Dalton Transactions Blog

Prof. Shaikh M. Mobin 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 Shaikh M. Mobin.

Our author at a glance:

Prof. Shaikh Mobin is based in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore), India. His research is focused on the design and synthesis of novel MOFs and COFs, and their applications in sensing, drug delivery, energy storage and conversion, catalysis and more. He chooses to publish in Dalton Transactions because it has “the fairest review process and wide readership among traditional inorganic chemists” and is a ‘bible for fundamental inorganic chemistry articles’.

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

Our latest research was an invited review. This invitation came to us in a very crucial time in 2020 when we all were under lockdown and this review helped us a lot in keeping the group members’ momentum high and it prevented us in our worries of loss of time apart. In this review, we highlighted the recent and future prospects on mixed-metal MOFs as emerging supercapacitor candidates.

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

From bench work to publications, research has been a very challenging task these days. Thus, to keep up with the pace and quality of research, we are planning to expand our research in various upcoming areas. In this regard, we have so far been able to keep a good amount of co-workers and we would like to continue to keep this trend going. We will also continue to have multi-disciplinary work within the group, and most important is to keep yourself updated with the track of ongoing research in your field.

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

The biggest barriers which I can immediately think about are (i) Research funding and (ii) state of the art research facilities. Both are correlated and with the recent pandemic, this may put up a further barrier in basic research funding. We have ideas that comprise of both fundamental research and applied research, but getting it funded is still a major hurdle and also exploring for easy accessible facilities to complete such projects is challenging. Nevertheless, that also indicates that we must have the best project proposal to compete for available funding.

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?

Our work on solid-state structural transformations (see Retention of single crystals of two Co(II) complexes during chemical reactions and rearrangement and Single-crystal to single-crystal transformations in discrete hydrated dimeric copper complexes) is always very special for me. The other most interesting work is the design and synthesis of  A novel mesoionic carbene based highly fluorescent Pd(II) complex as an endoplasmic reticulum tracker in live cells, which also appeared as cover art for Dalton.

Another area of research which I find more interesting is electrochemical sensing by employing: (i) Small biomolecule sensors based on an innovative MoS₂–rGO heterostructure modified electrode and (ii) Non-enzymatic amperometric sensing of glucose by employing sucrose templated microspheres of copper oxide (CuO). All these areas of works have attracted good readership across the globe.

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

Although it’s difficult to choose any one particular impactful article, if I had to suggest one article in the area of solid-state structural reactivity, I would choose the perspective by Vittal, J. J. et al on Photochemical reactions of metal complexes in the solid state, which has well written notes on this topic. Another perspective, which I personally feel has quite an impact to inorganic readership in the area of electronic structure, is Electronic structure alternatives in nitrosylruthenium complexes by Profs Kaim and Lahiri, which nicely covers the fundamental aspects of electronic structure. In optical sensing, I would suggest Triarylborane substituted naphthalimide as a fluoride and cyanide ion sensor by Misra et al., which is very interesting in this field.

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

One must be aggressive in your research with checking the updated literature in your own field. As I said above, from bench work to publications, research is extremely challenging these days: for instance, you may discuss some work in your group meeting and by the time you have your next group meeting, you may see similar work has been published. Do your research planning very carefully and have a good team and give them liberty to work.

What does Dalton Transactions mean to you?

I call it a “Bible for Fundamental Inorganic Chemistry articles”. It’s one of my all-time favourite journals.

Why do you choose to publish in Dalton Transactions?

Dalton has the fairest review process and wide readership among traditional inorganic chemists.

What is your experience of publishing with Dalton Transactions?

It has always been satisfying and excellent.

You can check out Shaikh’s most recent Dalton Transactions article on the prospects of mixed-metal MOFs as supercapacitors below.

Recent highlights and future prospects on mixed-metal MOFs as emerging supercapacitor candidates

Richa Rajak, Ravinder Kumar, Shagufi Naz Ansari, Mohit Saraf and Shaikh M. Mobin*

Dalton Trans., 2020, 49, 11792-11818

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. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins 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 Evamarie Hey-Hawkins.

Our author at a glance:

Prof. Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins is based at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry in the Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy at Leipzig University, Germany. Her research is focused on three main areas: homogeneous transition metal catalysis; inorganic compounds for medicinal and biological applications; and phosphorus-rich novel materials. She chooses to publish in Dalton Transactions because of its “excellent reputation and high-quality, original publications”, and has always felt that her research and contributions are highly appreciated.

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

In stimuli-responsive catalysis, redox-switchable catalysis is an important area. In our latest publication, we have shown that the aromatic core (s-triazine, benzene, or trifluorobenzene) in C₃-symmetric tris(ferrocenyl)arene-based tris-phosphanes has a pronounced effect on their coordination behaviour towards gold(I), resulting in two different coordination modes for the 1:1 and 2:3 (L:M) complexes, respectively. The redox-responsive nature of the complexes was exploited in the catalytic ring-closing isomerisation of N-(2-propyn-1-yl)benzamide, in which the benzene-based 2:3 (L:M) complex comprising six ferrocenylene moieties was shown to display multiple activity states depending on the degree of (reversible) oxidation.

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

As my scientific interests are manifold, expansion of my research in the future will be along our three main research areas. In switchable catalysis, we will focus on photo-switchable catalytic systems based on phosphines. In medicinal chemistry, we are now targeting anti-cancer drugs comprising more than one active component, to overcome resistance and reduce side effects. And last but not least, in materials science, we are now looking at the targeted synthesis of higher oligophosphines (≥ 9 phosphorus atoms), such as nona-, deca- or even higher oligophosphines, and their metal complexes as precursors for novel phosphorus-rich metal phosphides.

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

Our research is highly interdisciplinary, and thus requires collaboration with experts worldwide. For example, in photo-switchable catalysis, we need to collaborate with experts in photochemistry and photophysics to understand the switching mechanisms and how to influence them. In medicinal chemistry, we are preparing the potential drugs, but we need experts to test their anti-tumour activity and to help us understand their mode of action. Luckily, we are extremely well connected, but the present pandemic has made personal interactions quite difficult for the time being.

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?

Our 2007 paper on Aminoalkylferrocenyldichlorophosphanes: facile synthesis of versatile chiral starting materials. As the title states, this ferrocenyl dichlorophosphine can be employed as an extremely versatile starting material for a large library of P-chiral, planar-chiral ferrocene derivatives.

Our joint paper on Novel chiral 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane ligands and their transition metal complexes with Andrey A. Karasik and his team from the Arbusov Institute in Kazan, Russia, in 2003, was the first of a series of papers on P,N heterocycles, macrocycles and cryptands. These ligands show a very rich coordination chemistry, and the resulting complexes are not only interesting for catalytic applications, but also as luminescent materials.

Our 2004 publication on The reactivity of cyclo-(P₅^tBu₄)⁻ towards group 13, 14 and 15 metal chlorides: complexation and formation of cyclooligophosphanes, {cyclo-(P₅^tBu₄)}₂ and {cyclo-(P₄^tBu₃)P^tBu}₂, by reductive elimination opened the door for the targeted formation of phosphorus-rich oligophosphines.

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

It would be rather difficult to name just one article. However, I think that the Themed Collections, especially the annual “Frontier and Perspective articles” are an excellent collection of the most significant contributions in their respective fields.

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

Be enthusiastic about your research. Believe in your ideas, have courage, determination, and perseverance in following your scientific goals. Collaboration can make your scientific life much richer but select your collaborators carefully. Be committed to very good science and of course, good scientific practice. Think positive and enjoy life.

What does Dalton Transactions mean to you?

I published my first paper in Dalton Transactions thirty years ago in 1991 on the use of zirconocene(IV) bis(phosphanido) complexes as PR₂ transfer reagents, an interdisciplinary topic that I worked on during my habilitation and is still topical today. While it took another ten years before I submitted my second paper dealing with the syntheses and solid-state structures of primary alkali metal phosphanides (MPHR, with M = K and Rb) in 2001, many more publications followed. I have always felt that my research and my contributions were highly appreciated by the journal.

Why do you choose to publish in Dalton Transactions?

Dalton Transactions has an excellent reputation and is known for high-quality, original publications. As the scope of Dalton Transactions is perfectly aligned with my various research interests in inorganic, organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry, including new inorganic materials and homogeneous catalysis, I can be sure to reach the readership that we want to target with our publications in various areas.

What is your experience of publishing with Dalton Transactions?

The handling of my submitted manuscripts is always very professional, fast and highly competent. After acceptance, publication is also very fast.

You can check out Eva’s most recent Dalton Transactions article on how arene substitution affects the coordination and catalytic behaviour of tris(1-phosphanyl-1′-ferrocenylene)arene gold(I) complexes below.

The core of the matter – arene substitution determines the coordination and catalytic behaviour of tris(1-phosphanyl-1′-ferrocenylene)arene gold(I) complexes

Axel Straube, Peter Coburger, Marvin Michak, Mark R. Ringenberg and Evamarie Hey-Hawkins*

Dalton Trans., 2020, 49, 16667-16682

As featured on the cover:

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.