This is a great piece. It seems amazing that such a fundamental question remains unanswered.

In my recent reviews I've noticed a disturbing pattern. The authors report their results but make no comparisons with the literature - why is this? #chemsky

This is a really nice tool and I am pleased to see myself in the chemistry research cluster.

Switching Spin‐States: Spin Crossover vs. Coordination‐Induced Spin‐State Switching - Hörner - 2024 - European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry - Wiley Online Library chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

The first isolation of neutral aluminium(i) trimers called cyclotrialumanes is reported by Bakewell et al. in @natcomms.nature.com. CSD Entry OXATOA reveals a perfectly planar Al₃ ring, supported by a bulky amidinate framework. 🔗 dx.doi.org/10.5517/ccdc... #FeaturedStructureFriday #CompChemSky

Our Beginner’s guide to spin crossover is now available as an advance article. Thanks to @crystengcomm.rsc.org for getting the review published so quickly and if you do find the review useful, please cite it often! #spincrossover #molecularswitches #chemsky pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Incredibly excited to share the final piece of work from my PhD. In this enjoyable collaboration between the Xavi Ribas and @feringalab.bsky.social we were able to rotate a motor guest inside a molecular cage. 🧪 @jacs.acspublications.org @rug.nl @stratinghinst.bsky.social #ChemSky lnkd.in/eB25Z2yS

Rant alert! I have noticed recently an increasing misuse of concepts in papers I review. One of the most common seems to be the use of band gap theory on molecular complexes. These contain discrete MOs, not bands. Has anyone else noticed this? #peerreview #chemsky

WOW! New #BrokenNews arrival IMMINENT: youtu.be/TWPOfVdmYig

Spin crossover (SCO) complexes are magnetic switches, but can they be made practical? A key challenge is nanosizing them. In our latest work, we report the synthesis of SCO nanomaterials with similar SCO behaviour to the bulk. #ChemSky @rscadvances.rsc.org pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Today's lesson from peer review: If something looks unprecedented and really unusual, chances are it isn't. Look for the obvious things first before jumping to the conclusion that you've discovered something really amazing. #ChemSky

🏆Our annual poll for "Best Covers of the Year" at 𝘐𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 is back. 🎉VOTE NOW for your favourite 2025 covers! forms.microsoft.com/e/ZVwGz0m3SK

Thailand moved to single-year grants about 5 years ago. It's fair to say that it hasn't gone well.

Another great paper from our collaboration with Mahidol University, which now has final page numbers. The structures are fun and we find a 7-fold increase in binding of LiI, compared to the separate ions. #ChemSky pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Some pics from around the Lake District.

A last post before Christmas on a just published paper led by a coleague at Mahidol University. #ChemSky pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

It was a fun day yesterday visiting Bristol. Lots has changed and lots remains the same. The chemistry is still visible up on the hill.

Chemistry curricula in UK schools do not reflect the realities of working in science, @rsc.org researchers warn

Here's your #CSDPacked 🙌

I am pleased to see some rationality entering this conversation. The economic numbers are now so overwhelming it's clear we must do something.

I teach general chemistry and I can say that while this is unfortunately all too true, many sciences (and engineering) fields would benefit from caring about chemistry a little more.

There's no question that some degree of regulation is now needed to bring profits into line with other industries, especially as we are mostly publicly funded.

Issue 44 is now online!👇 pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/... The cover features work by Y. Tozuka, K. Kadota & co describing physically stable cyclodextrin MOFs formed via a drug-assisted amorphous to crystal phase transition 👀⬇️ 🔗 doi.org/10.1039/D5CE... 📍Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University 🧪

The details within this poll are fascinating. To a certain extent you can see the media the various people comsume in their answers. But it's very intersting to see Reform pretty much out on thier own.

SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten. "I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA

👋New preprint: "Interplay of Redox Non-Innocence and Symmetry Breaking in a 4d Coordination Framework" 🧪We’ve made Mo(pyz)₂I₂, the 4d cousin of the Cr(pyz)₂X₂ family — with redox-active ligands, symmetry breaking, semiconducting transport, and very strong magnetic interactions. 🔗👇

York is one of my favourite cities in England.

Just dropped! A virtual collection from #AustJChem celebrating Nobel Laureate Professor Richard Robson, pioneer of MOFs. Explore 60 years of his groundbreaking work, free to read until 27 Feb 2026. @csiropublishing.bsky.social @unimelb.bsky.social connectsci.au/ch/collectio...

Nobel prize winner Prof Novoselov talking about the future of materials science at #ACCC10. Bottom up functionality is one of the poorly explored space. This is absolutely the area where chemistry operates.

Despite calcium bicarbonate's existence being proposed almost 200 years ago, it's structure has remained a mystery until now.

Julia Robinson spoke to Stuart Batten – Richard Robson's first PhD student to work on coordination polymers – and also had the pleasure of discussing the award-winning work behind this year's Nobel prize with none other than Nobel laureate Susumu Kitagawa.

While experienced chemists are able to spot the mistakes that AI makes, those who are just learning aren't and consequently AI hinders, rather than helps, them to learn. So, like these authors for right now I don't think we should use it.

In honour of the 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry, we’ve curated a collection of impactful articles from across RSC journals on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) 🏆 Free to read until the end of November 👉 pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/... 🧪

I am so pleased to see MOFs finally winning the #NobelPrize!! #ChemSky

My tutorial review on single crystal diffraction analysis is now online @crystengcomm.rsc.org! Students, supervisors, and reviewers: Please consider this thought-provoking read to discover many facets of the crystallographic practice that are often overlooked or misunderstood 💎 #crystallography

Really pleased to see this work published. We helped out with the crystallography which helped to better understand how these cations function. #ChemSky @pubs.acs.org pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

🧪 Simplicity engineered for magnetism 🧲 📢 Preprint: Cr(pyrazine)₃ - maybe the simplest MOF with potential voids known. Built from Cr(III) + radical pyrazine linkers, this perovskite analogue shows magnetic interactions rivaling the strongest known in inorganic materials, stabilizing order above RT.

Issue 38 is out now! Read it here👀 pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/...

So happy this piece is finally out! A tremendous collaborative effort of colleagues and friends from 8 institutions all over Europe. Thank you! doi.org/10.1038/s414... Photochemistry and photophysics in a single crystal @jagiellonskiuni.bsky.social @cleracr.bsky.social @natcomms.nature.com

It's final exam week at the university. Naturally, that means the weather's really nice while we are stuck inside.

I can't believe that UK voters are falling for this. The UK's biggest problems are the cost of living and the poor economy, neither of which are driven by immigrants.

A great approach: "analysis of #CrystalStructures in science classes at #HighSchools offers a wide range of opportunities for illustrating and improving understanding of fundamental #StructuralChemistry concepts"😀 doi.org/10.1107/S160... @japplcryst.iucr.org #K12 #crystallography #Education

Some very valuable insights here #chemsky "I thought science hinged on prestige. Moving abroad made me reassess my priorities" | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

After a morning of doing nothing the cat has settled down for her midday nap.

Sadly, I have to agree with this. Education research is, ironically, hard to understand. Consequently, you have no idea what is being recommend to improve your teaching. The sector needs to make their findings accesible to a much wider audience.

On the way to teach first year chemistry. The university is looking fine.

Issue 34 is now online! Read the fantastic articles in this week's issue👇 pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/...

My worry with all this stuff is that the students are beginning to treat everything that AI produces as absolute truth. They are simply too trusting and don't understand how LLMs actually work.