New talent: Americas

CrystEngComm has published about twenty themed issues since 2002, where each issue has typically focused on a particular chemical subject area such as crystal growth, molecular magnetism, and biomineralisation, to name but a few. Only rarely has an issue been constructed around a geographic region, but this time we present a collection of papers that highlight young and talented scientists from the Americas.

It is probably fair to say that for some considerable time, crystal engineering did not acquire a natural and well-established foothold in most chemistry departments in the Americas. One would most likely find a ‘crystal engineer’ deeply embedded either in an organic or inorganic group, which was also reflected by the way in which funding opportunities and conferences have been organized. Despite the inevitable need for interdisciplinary research in modern science (and this is something that crystal engineering is well suited to), most chemistry departments, conference-calendars, and funding organizations have been structured according to traditional scientific divisions. However, things are changing.

In 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) realigned their program structure with the specific intent to better reflect how modern chemistry research is conducted, which resulted in the introduction of a brand new section entitled: Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program.

The very first Gordon Research Conference dedicated to ‘Crystal Engineering’ took place in New Hampshire in 2010 and the success of this meeting has ensured the presence of a biennial conference that can serve as a focal point for crystal engineers around the world.

Crystal engineering also offers many natural opportunities for fruitful collaborations between academia and industry which will also provide a stronger and more well-defined identity for this scientific discipline. The importance of the solid state and the connections between structure and activity are felt particularly strong in areas that rely on functional materials, such as pharmaceuticals, pigments and dyes, energetic materials, toxins, foodstuff, and detergents. Furthermore, bioavailability is a function of solubility, shelf life is affected by hygroscopicity, and filterability (crucial to large-scale processing) is governed by the size and shape of the particle – all of these are related to the crystal structure. Crystal engineers, who have the ability to translate molecular recognition events into predictable solid-state assemblies, provide enormous contributions to both manufacturers and consumers of solid speciality chemicals, and can offer guidelines for the synthesis of self-replicating entities for information storage akin to DNA, and for supramolecular assembly of functional nano-fibers. Clearly, practitioners of crystal engineering are likely to play key roles in the advancement of fundamental science and of new technologies.

It is a real pleasure to be able to present a collection of papers produced by emerging talents from two continents, covering a wide variety of topics. In this issue we find contributions from many corners of the realm of modern crystal engineering, including metal–organic frameworks, directed assembly of organometallic species, solid-state photoreactivity, coordination polymers, halogen- and hydrogen-bond driven co-crystal synthesis, and examinations of the role of weaker forces in the assembly of organic molecular solids.

I am happy to say that the future well-being of crystal engineering in the Americas is in very capable hands, and I am certainly looking forward to watching the field grow and develop over the next few years.

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