Welcome from the new co-Editors-in-Chief of CrystEngComm

It is our privilege and honour to serve as co-Editors-in-Chief of CrystEngComm. Since its inception in 1999 CrystEngComm has developed an international reputation for publishing high-quality research that is focussed on advancing our knowledge of the design and applications of crystalline materials. Though it is 25 years since the first edition of the journal, crystal engineering concepts are more relevant now than ever as they underpin contemporary challenges in chemical and biological sciences. CrystEngComm's reputation is the result of strong, and sustained, scientific leadership from past and present Editorial and Advisory Board members and an exceptionally dedicated and accomplished Editorial Office team. Accordingly, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outgoing Editor-in-Chief Pierangelo Metrangolo for his excellent stewardship and dedication to maintaining the scientific standards of the journal. Along with the Royal Society of Chemistry editorial team, Pierangelo has ensured an efficient transfer process.

As a forum for the publication of innovative fundamental scientific research, CrystEngComm maintains exceptional standards of scientific rigor and provides a transparent and responsive process for authors and reviewers. Furthermore, the journal has promoted broad diversity in scientific publishing, and as the incoming co-Editors-in-Chief we will continue to uphold these standards. We will also highlight the ubiquitous application of crystal engineering in chemistry. For example, the design of catalysis for sustainable industrial processes, the synthesis of novel pharmaceutical solid forms and the development of materials with unique optical and electronic properties. These are all thriving research areas that depend on an understanding of how interactions between atoms and molecules can be exploited to control structure. To facilitate this aim, we will work closely with the excellent team of Associate Editors and Editorial and Advisory Board members and will engage with established and emerging leaders of the field. Additionally, we will be happy to receive direct feedback from the community and will consider valuable suggestions to make CrystEngComm the primary destination for research with crystal engineering at its heart.

We look forward to this opportunity to lead CrystEngComm into an exciting future.

Plate1 Christian J. Doonan

Christian J. Doonan is a professor of chemistry and a South Australian Government Future Industry Making Fellow at the University of Adelaide. He received his PhD at the University of Melbourne and carried out post-doctoral work with Professor Omar Yaghi at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research group focuses on the design and synthesis of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials for application to biotechnology and catalysis. Christian is a member of the international MOF commission and his research has been recognised through several awards including, an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship and a distinguished lectureship award from the Chemical Society of Japan.

Plate2 C. Malla Reddy

C. Malla Reddy is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), India. He obtained his PhD in crystal engineering from the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad (2001–2006) and carried out postdoctoral work at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany (2007–2008). He established an independent group at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata in 2008 and continued there until he moved to IITH in 2023. He had been an Honorary Visiting Scientist to the University of Bradford (2015–2018) and a recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Mobility Grant, Distinguished Lectureship Award from the Chemical Society of Japan (2017) and Swarnajayanti Fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology, India. He is a co-editor of Acta Crystallogr. B and served as an associate editor for RSC Advances in 2015–2016. He served on the Local Organizing Committee of IUCr2017@Hyderabad, India. His research group is engaged in understanding the mechanical properties of organic solids, including pharmaceutical and optoelectronic crystals. Some of his well-known contributions include the discovery of flexible elastic and plastic organic crystals, and self-healing crystals.

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