Celebrating our Golden Authors collection.

Prof. Guo-Xin Jin and Dalton Transactions

This year, we are celebrating the 50^th volume of Dalton Transactions by taking a look at some of our authors who have published over 50 articles in the journal. This week we learn what Dalton Transactions means to Professor Guo-Xin Jin.

Our author at a glance:

Prof. Dr. Guo-Xin Jin is based in the Department of Chemistry at Fudan University, China. His research focuses on catalysts for olefin polymerisation and organometallic complexes. Guo-Xin was previously an Associate Editor for Dalton Transactions, and Dalton means to him: “Dalton is a powerful tool for me to explore the frontiers of my field and to read cutting-edge research.”

Please can you summarise your most recent research published in Dalton Transactions?

The article describes the selective B(3)-H bond activation of o-carborane by using methyldithiocarboxyl as a directing group and a half-sandwich organoiridium metal corner. The substitution chemistry of the B(3)-H activated complex had been extended, while several substitution complexes including an iridated-o-carborane-[B₁₀H₁₀]₂– complex were synthesized and characterized.

How do you intend to expand upon your research in the future?

Up until now, our group has achieved a series of research results based on the half-sandwich Ir/Rh(III) organometallic fragments, concluding the novel strategy for the constructing metallacycles or metallacages and the deeper exploration of the mentioned compounds for specific recognition, selective separation, stimuli-responsive topological transformation and so on. In the future, we expect to explore supramolecular compounds with more intricate topologies, and also to explore more deeply the application of the aforementioned compounds in more fields, such as the use of complex topologies to stabilize active intermediates or to regulate the size of gold nanoparticles by using finite cavities of cage-like compounds, etc.

What would you say are the biggest barriers which need to be overcome to expand your research?

At present, the biggest challenge for us to expand into new areas may be that scientific exploration is largely limited by the current level of characterization means. For example, as the complexity of the topology increases, the corresponding characterization tests and analysis become more and more difficult, especially in the case of X-ray crystallographic analysis.

You’ve published over 50 articles in Dalton Transactions- which of these works do you find to be most interesting/significant for our broad inorganic audience?

The content of the articles published by our group mainly covers half-sandwich organometallic-based olefin catalysts, carborane chemistry and the exploration of organometallic supramolecular compounds on controlled synthesis with various kinds of applications. According to these aspects, these six representative papers are not only beneficial for beginners to understand the field, but also a great reference to inspire researchers to continue their own explorations in the field.

Half-sandwich Ir-based neutral organometallic macrocycles containing pyridine-4-thiolato ligands

Syntheses, reactions, and ethylenepolymerization of titanium complexes with [N,N,S] ligands

Design and self-assembly of variform organometallic macrocycle with terminal imidazole-based bridging ligands utilizing joints twist and rotation

Construction of iridium and rhodium cyclometalated macrocycles based on p-carborane and N,N′-donor bridging ligands

The synthesis and reactivity of 16-electron half-sandwich iridium complexes bearing a carboranylthioamide ligand

Host–guest capability of a three-dimensional heterometallic macrocycle

Outside of your own research, please suggest a Dalton Transactions article which you think has made a significant contribution to its field?

This review article with 3,434 citations reported by Prof. Christoph Janiak (Bioinorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at the University of Düsseldorf) that focuses on the definition of coordination polymers and the current state of research in a number of fields, such as catalysis, chirality, conductivity, luminescence, magnetism, spin-transition (spin-crossover), non-linear optics (NLO) and so on. This article is of great value in guiding and inspiring researchers to continue to explore the field of coordination polymers in depth, and therefore, I do suggest this article has made a significant contribution to the field of coordination polymers.

What advice do you have for young researchers new to your field?

Perhaps not limited to newcomers of the field of organometallic chemistry, I believe that an outstanding researcher should have five qualifications, which I have summarized into four key words: Passion, Health, Direction and Modesty. Passion means that you have to be passionate about the field you are studying, because the process of scientific exploration is full of unknown results, success or failure, but you have to learn to enjoy the joy of what the process brings you, because only with enthusiasm can you enjoy exploring the truth. Health means that you have to be healthy enough to cope with the difficulties and stresses of scientific exploration, not only physically but also psychologically, so it is necessary to spend part of your focus on your health for scientific exploration. Direction means you should have a clear and appropriate goal: a clear direction can give yourself the direction to work hard, the right direction can give yourself the courage to keep moving forward. Modesty means that maintaining an attitude of modesty toward others, staying humble and learning to share will benefit you greatly.

What does Dalton Transactions mean to you?

First of all, as a researcher, Dalton Transactions is a powerful tool for me to explore the frontiers of my field and to read it for cutting-edge research results. It is also an international platform for me to present the work of my group and share my research progress with researchers from all over the world. Secondly, during my tenure as Associate Editor of the journal, Dalton Transactions was a platform for me to enhance my capabilities by analysing various aspects of the submitted manuscripts to identify each quality paper for each reader.

Why do you choose to publish in Dalton Transactions?

Dalton Transactions is an internationally recognized journal in the field of inorganic chemistry, covering almost all areas of research in the field. The fast publication schedule ensures that scientific results can be shared with active researchers in a timely manner, and the quality of submitted papers is enhanced through rigorous and fair review and professional editing.

What is your experience of publishing with Dalton Transactions?

From the time I published my first research paper in Dalton Transactions in 2005 until now, I have been impressed by the admirable rigor of the editorial team in their work and their high level of professionalism, and the faster publication cycle has made me more willing to publish our group’s research work in the journal.

You can check out Guo-Xin’s most recent Dalton Transactions article on the selective B(3)-H bond activation of o-carboranes below.

Regioselective B(3)–H bond activation based on an o-carboranyl dithiocarboxylate ligand and its derivatives

Run-Ze Yuan, Peng-Fei Cui, Shu-Ting Guo and Guo-Xin Jin*

Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 1060-1068

Check out the full collection of recent research published in Dalton Transactions by all of our featured Golden Authors in our Celebrating our Golden Authors collection.