Crystal engineering GRC: crystal engineering in the mountains

The majestic White Mountains of New Hampshire provided the setting for the inaugural GRC (Gordon Research Conference) on crystal engineering (Fig. 1), which was held from the 6th to the 11th June, 2010. This meeting, initiated by Gautam Desiraju (Chair) and Robin Rogers (Vice-Chair), brought together expert crystal engineers from all over the world and from different areas within the field of crystal engineering.

Fig. 1 Photographs courtesy of Dr Andreas Lemmerer.

The stated purpose of the conference was to ‘provide a forum for the discussion of the current state of the art of this rapidly evolving, highly interdisciplinary field of crystal engineering, to identify and debate open questions, and to point out new promising research directions’. It certainly achieved its aims and we were lucky enough to be in attendance at this exciting meeting! It was great to have the chance to gather with so many of our friends in the community and of course, to make many new ones too.

Discussion covered a wide breadth of areas within the field of crystal engineering from coordination polymers to crystal structure prediction; co-crystals to 2D crystal engineering. The meeting saw lively discussion at all the sessions particularly following presentations that focused on the future of crystal engineering. It was a delight to see such enthusiasm and so many new directions emerging in the field. Debate was facilitated by the active Discussion Leaders, including Len MacGillivray (CrystEngComm Editorial Board) who led a thought-provoking session covering organic solid state reactions.

The busy poster sessions also provided much food for thought (Fig. 2) as the (sometimes muddy) delegates clambered back to present and discuss their current research following afternoon pursuits, which included mountain biking, hiking and kayaking. Of course, these activities involved avoiding the native black bears of the New Hampshire Mountains but luckily all delegates survived unscathed!

Fig. 2 A conference delegate enjoying the Gordon conference lobster dinner! Photograph courtesy of Dr Andreas Lemmerer

CrystEngComm supported the conference bar on Tuesday night to celebrate the continuing success of the journal and on Monday Crystal Growth & Design marked its 10th Anniversary. At the GRC Business Meeting on Wednesday, Christer Aakeröy (CrystEngComm Associate Editor for the Americas) and Mike Zaworotko were elected as co-Vice Chairs for the next conference following a dead heat in the election—80 votes a piece!

All in all the first Crystal Engineering GRC was a resounding success and we congratulate the organisers, speakers and participants for making it so. We hope that this will be the first of many Gordon conferences on the topic of crystal engineering.

Roll on the next meeting in 2012!

 

Ruth Doherty

CrystEngComm Deputy Editor

Neil Champness

CrystEngComm Editorial Board Chair

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