RSC Advances Blog

Welcome to our new Editorial Board member: Tiancheng Mu

06 Jul 2026

We are delighted to welcome Professor Tiancheng Mu to the RSC Advances Editorial Board!

Tiancheng Mu is a Professor in the School of Chemistry and Life Sciences at Renmin University of China. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he expanded his research expertise as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Industrial Chemistry at Oldenburg University, Germany, collaborating with Professor Jürgen Gmehling.

Dr. Mu’s research focuses primarily on ionic liquids, chemical thermodynamics, and green chemistry. He has co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and 8 books or chapters, holds 12 patents, and has accumulated more than 18,000 citations. His significant contributions to the field have earned him prestigious accolades, including the First-Class Science and Technology Award from the China Association for Instrumental Analysis (2016) and the Second-Class Natural Science Award from the Liangxi Forestry Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Forestry Society (2019).

In addition to his research, Dr. Mu holds several prominent editorial and leadership roles. He serves as an Associate Editor for RSC Advances and as Section Editor-in-Chief for Processes. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Boards for the Journal of Molecular Liquids (Elsevier), Clean – Soil, Air, Water (Wiley), and Chemical Thermodynamics and Thermal Analysis (Elsevier). Furthermore, he is the Vice Dean of the Ionic Liquids Professional Committee of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC), a former Vice Director of the Beijing Thermal Analysis Society, and a committee member across multiple specialized divisions within the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) and CIESC—including supercritical fluids, chemical thermodynamics and thermal analysis, green chemistry, high purity chemicals technology and equipment, chemical industry big data and intelligent design.

Browse a selection of Tiancheng’s RSC publications:

Closed-loop upcycling of PET waste into defect-engineered Ni@C electrocatalysts for efficient formate production
Rui Qin, Chenyang Wei, Yijun Yin, Zhaohui Yang, Shao Wang, Yurun Tian, Lan Chen, Zhimin Xue and Tiancheng Mu
Green Chem., 2025, 27, 14279–14289

Weakened hydrogen bond connectivity promotes interfacial mass transfer for industrial level scalable biomass electrooxidation
Zhaohui Yang, Lan Chen, Yijun Yin, Chenyang Wei, Zhimin Xue and Tiancheng Mu
Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, 17, 8801–8809

Small organic molecules with tailored structures: initiators in the transition-metal-free C–H arylation of unactivated arenes
Zhenghui Liu, Peng Wang, Yu Chen, Zhenzhong Yan, Suqing Chen, Wenjun Chen and Tiancheng Mu
RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 14500–14509

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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Sandip Murarka Joins RSC Advances as an Associate Editor

15 May 2026

By Sean Browner, Assistant Editor.

RSC Advances are delighted to welcome Sandip Murarka, IIT Jodhpur, India as an Associate Editor!

Dr. Murarka pursued his PhD from WWU Münster under the supervision of Prof. Armido Studer. After completing his Ph.D. (2013), he worked as a Max-Planck postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Herbert Waldmann at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund (2013-2016). Following a year long stay (2016-2017) as a Team Leader at Syngene International Limited, a pharmaceutical company, he decided to return to academia. In May 2017, he joined the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India, as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to the post of Associate Professor in June 2022. He is currently the Head of the Chemistry department at IIT Jodhpur.

Dr. Murarka’s current research activities include the study of novel activation modes and the development of chemoselective and sustainable synthetic transformations. His research group utilizes sustainable chemical tools, such as base-metal catalysis, photocatalysis, and electro-organic synthesis, to convert feedstock chemicals to value-added compounds and pharmaceutically relevant molecular architectures.

He is a recipient of the Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2026) by AvH Foundation, CRSI Bronze Medal (2026) by Chemical Research Society of India, Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2022) by Thieme, and Merck Young Scientist Award (runners up, 2023) by Merck. He is an Early Career Advisory Board Member (ECAB) of journals, such as ChemistrySelect (Wiley-VCH), Chemistry an Asian Journal (Wiley-VCH), and Organic Chemistry Frontiers (RSC). He is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).

Sandip’s research areas include all things Organic Catalysis.

Read some of Sandip’s recent Royal Society of Chemistry Publications:

1. Photoredox-Catalyzed Multicomponent Transformation Towards Functionalized trans-2,3-Disubstituted Indolines
M. Siva Prasad, Sneha Chandra, Prahallad Meher, Sandip Murarka*
Chem. Commun., 2026,62, 589-593

2. Iron Photocatalysis Towards Site-Selective C(sp3)-H Alkylation of Glycines and Peptides
Satya Prakash Panda, M. Siva Prasad, Prahallad Meher, Oliver Reiser*, Sandip Murarka*
Chem. Sci., 2025, 16, 22084-22090

3. Photoredox-Catalyzed Arylative and Aryl Sulfonylative Radical Cascades Involving Diaryliodonium Reagents: Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrazolones
Karan Ramdas Thombare, Sushanta Kumar Parida, Prahallad Meher, Sandip Murarka*
Chem. Commun., 2024,60, 13907-13910

4. Direct C-H Alkylation of 3,4-Dihydroquinoxaline-2-one with N-(acyloxy)phthalimide via Radical-Radical Cross Coupling
Sudhir Kumar Hota, Gulshan Singh, Sandip Murarka*
Chem. Commun., 2024,60, 6268-6271

5. Visible light photoredox-catalyzed arylative cyclization to access benzimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones
Prahallad Meher, Raj Kumar Samanta, Sourav Manna, Sandip Murarka*
Chem. Commun., 2023,59, 6092-6095

Submit your Organic Catalysis papers for consideration by Sandip Murarka.

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Andrea Goldson-Barnaby joins RSC Advances as an Associate Editor

15 May 2026

By Sean Browner, Assistant Editor.

RSC Advances is delighted to welcome Andrea Goldson-Barnaby, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica, as an Associate Editor!

Dr. Andrea Goldson-Barnaby is a graduate of The University of the West Indies, Jamaica where she pursued a BSc, doing a double major in Chemistry and Food Chemistry followed by a M Phil in Applied Organic Chemistry. While at The University of the West Indies she worked as a synthetic chemist at Tanaud International BV. A Canadian Commonwealth Scholar, she pursued doctoral studies in Food Science at the University of British Columbia, Canada where she was the recipient of several awards (Dr Wilson Henderson Memorial Graduate Fellowship, Student Leadership Recognition Award, Graduating Class of Agriculture 1921 Graduate Scholarship). Currently she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica where she serves as the Head of the Food Chemistry Division and a Fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Science. She was the recipient of the Principal’s Award for Most Outstanding Researcher/Research Activity, for three consecutive years (2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020) as well as best research publication in 2019. Dr Goldson-Barnaby is involved in capacity building of the local Food Industry and has been conducting Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, Human Food Workshops since 2017. She enjoys doing science outreach and serves as the Faculty Advisor for the American Chemical Society (ACS) Jamaica International Student Chapter and Secretary of the Caribbean Academy of Science.

Research Areas: Food Chemistry, including:
Chemistry of food processing
Chemistry of food safety
Chemistry of food structure
Chemistry of food packaging
Food analysis
Food colloids

Discover some of Andrea’s publications:
Biochemical properties of tree ripened and post-harvest ripened Mangifera indica (cv. East Indian)
Kimberly A. Blissett, Machel Emanuel, Andrea Goldson-Barnaby*
International Journal of Fruit Science, 19(4), 452–463.

Free Radical Scavenging Capacity, Carotenoid Content, and NMR Characterization of Blighia sapida Aril Oil
Andrea Goldson-Barnaby*, Jesse Clarke, Dane Warren, Kailesha Duffus
Journal of Lipids,2018,1762342

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, antioxidant properties, fatty acid profile, mineral content and physiochemical analyses of Cissus sicyoides berries
Andrea Goldson-Barnaby*, Ratmond Reid, Dane Warren
Journal of Berry Research. 7, 117-127.

Micro-encapsulation of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract by spray drying technology
Kelly Simon-Brown, Kevin Mis Solval, Aranee Chotiko, Luis Alfaro, Vondel Reyes, Chen Liu, Bennett Dzandu, Emanuel Kyereh, Andrea Goldson-Barnaby, Ian Thompson, Zhimin Xu, Subramaniam Sathivel*
LWT – Food Science and Technology. 70, 119-125

Submit your Food Chemistry papers for consideration by Andrea Goldson-Barnaby

Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Meet João Honorato de Araujo-Neto: New Principal Investigator

14 May 2026

By Chloe Johnson, Assistant Editor.

We are delighted to introduce the next contribution to our New Principal Investigators collection.

Read the paper

Para-substituted benzoic acid ruthenium(ii) complexes: structural features modulating cytotoxicity

Jocely L. Dutra, Pedro H. S. Marcon, Gustavo Moselli, Fabiano M. Niquini, João Victor F. da Costa, Carlos André F. Moraes, Ataualpa A. C. Braga, Javier Ellena, Alzir A. Batista and João Honorato de Araujo-Neto

This work explores a series of para-substituted benzoic acid ruthenium(II) complexes and how small changes in their structure affect cytotoxicity. By combining synthesis, crystallographic characterization, and biological assays, it was observed that even small modifications in ligand substitution can significantly affect biological behaviour. This study reinforces how important structural information is for understanding and designing new bioactive metal complexes.

Meet the Principal Investigator

João Honorato is an Assistant Professor at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and the group leader of Metallis Vitae, a research group which operates at the intersection of bioinorganic chemistry and crystallography. His research combines synthesis, structural determination, and biological studies to understand how atomic-level structure influences biological activity. He’s especially interested in diffraction techniques and how emerging methods such as MicroED are expanding the limits of structural science and allowing us to study increasingly challenging systems. He obtained his MSc in Chemistry (2016) and PhD in Sciences (2020) from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), in the field of Inorganic Chemistry. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in crystallography at the São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC/USP). He was awarded the Young Researcher Award by the Young Researchers Division of the Brazilian Chemical Society (JPSBQ), in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

What are the big research questions your group will be focussing on?

At Metallis Vitae, we are fascinated by one central question: how can atomic-level structure explain biological activity? We are particularly interested in bioactive metal complexes and in understanding how small structural variations affect properties such as stability, interaction with biomolecules, and cytotoxicity. A major part of our work involves structural determination using diffraction techniques. I’m especially excited about the possibilities opened by MicroED, mainly because it allows us to obtain high-resolution structural information from crystals that would traditionally be considered too small or too difficult. More broadly, we want to strengthen the connection between structure and function, using crystallography not just as a characterization tool, but as a way to understand and guide chemical design.

What inspired you to get into science?

Curiosity, but also a bit of frustration with not knowing how things really work. I became fascinated by the idea that the behaviour of a molecule can often be explained by something invisible to the naked eye: the arrangement of atoms. When I first started working with crystallography, it completely changed how I viewed chemistry. Suddenly, chemistry was no longer only about reactions and formulas, it became something visual and tangible. That ability to “see” matter at the atomic level still feels incredible to me.

What advice would you give to those who are seeking their first group leader position?

Try to build your own scientific identity as early as possible. It is very easy to stay inside the comfort zone of your previous training, but starting a group is really about deciding what kind of science you want to create and what questions you genuinely want to answer. Also, don’t be afraid of learning new techniques or entering new areas. Some of the most exciting things happening in science today are exactly at the interface between fields. And finally, remember that science is deeply collaborative. A healthy and motivated group environment matters just as much as good ideas.

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2025 Reviews in RSC Advances

02 Mar 2026

By Sean Browner, Assistant Editor.

We at RSC Advances compile an annual collection of all Review articles published in RSC Advances. We are proud to present the complete in RSC Advances in 2025.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the collection!

From Logic Gates to Biomass Production and everything in between, read selected reviews from 2025 below:

Five-membered heterocycles as promising platforms for molecular logic gate construction
Alexander Ciupa*
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 10565-10572

A review of commercial plastic waste recycling into graphene materials
Phuoc-Anh Le*
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 20239-20267

Sustainable coagulative removal of microplastic from aquatic systems: recent progress and outlook
Ahmad K. Badawi*, Raouf Hasan & Bushra Ismail
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 25256-25273

Multifunctional s-triazine-BODIPY conjugates: synthetic strategies, photophysical insights, and emerging applications
Laxmipriya Nayak, Subhadeep Acharya, Supriya Routray, Simran Pattnaik & Rashmirekha Satapathy*
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 27951-27994

Silicon-based anodes for solid-state batteries: challenges, opportunities, and multiscale strategies
Zhenjun Zhang, Xiangyong Xue*, Zuxue Mo, Xiaoxu Lei, Xuerui Xie, Haiqing Qin, Yilong Wu, Haowen Jiang & Huijie Tan
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 33561-33585

The science of minerality
Hui-Chung Tai* & Evmorfia Kostaki
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 40245-40251

Green chemistry spotlight: metal-free organic transformations mediated by potassium persulfate
Rapelly Venkatesh & Priyanka Chaudhary*
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 43198-43237

Enhanced biomass production from Chlorella micro-algae species: a review of new technologies towards sustainable energy development
Folayan Adewale Johnson*, Bilal Patel & Bolanle Deborah Ikotun
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 49809-49825

Sustainable remediation strategies for emerging PFAS contaminants in water
Lata Rani, Arun Lal Srivastav, Jyotsna Kaushal, Nitin Jangra, Mukesh Kumar & Shama E. Haque*
RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 50963-50984

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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5 Popular Advances published in RSC Advances in 2025

23 Feb 2026

By Sean Browner, Assistant Editor.

Every year, we compile a collection of the most interesting articles published in RSC Advances, as selected by our reviewers and handling editors. We are proud to present the “top 5 from ’25”, 5 very well received articles in RSC Advances in 2025.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the collection!

Read the 5 selected articles from 2025 below:

Study on modification and electrochemical properties of COS2-based cathode materials Rongrui Xu, Yicheng Wei, Ling Ding, Hongliang Li, Yuezhen Hua, Yong Cao* & Yanhua Cui* *RSC Adv.*, 2025, 15, 11337-11342
Terbium-doped gadolinium garnet thin films grown by liquid phase epitaxy for scintillation detectors Amandine Baillard, Paul-Antoine Douissard, Pavel Loiko, Thierry Martin, Eric Mathieu &Patrice Camy RSC Adv.*, 2025, 15, 18802-18813
Multifunctional s-triazine-BODIPY conjugates: synthetic strategies, photophysical insights, and emerging applications Laxmipriya Nayak, Subhadeep Acharya, Supriya Routray, Simran Pattnaik & Rashmirekha Satapathy* RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 27951-27994
An aluminum-based adsorbent/zeolite molecular sieve composite for the sorption of lithium in the salt lake Dawei Fang, Shilong Suo, Donglu Fu, Kunhao Liang, Jing Qiao & Zongren Song* RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 29089-29096
Tailoring grain boundary resistance in Li-ion conducting polymer–ceramic hybrid electrolytes based on polyether and Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)_{3 Naamo Suzuki, Koji Hiraoka, Koji Ohara, Kenta Fujii & Shiro Seki* RSC Adv., 2025, 15, 41530-4153}

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Cynthia Ibeto joins RSC Advances as an Associate Editor

20 Feb 2026

By Isobel Darlington, Assistant Editor.

RSC Advances is delighted to welcome Cynthia Ibeto, University of Nigeria as an Associate Editor.

Research Areas: Environmental chemistry including:

Chemistry of soils/sediments
Environmental chemical analysis
Environmental remediation
Purification of gaseous and liquid effluents
Radioactivity
Toxicity

Cynthia Nkolika Ibeto is a Professor at the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). In 2010, she obtained her PhD (Analytical Chemistry) from UNN. She was an Academic Research Fellow of the National Centre for Energy Research and Development, UNN (2008 – 2016) and worked extensively on optimization of the production processes of biofuels (biomass, biogas, biodiesel and bioethanol), and biofertilizer as environmentally friendly materials.

Prof. Ibeto has made extensive contributions to identifying novel materials for various applications targeted at attaining environmental sustainability. She has promoted circular economy principles by advancing research in bioenergy and waste valorization.

She is currently working on the bioremediation of emerging pollutants in the environment, which are of global interest. She has contributed to the advancement of chemistry in society through her membership of the Executive Council of the Chemical Society of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. Prof. Ibeto was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in 2024. She is also a member of the UK Research and Innovation Talent Peer Review College.

Discover some of Cynthia’s recent publications:

Utilization of Waste Synthetic Hairs and Modified Forms as Novel Sorbents for Oil Clean-Up
Samson David Mbanefo, Cynthia Nkolika Ibeto and Pius Onyeoziri Ukoha
Water Air Soil Pollut., 2026, 237, 73

Physicochemical and combustion characteristics of pyrolyzed coal and biocoal briquettes via thermogravimetric analysis
Kenechukwu E. Ugwu, Chidimma G. Ezema, Cynthia N. Ibeto and Ikechukwu A. Okorie
Int. J. Coal Prep. Util., 2025, 45 (7), 1599

Impact of industrial effluent on the self-purification characteristics and oxygen sag level of Ajali River, South east Nigeria
Judith Ogechukwu Nwerem, Nwachukwu Romanus Ekere, Cynthia Nkolika Ibeto, Eberechukwu Monica Ejikeme, Janefrances Ngozi Ihedioha and Hillary Onyeka Abugu
PLoS Water, 2025, 4 (4), e0000320

Submit your environmental chemistry papers for consideration by Professor Cynthia Ibeto

Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Welcome to Professor Nadia Martinez-Villegas as our new RSC Advances Associate Editor

19 Jan 2026

By Ashley McGovern.

The RSC Advances team are delighted to welcome Professor Nadia Martínez-Villegas as our new Associate Editors!

Professor Nadia Martínez-Villegas, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Mexico

Research Areas: Environmental chemistry including:

Chemistry of soils/sediments.
Environmental chemical analysis.
Environmental remediation.
Toxicity
Water chemistry

Dr. Nadia Valentina Martínez-Villegas is a chemical engineer with an MSc in Chemical Engineering from the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí and a PhD in Soil Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University, USA. She is an environmental (bio)(hydro)(geo)chemist specializing in the behavior, mobility, and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soil–water systems. She is currently a Full Professor in the Division of Applied Geosciences at IPICYT (Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica) in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Her research focuses on environmental geochemistry, particularly arsenic and trace metals in contaminated soils, sediments, urban dust, groundwater, and surface waters. Her work integrates field studies, laboratory experiments, geochemical modeling, and data-driven approaches to support environmental diagnosis, risk assessment, and decision-making in vulnerable and mining-impacted regions.

Dr. Martínez-Villegas has published over 60 peer-reviewed research articles and has supervised five PhD students, 13 MSc students, and 10 undergraduate theses. She has led and contributed to more than 12 national and international research projects and actively promotes interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

She serves as an Editor for RSC Advances and previously served as an Associate Editor for Royal Society Open Science. She has also acted as Guest Editor for journals including Frontiers in Geochemistry, Applied Geochemistry, and the International Journal of Environmental Pollution. She is the former President of the National Institute of Geochemistry (INAGEQ), Mexico, and Coordinator of the Arsenic Research and Action Network (ARAN).

Her scientific recognitions include the Royal Society–Newton Advanced Fellowship (2015), finalist for the Newton Prize UK–Mexico (2018), recognition by the Cuban Agency for Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technologies (2019), and an Honorable Mention of the Francisco Estrada Award from the Government of San Luis Potosí. She is a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and serves on national and international scientific evaluation committees.

Submit your environmental chemistry papers for consideration by Professor Martinez-Villegas!

Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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RSC Advances Emerging Investigators Series 2024 – Author Spotlight – Daniel Heredia

02 Dec 2025

By Namita Datta, Assistant Editor.

We are delighted to present the 2024 edition of the RSC Advances Emerging Investigators series! Following the success of our 2023 edition, we are excited to continue highlighting the chemistry research being conducted by some of the leading investigators in our community.

This year’s Series Editors were Professor Shirley Nakagaki (Federal University of Paraná, Brazil) and Professor Fabienne Dumoulin (Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Universit, Türkiye). Nine articles were selected to support emerging researchers who are already making strides in their respective fields of research, both nationally and internationally. This series focused on interesting studies showcasing researchers’ efforts to obtain information that could potentially address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Here we showcase publications that present an advance in chemistry and support societal efforts for sustainable development. Read all about the collection in this accompanying Editorial.

We would like to take this opportunity to highlight an author from the series, Daniel Heredia. We interviewed Daniel about his work.

Daniel Heredia

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist (in one or two sentences only) and why it is of current interest?

We developed a new perfluorinated porphyrin-PEDOT conjugated polymer obtained through electrochemical polymerization, designed to act as an active material for energy storage devices. Its simplicity, stability, and ambipolar redox behavior make it a promising candidate for next-generation sustainable and active material in the development of supercapacitor energy storage devices.
This research is of current interest because the growing global energy demand and the challenges associated with climate change make it essential not only to develop renewable energy sources but also to design efficient systems for energy storage.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?

Our approach demonstrates that stable, multifunctional conjugated polymers can be synthesized through a simple and scalable electrochemical route, potentially impacting the design of flexible, durable materials for supercapacitors and other energy-related technologies.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?

It is similar to the response in question one (why it is of current interest?). We aimed to bridge the gap between complex synthetic procedures and practical applicability in functional materials. By designing a porphyrin monomer with electropolymerizable EDOT units, we sought to obtain a high-performance material through an efficient and environmentally friendly process.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?

In our study, one of the key design considerations was to develop a simple, high-yielding, and scalable synthetic route. We proposed a two-step synthesis that allows the efficient preparation of the monomer, facilitating its future translation from laboratory research to potential large-scale or industrial applications. This straightforward approach not only reduces synthetic complexity and cost but also enhances reproducibility, which is essential for the practical implementation of advanced materials. In addition, another key consideration was combining an electron-withdrawing perfluorinated porphyrin core with electroactive EDOT moieties to enable ambipolar behavior and stable electrodeposition. This molecular design ensured both photo- and chemical stability.

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?

There was no particularly challenging stage during the development of this work, as each member of the research team had solid experience in complementary areas such as organic synthesis, photochemistry, electrochemical deposition, impedance spectroscopy, and supercapacitor characterization. This multidisciplinary expertise allowed us to address every aspect of the study efficiently and to carry out the project smoothly from synthesis to supercapacitor evaluation.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

We are excited about the ambipolar nature and stability of these polymeric films, which opens the door to applications not only in supercapacitors but also in light-harvesting and optoelectronic devices.

How has your research evolved from your first article to this particular article?

Our research has evolved from studying isolated photoactive macrocycles to integrating them into functional polymeric systems.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

We plan to explore metal–corrole and porphyrin-based electropolymers to improve redox performance and extend their applications to self-sterilizing and photoresponsive coatings.

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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RSC Advances Emerging Investigators Series 2024 – Author Spotlight – Valerio Fasano

02 Dec 2025

By Namita Datta, Assistant Editor.

We would like to take this opportunity to highlight an author from the series, Valerio Fasano . We interviewed Valerio about his work.

Valerio Fasano

First total synthesis of caerulomycin K: a case study on selective, multiple C–H functionalizations of pyridines

Alessandro Dimasi, Mattia Failla, Arianna Montoli, Andrea Citarella, Paolo Ronchi, Daniele Passarella and Valerio Fasano

RSC Adv., 2024,14, 5542-5546

Dr Valerio Fasano earned his B.Sc. from the University of Catania and M.Sc. from the University of Bologna (Italy). After a research visit to the University of Lund (Sweden), he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Manchester (UK) under Prof. Michael Ingleson. Supported by a Royal Society of Chemistry mobility grant, he joined Prof. Douglas Stephan at the University of Toronto (Canada). He then returned to the UK as a Doctoral Prize Fellow at the University of Bristol with Prof. Varinder Aggarwal. In 2023, he became a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the University of Milan (Italy), where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2026.

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist and why it is of current interest?

We achieved the first total synthesis of caerulomycin K, a natural product isolated from marine-derived bacteria. This pyridine-based alkaloid is of interest due to its antimicrobial potential and relevance in natural product chemistry.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?

Although structurally simple, previous syntheses of similar molecules required numerous steps. Our new three-step route offers a rapid and efficient access to caerulomycin K, enabling the swift preparation of related analogues for biological evaluation.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?

Our group focuses on the total synthesis of natural products and the functionalization of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Caerulomycin K was an ideal target as it lies at the intersection of both research areas.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?

From the outset, we aimed to synthesize caerulomycin K without relying on pre-functionalized intermediates, instead using selective C–H functionalization of N-heterocycles. Achieving this required testing several strategies before identifying the successful one.

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?

Our initial approach relied on a double functionalization of the pyridine ring, which could have allowed tunable derivatization. Despite promising attempts, this strategy ultimately proved unfeasible.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Achieving a concise, three-step total synthesis of caerulomycin K is particularly exciting, as it opens the door to rapidly generating diverse analogues for further study.

How has your research evolved from your first article to this particular article?

While we continue to explore N-heterocycle functionalization, our research has expanded to include isotopic labelling and the study of boron-containing heterocycles.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

We are developing new methodologies for heterocycle functionalization, with a particular focus on integrating photocatalysis and automated synthesis technologies.

Why did you want to publish in RSC Advances?

The Royal Society of Chemistry is a long-standing and highly respected institution. RSC Advances offers excellent visibility and scientific credibility, making it an ideal platform for our work.

What are your thoughts on open access publishing?

I strongly support open access, as science should be freely accessible to all. My main concern, however, is the rise of predatory journals, which threaten the quality and integrity of scientific research.

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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