Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – December 2023

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Haoxing Wu, Dr Jennifer Garden, Professor Kanyi Pu and Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

 

Professor Haoxing Wu, Sichuan University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Haoxing Wu, Sichuan University. Professor Haoxing Wu’s research focuses on developing bioorthogonal tools and applying them to theranostic applications.

 

Dr Jennifer Garden, University of Edinburgh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Jennifer Garden, University of Edinburgh. Dr Garden’s research uses chemistry and catalysis to improve the sustainability of polymers and plastics. This ranges from investigating renewable feedstocks to making new materials, and is underpinned by the development of catalytic processes.

 

Professor Kanyi Pu, Nanyang Technological University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Kanyi Pu, Nanyang Technological University. Professor Kanyi Pu’s research interests involve creating special molecular spies that give out specific signals to help doctors spot diseases early and treat them in a personalised way, tailored specifically to each patient.

 

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá, University of Leicester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá, University of Leicester. Dr Rodriguez-Macia’s group focuses on studying how energy-conversion reactions such as H2 production and CO2 reduction happen in nature to develop new and more efficient bioinspired catalysts and artificial metalloenzymes for sustainable chemistry.

 

 

 

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Jennifer Garden: I very much enjoy reading articles in Chemical Science, and the review process is an excellent way to find out about cutting-edge developments in my field. Reviewing manuscripts is also a way to contribute to the chemistry community, and the review process helps me to think about the science from a different perspective.

Professor Kanyi Pu: I am motivated to review for Chemical Science because (a) it is a reputable journal known for publishing exceptional research, spanning both fundamental and applied chemistry; and (b) I wanted to contribute to the scientific community by sharing my expertise and insights in the field of chemistry.

Professor Haoxing Wu: Chemical Science is a comprehensive journal in the field of chemistry, showcasing cutting-edge research findings.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: I believe that as a researcher of today, reviewing papers is an important duty to the scientific community. It also allows me to be up to date with the literature, and to be exposed to different scientific perspectives.

 

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Professor Haoxing Wu: During the review process, I not only get to stay updated on the latest research findings, but also take pleasure in witnessing the improvement in paper quality.

Professor Kanyi Pu: What I find most fulfilling in the reviewing process is the chance to explore cutting-edge research in my field and the satisfaction of contributing to the scholarly community by providing valuable feedback to enhance the quality and impact of authors’ work.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: To be able to read and enjoy the latest scientific advances and to provide constructive feedback on the work. I particularly enjoy seeing that my feedback is implemented and helps to improve the quality of the paper. It is a truly rewarding experience!

 

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Dr Jennifer Garden: In addition to good quality and innovative science, I think it is important to carefully consider what your most impactful results are, and to write the narrative in a way that emphasises their importance within the context of your work, your field and the broader chemistry community.

Dr Patricia Rodríguez Maciá: To ensure that the presented work is original and cutting edge, and very importantly, that it is a solid piece of work and well-reproducible. I find that it is key to explain your findings in a non-specific language easy-to-follow for the general chemistry audience. In this way researchers outside your immediate field can also clearly understand the work, thus reaching a wider audience/readership.

 

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Professor Haoxing Wu: I look for papers that present groundbreaking discoveries in the field of chemistry while also demonstrating a systematic and rigorous approach in their research.

How has your approach to peer reviewing changed over time?

Professor Kanyi Pu: Over time, my peer review approach has evolved. Initially, I emphasised finding flaws, but now I focus on constructive feedback, balancing positives and areas for improvement. I’ve grown more empathetic toward authors, aiming to help them understand strengths and opportunities for manuscript enhancement.

 

What single piece of advice would you give to someone about to write their first review?

Dr Jennifer Garden: Read the paper with a focus. I try to write a summary of the paper as I read it, to think about whether the topic and level of novelty is suitable for the journal, and to consider whether the scientific evidence fully supports the claims made in the paper. When I first started, I felt a little nervous about reviewing but it gets quicker and easier with experience.

 

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

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Chemical Science HOT Articles: November 2023

We are pleased to share a selection of our referee-recommended HOT articles for November 2023. We hope you enjoy reading these articles, congratulations to all the authors whose articles are featured! As always, Chemical Science is free for authors and readers.

You can explore our full 2023 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection here!

 

Browse a selection of our November HOT articles below:

Use of pyridazinediones for tuneable and reversible covalent cysteine modification applied to peptides, proteins and hydrogels
Léa N. C. Rochet, Calise Bahou, Jonathan P. Wojciechowski, Ilias Koutsopetras, Phyllida Britton, Richard J. Spears, Ioanna A. Thanasi, Baihao Shao, Lisha Zhong, Dejan-Krešimir Bučar, Abil E. Aliev, Michael J. Porter, Molly M. Stevens, James R. Baker and Vijay Chudasama
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13743-13754

Ligand-centered to metal-centered activation of a Rh(iii) photosensitizer revealed by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations
Iria Bolaño Losada and Petter Persson
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13713-13721

Photoinduced cerium-catalyzed C–H acylation of unactivated alkanes
Jing Cao, Joshua L. Zhu and Karl A. Scheidt
Chem. Sci., 2024, Advance Article

Controlling primary chain dispersity in network polymers: elucidating the effect of dispersity on degradation
Takanori Shimizu, Richard Whitfield, Glen R. Jones, Ibrahim O. Raji, Dominik Konkolewicz, Nghia P. Truong and Athina Anastasaki
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13419-13428

A single phosphorylation mechanism in early metabolism – the case of phosphoenolpyruvate
Joris Zimmermann, Robert J. Mayer and Joseph Moran
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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November 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Welcome to November’s Perspective & Review round up!

Our on-going 2023 Chemical Science Perspective & Review Collection showcases all of the Perspective and Review articles published in Chemical Science in 2023. You can find our 2022 collection here.

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 full collection!

Browse a selection of November’s Perspective & Reviews:

Interfacing metal organic frameworks with polymers or carbon-based materials: from simple to hierarchical porous and nanostructured composites
Khaled Dassouki, Sanchari Dasgupta, Eddy Dumas and Nathalie Steunou
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 12898-12925

Frontiers of molecular crystal structure prediction for pharmaceuticals and functional organic materials
Gregory J. O. Beran
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13290-13312

Recent advances in electrospinning nanofiber materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries
Sinian Yang, Shunshun Zhao and Shimou Chen
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13346-13366

Electrocatalysis with molecules and molecular assemblies within gas diffusion electrodes
Hossein Bemana, Morgan McKee and Nikolay Kornienko
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13696-13712

Recent developments for intermolecular enantioselective amination of non-acidic C(sp3)–H bonds
Heng-Hui Li, Xuemeng Chen and Søren Kramer
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13278-13289

Recent advances in the utilization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as electrode materials for supercapacitors
Shen Xu, Jinghang Wu, Xiang Wang and Qichun Zhang
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13601-13628

Advances in CO2 activation by frustrated Lewis pairs: from stoichiometric to catalytic reactions
Md. Nasim Khan, Yara van Ingen, Tribani Boruah, Adam McLauchlan, Thomas Wirth and Rebecca L. Melen
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 13661-13695

 

 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – November 2023

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano, Professor Malcolm Halcrow, Professor Marina Petrukhina and Professor Ken Tanaka. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

 

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano, University of Naples Federico II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano, University of Naples Federico II. Mariateresa’s research interests involve the development of green multicomponent synthetic methods mainly involving isocyanides, the study of their reactivities in visible light promoted reactions, and their application to identify new anticancer therapeutics.

 

Professor Malcolm Halcrow, University of Leeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Malcolm Halcrow, University of Leeds. Malcolm is interested in switchable metal complexes and materials derived from them. Crystal engineering of spin-crossover compounds is a particular focus.

 

Professor Marina Petrukhina, University at Albany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Marina Petrukhina, University at Albany. Professor Marina Petrukhina’s research interests span from synthetic and structural inorganic chemistry of transition metals and main group elements to coordination, organometallic and supramolecular chemistry of novel curved and twisted molecular nanographenes with different carbon frameworks.

 

Professor Ken Tanaka, Tokyo Institute of Technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Ken Tanaka, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Tanaka’s research is focused on the development of novel transition metal catalysts and synthetic organic reactions and their application to the construction of beautiful novel structures.

 

 

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Professor Ken Tanaka: Peer review is part of my service to the community, and I hope it helps to improve the quality of the papers. I, myself, have received many useful suggestions from reviewers and have been able to improve the quality of my papers.

 

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Professor Marina Petrukhina: I look for a full package: new and exciting results, solid justification, great scientific storytelling, quality illustrations, and broad outcomes…Adding some edge to the discussion of results which could stimulate further thinking and open new research directions is always a plus!

 

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Professor Malcolm Halcrow: If you set out an interesting problem in the Introduction, make sure your results address that goal logically and thoroughly. Present your work clearly, so the reader doesn’t have to work hard to see the experiments worked as you describe.

 

Are there any steps that reviewers can undertake to improve the quality of their review?

Professor Malcolm Halcrow: Look at the prior literature, to see if the authors have put their work properly in context. Look beyond errors in the text or the details, if the underlying concept is original and interesting. Where criticism is necessary, make sure it’s constructive.

 

How has your approach to peer reviewing changed over time?

Professor Marina Petrukhina: I try to allocate sufficient time to act as a critical scientific reviewer first and then switch and read/refine my review from the author perspective; the stepped approach helps to make sure that all recommendations are constructive and useful for the authors.

 

What do you most enjoy about reviewing?

Professor Ken Tanaka: Peer review gives me first-hand access to the world’s most cutting-edge research.

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano: Reviewing a manuscript makes you one of the first people to read about a new discovery. That’s exciting but also a great responsibility. I most enjoy trying to understand the story behind the new findings, how the authors reasoned to get there, how hard, and how long it was. I have a deep respect for the time and the efforts of the human beings behind the authors’ names.

 

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Professor Mariateresa Giustiniano: Reviewing helps you to never stop learning!

 

Check in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

 

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

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Chemical Science HOT Articles: October 2023

We are pleased to share a selection of our referee-recommended HOT articles for October 2023. We hope you enjoy reading these articles, congratulations to all the authors whose articles are featured! As always, Chemical Science is free for authors and readers.

You can explore our full 2023 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection here!

 

Browse a selection of our October HOT articles below:

Fluorescence-readout as a powerful macromolecular characterisation tool
Xingyu Wu and Christopher Barner-Kowollik
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

New insights into controlling radical migration pathways in heme enzymes gained from the study of a dye-decolorising peroxidase
Marina Lučić, Michael T. Wilson, Jacob Pullin, Michael A. Hough, Dimitri A. Svistunenko and Jonathan A. R. Worrall
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

A role of intermolecular interaction modulating thermal diffusivity in organosuperelastic and organoferroelastic cocrystals
Subham Ranjan, Ryota Morioka, Meguya Ryu, Junko Morikawa and Satoshi Takamizawa
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Expanding the chemical space of enol silyl ethers: catalytic dicarbofunctionalization enabled by iron catalysis
Dinabandhu Sar, Shuai Yin, Jacob Grygus, Ángel Rentería-Gómez, Melanie Garcia and Osvaldo Gutierrez
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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October 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Welcome to October’s Perspective & Review round up!

Our on-going 2023 Chemical Science Perspective & Review Collection showcases all of the Perspective and Review articles published in Chemical Science in 2023. You can find our 2022 collection here.

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 full collection!

Main group metal-mediated strategies for C–H and C–F bond activation and functionalisation of fluoroarenes
Neil R. Judge, Alessandra Logallo and Eva Hevia
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Strategies for chiral separation: from racemate to enantiomer
Jingchen Sui, Na Wang, Jingkang Wang, Xin Huang, Ting Wang, Lina Zhou and Hongxun Hao
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Quantum chemical calculations for reaction prediction in the development of synthetic methodologies
Hiroki Hayashi, Satoshi Maeda and Tsuyoshi Mita
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Polymeric materials for ultrasound imaging and therapy
Roman A. Barmin, MirJavad Moosavifar, Anshuman Dasgupta, Andreas Herrmann, Fabian Kiessling, Roger M. Pallares and Twan Lammers
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Rejuvenation of dearomative cycloaddition reactions via visible light energy transfer catalysis
Angshuman Palai, Pramod Rai and Biplab Maji
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Catalytic, asymmetric carbon–nitrogen bond formation using metal nitrenoids: from metal–ligand complexes via metalloporphyrins to enzymes
Alexander Fanourakis and Robert J. Phipps
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

A breath of sunshine: oxygenic photosynthesis by functional molecular architectures
Thomas Gobbato, Giulia Alice Volpato, Andrea Sartorel and Marcella Bonchio
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – October 2023

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Elisabeth Prince, Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel, Dr Manuel Nappi and Professor John Murphy. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

 

Dr Elisabeth Prince

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Elisabeth Prince, University of Waterloo. In Dr Elisabeth Prince’s lab, they study the interplay between the architecture of polymer networks and their functional properties. They leverage their knowledge to improve the recyclability of polymer networks and to create biomimetic hydrogels for healthcare.

 

Dr Manuel Nappi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Manuel Nappi, University of Santiago de Compostela. Dr Manuel Nappi’s group is dedicated to the invention of new sustainable chemical transformations at the interface of synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and material science. Currently, they are working on the metal-free conversion of simple organic feedstocks into valuable molecules using visible light.

 

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel’s group focuses on the development of electrochemical processes for water splitting, CO2 reduction, and bio- as well as organoelectrochemical processes, spanning from catalyst development to establishing pilot plant systems.

 

Professor John Murphy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor John Murphy, University of Strathclyde. Professor John Murphy is interested in organic reaction mechanisms and particularly those related to radicals and radical ions.

 

 

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Elisabeth Prince: Reviewing is important service to the scientific community, and it’s always more enjoyable to do that service when the articles are at the cutting edge. The articles I’ve read and reviewed in Chemical Science have been interdisciplinary, innovative, and very engaging, which makes my job as the reviewer fun.

Dr Manuel Nappi: Chemical Science is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, publishing cutting-edge science. As reviewer and author, I am happy and honoured to help maintain and improve this exceptional level.

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel: I understand reviewing to be an essential part of my duty to the community. Moreover, it provides me with the opportunity to collaborate with authors, enhancing the quality of their work, and it also helps me develop the skills needed to write excellent research papers from different perspectives.

Professor John Murphy: The relevance of the papers to my interests and the quality of papers published by the journal.

 

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Professor John Murphy: The ability to see the very latest advances and, hopefully, to provide helpful feedback to the authors.

Dr Elisabeth Prince: I love seeing my feedback improve the quality of an article, whether it be by improving how its communicated or by clarifying the results. It’s very rewarding to help make the author’s work shine. 

Dr Manuel Nappi: The most exciting part of reviewing for Chemical Science is the opportunity to read groundbreaking science before publication and contribute for its improvement.

 

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Dr Manuel Nappi: Originality and novelty are the keystones for a publication in Chemical Science. The authors should clearly explain how the chemistry differs from the state of the art, highlighting the innovative aspects of their work.

 

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Dr Elisabeth Prince: Reviewing reminds me to think like a reviewer when writing my own papers. I always try to take a step back from my paper and think about what I would bring up as the reviewer.

 

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Professor Ulf-Peter Apfel: Ensure that your scientific work presents robust evidence through well-reproducible experiments, while maintaining an easy-to-follow narrative that showcases your enthusiasm without exaggerating the significance of your findings.

 

 

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

 

 

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September 2023 Chemical Science Reviews & Perspectives

Welcome to September’s Perspective & Review round up!

Our on-going 2023 Chemical Science Perspective & Review Collection showcases all of the Perspective and Review articles published in Chemical Science in 2023. You can find our 2022 collection here.

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 full collection!

 

Naphthopyran molecular switches and their emergent mechanochemical reactivity
Molly E. McFadden, Ross W. Barber, Anna C. Overholts and Maxwell J. Robb
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 10041-10067

Synthesis of ubiquitinated proteins for biochemical and functional analysis
Julia Kriegesmann and Ashraf Brik
Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 10025-10040

From random to rational: improving enzyme design through electric fields, second coordination sphere interactions, and conformational dynamics
Shobhit S. Chaturvedi, Daniel Bím, Christo Z. Christov and Anastassia N. Alexandrova
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Carbon–carbon bond activation by Mg, Al, and Zn complexes
Joseph M. Parr and Mark R. Crimmin
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article
 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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Chemical Science HOT Articles: September 2023

We are pleased to share a selection of our referee-recommended HOT articles for September 2023. We hope you enjoy reading these articles, congratulations to all the authors whose articles are featured! As always, Chemical Science is free for authors and readers.

You can explore our full 2023 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection here!

 

Browse a selection of our September HOT articles below:

Photocyclization by a triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion pair in water – avoiding UV-light and oxygen removal
R. Jeyaseelan, M. Utikal, C. G. Daniliuc and L. Næsborg
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Directing group assisted para-selective C–H alkynylation of unbiased arenes enabled by rhodium catalysis
Uttam Dutta, Gaurav Prakash, Kirti Devi, Kongkona Borah, Xinglong Zhang and Debabrata Maiti
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Pathway complexity in fibre assembly: from liquid crystals to hyper-helical gelmorphs
Rafael Contreras-Montoya, James P. Smith, Stephen C. Boothroyd, Juan A. Aguilar, Marzieh Mirzamani, Martin A. Screen, Dmitry S. Yufit, Mark Robertson, Lilin He, Shuo Qian, Harshita Kumari and Jonathan W. Steed
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Broadening the catalytic region from the cavity to windows by M6L12 nanospheres in cyclizations
Meiling Xu, Bin Sun, David A. Poole, III, Eduard O. Bobylev, Xu Jing, Jinguo Wu,a Cheng He, Chunying Duan and Joost N. H. Reek
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

Time-resolved enantiomer-exchange probed by using the orbital angular momentum of X-ray light
Xiang Jiang, Yeonsig Nam, Jérémy R. Rouxel, Haiwang Yong and Shaul Mukamel
Chem. Sci., 2023, Advance Article

 

Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Chemical Science 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.

Keep up to date with our latest articles, reviews, collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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Chemical Science Reviewer Spotlight – September 2023

To further thank and recognise the support from our excellent reviewer community, we are highlighting reviewers who have provided exceptional support to the journal over the past year.

This month, we’ll be highlighting Dr Sascha Feldmann, Professor Scott Cockroft, Dr Xiyue Zhang and Professor Chuan He. We asked our reviewers a few questions about what they enjoy about reviewing, and their thoughts on how to provide a useful review.

Dr Sascha Feldmann, Harvard University. Dr Sascha Feldmann’s team combines ultrafast magneto-optical spectroscopy and materials chemistry to transform the way we produce and consume energy as a society. They work on uncovering the design rules which enable the next generation of cheap, efficient and flexible solar cells & ultra-bright displays, and unlock entirely new applications in quantum information technology.

 

 

Professor Scott Cockroft

Professor Scott Cockroft, University of Edinburgh. Professor Scott Cockroft’s group uses synthetic molecules and computational chemistry to study the origins and energetics of the interactions between molecules that make them stick together (or not!). They seek to exploit these chemical principles to construct devices from synthetic and biological molecules that can perform tasks within lipid membranes such as those surrounding living cells.

 

 

Dr Xinyue Zhang

Dr Xiyue Zhang, University of Maryland. Dr Xiyue Zhang’s research mainly focuses on electrolytes and electrodes for Li-/Na-/Zn- ion batteries and supercapacitors.

 

 

Professor Chuan He

Professor Chuan He, Southern University of Science and Technology. Professor Chuan He’s research is focused on chiral organosilicon and chiral organoboron chemistry. They are particularly interested in the construction and application of silicon-stereogenic silanes and boron-stereogenic compounds.

 

What do you enjoy most about reviewing?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: I really enjoy that reviewing a paper actually forces me to read a paper from beginning to end, thoroughly and with a critical assessment mode activated. This to be is quite different from just skimming through some published reports to search for a specific piece of information and more often than not allows me to learn something new and unexpected.

Professor Scott Cockroft: The chance to be the first to read cutting-edge research on a topic of close personal interest.

Dr Xiyue Zhang: It’s happy to get in touch with the advanced level of research in the world and see the quality of the manuscript improved through the review process.

Professor Chuan He: It is always exciting to get first-hand information on the new and cutting-edge science from reviewing.

 

What encouraged you to review for Chemical Science?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: Chemical Science for me is one of the flagship journals to find cutting edge results in the broad field of the Chemical Sciences, from fundamental synthesis reports to spectroscopy studies and device applications. Having done my PhD at Cambridge and therefore growing up with the RSC as a premier publisher in the UK, it feels only natural to now be part of the reviewing process as well.

Professor Scott Cockroft: Peer reviewing is a cornerstone of academic integrity within science. It is therefore a duty that anyone contributing to science should fulfil. I tend to agree to review articles when I am particularly interested in the topic of the submitted paper.

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Chemical Science is dedicated to publishing ground-breaking research involving novel ideas, challenging questions and progressive thinking. Review is not only a way for me to serve the community, but also a way to connect with other world leading scientists and contribute to future breakthrough.

Professor Chuan He: Chemical Science is a high-quality journal that publishes world-leading interdisciplinary research from every aspect of chemistry.

 

What are you looking for in a paper that you can recommend for acceptance in Chemical Science?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: A paper that I would recommend for acceptance in Chem Sci should above all have novelty. There are other fantastic journals inside and outside the RSC where I would find a good home for a thorough follow-up investigation on an existing project, but Chem Sci I would reserve more for those new out-of-the-box type of results to share with a broad community.

 

Do you have any advice to our readers seeking publication in Chemical Science on what makes a good paper?

Professor Scott Cockroft: Take your reader on journey of discovery. Propose hypotheses and systematically and critically test these hypotheses against your data. The result should be that we all arrive at the same convincing conclusion.

 

What advice would you give a first-time author looking to maximise their chances of successful peer review?

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Novel ideas, rigorous logic, and solid data.

Professor Chuan He: The author should ensure that the manuscript is well-written, logical, and follows the journal’s guidelines. Highlighting the key novelty of the work, and preparing elegant and clear figures are important. Carefully and thoroughly addressing any comments provided by the reviewers and editors during the peer review process is also crucial.

 

What has been your biggest learning point from reviewing?

Dr Sascha Feldmann: If I had to limit myself to one thing I really have started to appreciate since beginning to review, it is that clarity in writing is of utmost importance. Even if I may qualify as an expert reader and therefore have been chosen as a reviewer, my access to a scientific story will always be much more limited than that of the group who wrote the manuscript and is therefore in a deep dive that is hard to reach. Therefore, explaining your results in a simple way and with a clear writing style is something I learned myself from reviewing and try to apply to my own works as much as possible.

 

What would you recommend to new reviewers to ensure their report is helpful?

Professor Scott Cockroft: Make sure you leave enough time to properly read and understand the paper; there is nothing more frustrating than having to respond to reviewer comments that are already addressed in the paper, or based on wild misunderstandings/poor comprehension.

 

How do you balance reviewing with your other activities?

Dr Xiyue Zhang: Try to avoid procrastinating on either reviewing or other tasks. It’s essential to find a balance between productivity and relaxation.

 

Did reviewing for Chemical Science affect how you approached preparation of your recent publication with us?

Professor Chuan He: I do believe reviewing for Chemical Science provides me with valuable perspectives and experiences that shape my approach and enhance the quality of my own publication within the same journal. Putting yourself in the shoes of a reviewer is always helpful when you are preparing your own manuscript.

 

Tune in next month to meet our next group of #ChemSciReviewers!

If you want to learn more about how we support our reviewers, check out our Reviewer Hub.

Interested in joining our ever-growing reviewer community? Apply here now!

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