Chair
Professor Lee Cronin, University of Glasgow, UK
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Professor Lee Cronin, University of Glasgow, UK
Professor Lee Cronin, University of Glasgow, UK
"The focus of Cronin’s work is understanding and controlling self-assembly and self-organisation in Chemistry to develop functional molecular and nano-molecular chemical systems; linking architectural design with function and recently engineering system-level functions (eg coupled catalytic self-assembly, emergence of inorganic materials and fabrication of inorganic cells that allow complex cooperative behaviours). Much of this work is converging on exploring the assembly and engineering of emergent chemical systems. One target is the development of ‘inorganic biology’ i.e. a biological system beyond the naturally occurring ‘organic biology’ found on planet earth. It is also worth pointing out that the expertise in the Cronin group is unique bringing together chemists, chemical engineers, reaction modelling, complex system modelling, evolutionary theory, synthetic biology, robotics and AI."
Materials discovery - from atomic energy landscapes to phase diagrams
Professor Martin Jansen, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany
Superconductivity and the Periodic Table: From elements to materials
Professor Arndt Simon, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany
Abstract
Superconductivity represents a coherent state of paired conduction electrons. Attraction of particles with the same charge seems puzzling, however, chemists are all too familiar with paired electrons, though localised in covalent bonds. We follow the idea that under certain conditions conduction electrons exhibit a tendency towards pairwise localisation through dynamic covalency. Based on a special feature in the normal state electronic band structure, the necessary condition for a metal to become a superconductor is the simultaneous occurrence of flat and steep bands at the Fermi level. This feature occurs with no exception for metals which finally become superconducting at low temperature. However, the sufficient condition at least for conventional superconductors is a strong enough coupling of flat band states to lattice vibrations, phonons. The idea of such a flat band/steep band scenario is tested with actual examples, starting from an element, Te, via the rare earths compounds RE2X2C2, REC2, RE2C2 to MgB2. The latter is particularly suited to illustrate the aspect of dynamic covalency. As a surprise, a peak-like structure of the electron-phonon coupling constant in momentum space with an enormous enhancement for non-commensurate phonon vectors is found. It is interesting to follow the historical evolution of thoughts concerning the phenomenon of superconductivity. Steps of a staircase are marked by Planck, Bose, Einstein, London, and finally Ogg, who discovered the essential role of electron pairs for superconductivity. His sensational report of superconductivity at 190K in quenched solutions of Na in NH3, however, could not be reproduced. It is tempting to perform experiments along the lines of this visionary scientist under more stringent conditions. Preliminary results from an emeritus with administrational freedom are reported.
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Professor Arndt Simon, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany
Professor Arndt Simon, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Germany
Arndt Simon, 1940 born in Dresden, studied chemistry and in 1972 became professor in Münster. 1973 he accepted the offer as director at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart. Since 2010 he works as Emeritus in the institute. Exploratory chemistry with metal-rich compounds, their structural characterization and understanding of physical properties in terms of chemical bonding is his main interest. Investigations cover quite different regions in Periodic Table, e.g.: alkali metal suboxides, atomic scale void metals and low work function materials – subnitrides of the alkaline earth metals, nano dispersions of a salt in a metal – metal-rich halides of the rare earth metals and the interplay of d and f electrons – cluster chemistry of transition metals and establishment of the condensed cluster concept – search for the chemical basis of superconductivity – apparatus development (Guinier-Simon camera) – topology of intermetallic phases (Pauling-Simon rule). The restoration of historical clocks and watches is another interest using expertise in chemistry, mechanics and computer aided design partly in cooperation with museums.
Chair
Professor Anthony Cheetham FRS, University of Cambridge, UK
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Professor Anthony Cheetham FRS, University of Cambridge, UK
Professor Anthony Cheetham FRS, University of Cambridge, UK
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Professor Anthony Cheetham
Elected: 1994
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Professor Anthony Cheetham
- Fellow
- Elected: 1994
- Goldsmiths’ Professor of Materials Science, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge
"Tony Cheetham obtained his DPhil at Oxford in 1971 and did post-doctoral work in the Materials Physics Division at Harwell. He joined the chemistry faculty at Oxford in 1974, and then moved to the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1991 to become Professor in the Materials Department. In 1992 he took up the Directorship of the new Materials Research Laboratory, which he led for the first 12 years of its existence. He became the Director of the new-created International Center for Materials Research at UCSB in 2004, and then moved to Cambridge in 2007 to become the Goldsmiths’ Professor of Materials Science. Cheetham is a Fellow of the Royal Society (1994), TWAS (1999), the German National Academy of Sciences (2011), and several other academies.
Tony Cheetham has received numerous major awards for his work in the field of inorganic and materials chemistry; these include a Chaire Blaise Pascal, Paris, (1997-9), the Somiya Award of the IUMRS (with CNR Rao, 2004), the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society (2008), the Platinum Medal of the IOM3 (2011), the Nyholm Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry (2012), and honorary doctorates from Versailles (2006), St. Andrews (2011), and Tumkur (2011).
He became the Treasurer and Vice-President of the Royal Society at the end of November 2012."
Chemistry of Ag(2+): a cornucopia of pecularities
Professor Wojciech Grochala, CENT, University of Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
Silver is the heavier congener of copper in the Periodic Table, but chemistry of these two elements is very different. While Cu(II) is the most common cationic form of copper, Ag(II) is rare [1] and its compounds exhibit a broad range of peculiar physicochemical properties. These include, but are not limited to:
- uncommon oxidizing properties
- unprecedented large mixing of metal and ligand valence orbitals
- strong spin-polarization of neighbouring ligands (L), which leads to:
- record large magnetic superexchange constants and also
- ease of thermal decomposition of its salts as well as
- robust Jahn–Teller effect which is preserved even at high pressure.
The powerful oxidizing properties of Ag(II) are revealed not only in its behaviour towards inorganic and organic reagents, but also in its capability to oxidize oxo- and even fluoro- ligands from its first coordination sphere. Notably, all oxo-derivatives of Ag(II) are metastable and they decompose exothermally at temperatures not exceeding 120 oC [2,3,4]. Moreover, the formal redox potential of Ag(II) in 30% oleum approaches +2.9 V vs. NHE, the largest value ever measured for a fluorine-free system [5]. The electrochemically generated Ag(II) species are short-lived since they are capable of oxidizing the superacidic solvent [5]. Having in mind that the standard redox potential for the ½ Cl2 / Cl– redox pair is as small as + 1.36 V vs. NHE, it is no surprise that Ag(II)Cl2 has never been prepared.
The strong Ag(4d)/L(2p) mixing (where L = F, O, N etc.) is revealed in the XPS spectra [6,7] and confirmed by quantum mechanical calculations. Since Ag(II) is a spin-½ cation, it also transfers spin density to the ligands. Appreciable share of free spin in both metal and ligand valence orbitals results in very large magnetic superexchange constants which may exceed 100 meV [8], with the possibility of the record value of up to 300 meV for a 1D system [9]. The quest continues for a 2D system with equally strong antiferromagnetic interaction, which could serve as a precursor towards a room-temperature supeerconductor. As all d9 systems, compounds of Ag(II) are susceptible towards Jahn–Teller effect. The JT effect is strong as it usually leads to appreciable elongation (or, rarely, shortening) of the AgL6 octahedron. It also proves to be quite robust as it is preserved at high pressure of up to 30 GPa for Ag(II)SO4 [10].
References
[1] W. Grochala, R. Hoffmann, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 40 (2001) 2742.
[2] P. Malinowski et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 49 (2010) 1683.
[3] P. Malinowski et al., Chem. Eur. J 17 (2011) 10524.
[4] P. Malinowski et al., CrystEngComm 13 (2011) 6871.
[5] P. Połczyński et al., Chem. Commun. 49 (2013) 7480.
[6] W. Grochala, et al., ChemPhysChem 4 (2003) 997.
[7] A. Grzelak et al., submitted (2014).
[8] D. Kurzydłowski et al., Chem. Commun. 49 (2013) 6262.
[9] T. Gilewski et al., in preparation (2014).
[10] M. Derzsi et al., CrystEngComm 15 (2013) 192.
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Professor Wojciech Grochala, CENT, University of Warsaw, Poland
Professor Wojciech Grochala, CENT, University of Warsaw, Poland
Wojciech Grochala was born in 1972 in Warsaw, Poland, where he received his MSc, PhD and DSc from the University of Warsaw. Initially a spectroscopist, he felt the magic spell of molecular orbitals during his postdoc with Roald Hoffmann in Ithaca (Cornell, USA) and then fell in love in inorganic and fluorine chemistry while working with Peter P. Edwards (then at Birmingham, UK). Inorganic solid-state chemistry is Wojciech’s real passion. His scientific interests encompass noble gas and transition metal chemistry, superconductivity and vibronic coupling, quantum modeling of solids and molecular materials, hydrogen and energy storage, hydrogen transfer catalysis, applications of high pressures in chemistry, molecular devices, unusual oxidation states of the chemical elements, and more. Since 2005 he heads the Laboratory of Technology of Novel Functional Materials, at the Centre for New Technologies of the University of Warsaw, where he is a full professor.
The chemistry of nanospace
Professor Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan
Abstract
Materials with nanosized spaces, often known as porous materials, are abundant in everyday modern life: they are used for gas storage, separation, and catalysis. Based on a new concept of bottom-up synthesis, we are now able to successfully develop novel porous materials including everything from serendipitous findings to tailor-made synthesis. These are called "porous coordination polymers" (PCPs) or "metal–organic frameworks" (MOFs), which are comprised of organic and inorganic materials. We have developed the functional chemistry of PCPs, discovered flexible porous materials, and created soft porous crystals, unlike anything available via conventional methods. Today several hundred different PCPs are known, and over 2,000 articles on this class of materials are being published annually worldwide. PCPs have great potential in applications for our immediate surroundings as well as a wide variety of fields, such as the global environment, natural resources, development of outer space, life sciences, and energy, demonstrating their extremely high value both for science and for industry.
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Professor Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan
Professor Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan
Director, Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS)
Professor, Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Kyoto University
Susumu Kitagawa earned his PhD in 1979 at Kyoto University’. He moved to the chemistry department at Kinki University (1979 -1986), including spending one year (1986–87) at Texas A&M University. From 1992 to 1998 he served as professor of chemistry at Tokyo Metropolitan University, then returning to his alma mater in Kyoto to become professor in the Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, where he continues to serve today. He serves as the director of Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) from this year.
His main research fields are coordination chemistry, in particular, chemistry of coordination space, and his current research interests are centered on synthesis and properties of porous coordination polymers/metal-organic frameworks. He is a member of Science Council of Japan, a fellow of RSC, and President of Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry.
A Periodic Table of metal oxides
Dr David Payne, Imperial College London, UK
Abstract
The 20th century is often known as the age of silicon and the 21st century is predicted to be the age of graphene, while the former has undoubtedly benefited our societies and economies, the latter holds a great promise but is yet to find widespread use. Beyond the elements alone there is of course a wider class of materials used in countless industrial, technological and medical applications – the oxides. This talk will focus on a “Periodic Table of Oxides” whose properties vary from insulating to semiconducting to metallic to superconducting, from transparent to absorbing to reflective and from varying types of magnetism to hosting some of the most exotic states discovered at the frontiers of condensed matter science. To highlight the importance of understanding these materials this talk will focus on oxides such as lead dioxide (lead/acid battery) and indium oxide and ITO (flat screen displays). The need to apply state-of-the-art photoelectron spectroscopies in order to fully understand the electronic structure of these technologically vital materials will be highlighted, work performed in collaboration with theoretician colleagues using density functional theory. To finish we will discuss the next generation of spectroscopic techniques – particularly high-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (HiPPES) – a technique that promises a step-change in the understanding of oxide surfaces.
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Dr David Payne, Imperial College London, UK
Dr David Payne, Imperial College London, UK
Dr Payne holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Brunel University, UK, and a PhD and DSc from The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, UK. Dr Payne has 22 years of experience in antibacterial drug discovery and is currently Vice President and Head of the Antibacterial Discovery Performance Unit (DPU) where he is responsible for GSK’s antibacterial research effort from discovery to clinical proof of concept (Phase II clinical trials).
At GSK, Dr Payne has played a leading role in redesigning the strategy for antibacterial research which is based on internal discovery, partnerships and alliances with biotechs. Furthermore, he has created industry-leading partnerships with the Wellcome Trust, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US Department of Defense) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). To date, Dr Payne has been involved with the discovery and progression of a broad diversity of novel mechanism antibacterial agents into development and clinical trials.
Dr Payne has authored more than 190 papers and conference presentations