The heaviest Ae-Alumanyl (so far) just out in @daltontrans.rsc.org , check it out! pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Zinc Redox Catalysis in the Photochemical Borylation of Fluorocarbons. New @chemrxiv.org preprint from @upwinder.bsky.social and the team. chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10....

We have some more work out in @chemrxiv.org on the recycling of fluoropolymers. chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.... This one using shuttle catalysis to form acyl fluorides from PVDF, PVF, HFP-PVDF and ETFE - including post-consumer materials @shannonesf.bsky.social

**New Blog Post** Lots of students don't know what a PhD is or how to apply for one. This is my attempt to set out the key points. Very open to edits if anyone has suggestions. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/3/27/what-is-a-phd-a-primer-for-curious-students

What is a PhD? A primer for curious students — Michael O'Neill

A quick primer aimed at students who are curious about (i) what a PhD is and (ii) how someone might apply for one.

michaeloneill.org

We have a new @chemrxiv.org preprint out describing the first silicon containing spiropentane and its rearrangement to a cyclobutane. chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10..... Congrats to @upwinder.bsky.social and @benedekstdlr.bsky.social

Some of our collaborative work with Phil Miller and @basf.bsky.social studying the mechanism of the photocatalysed aminocarbonylation of aryl halides is now out as a @chemrxiv.org preprint. Huge effort from Rowan Bailey to understand and improve this reaction. chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.....

Now online and open access: Article by Sjoerd Harder & co-workers @harder-research.bsky.social Molecular low-oxidation-state chemistry with tetra-anionic group 14 elements www.nature.com/articles/s44... #Chemsky

Molecular low-oxidation-state chemistry with tetra-anionic group 14 elements - Nature Synthesis

Using a hydrocarbon-soluble Mg0 complex, the heavier tetrel elements silicon, germanium, tin and lead are reduced to their ultimate negative oxidation state −IV. Despite fulfilling the octet rule, tet...

nature.com

Last week: homogeneous redox-catalysis with Al(I)-Al(III) (Leo Liu Lab) Now: heterogeneous alkene hydrogenation with Al(0), earth’s most abundant metal. Observations and calculations point to reactivity at the metal surface. Preprint: shorturl.at/I9R0B Main group power 👍

Matt, Imogen and Mickey’s paper detailing the synthesis and reactivity of the first neutral Al(I) trimer is out now in @natcomms.nature.com! Check it out here along with @mattdv-t.bsky.social’s ‘behind the paper’ article!

Matt de Vere@mattdv-t.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Absolutely thrilled to see our ( @bakewellgroup.bsky.social ) paper "A neutral cyclic aluminium (I) trimer" has been published in @natcomms.nature.com in its full typeset version! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Registration is now open for the 2026 RSC (@rsc.org) Main Group Interest Group Conference: www.rsc.org/events/detai... The meeting will be taking place on the 8-9th April 2026 at the University of Edinburgh, showcasing a breadth of inorganic/main group chemistry- We would love to see you there.

While traditionally used as stoichiometric reagents, #HeavierAlkaliMetalAmides have emerged as versatile #catalysts find out more in this #perspective with #DavidSancehzRoa @pubs.acs.org in collaboration with @remglasgow.bsky.social @unistrathclyde.bsky.social pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Only two days left to apply to this PDRA position in our group @imperialchemistry.bsky.social!

Josef Boronski@josefboronski.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Currently advertising a three-year PDRA position in organometallic chemistry. Come and work with us @imperialchemistry.bsky.social: www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

See below for the latest from @alvarogarciaromero.bsky.social. We describe the reversible, redox-neutral carbometallation of a phospha-alkyne to afford a mono-coordinate indium(I) compound. Indium(I) to indium(I), and back again. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

A Crystalline Mono‐Coordinate Indium(I)‐Phosphaalkenyl

The redox neutral carbometallation of a phospha-alkyne using the dimeric indium(I) compound (InTer)2 is reported. This reaction affords a mono-coordinate indium(I) compound that can reversibly extrud...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Currently advertising a three-year PDRA position in organometallic chemistry. Come and work with us @imperialchemistry.bsky.social: www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

Description

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities ment...

imperial.ac.uk

FINALLY a complex of type LMg-CaL! This formally Mg(0)-Ca(II) complex shows a very long Mg-Ca bond with Mg(-)/Ca(+) polarization and is quite reactive! Our first 2026 paper is "In dear memory of Herbert Roesky" shorturl.at/tvi0C

We're Hiring! If you are interested in a PDRA post with the Mehta group, please apply! @ox.ac.uk @oxfordchemistry.bsky.social my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

The group will soon be advertising a 3-year PDRA position @imperialchemistry.bsky.social. The successful candidate will research the synthesis and reactivity of complexes with alkaline earth-metal bonds. Start date: 03/26. Please get in touch for infomal inquries.

📣Our new paper is out in @jacs.acspublications.org (our very first one)!🥳 We show how a redox-active ligand unlocks C–X bond scission at an ambiphilic T-shaped Bi(III) compound. A big collaborative effort with my brilliant colleagues from Berlin. 👉 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Ambiphilic Reactivity and Switchable Methyl Transfer at a T-Shaped Bi(NNN) Complex Enabled by a Redox-Active Pincer Ligand

We report the transition-metal-like reactivity of a geometrically constrained, ambiphilic bismuth(III) trisamide. Planarization of the Bi(III) center unlocks Bi–C bond formation when reacted with mild...

pubs.acs.org

Just out over the holidays. The latest from the group and first author Alexis Bauer on some fun iron-silyl chemistry. Check it out. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Synthesis and Characterization of Unusual S=1 Fe(0)‐Silyl Complexes Supported by Styrene Ligands

Despite the long-standing importance of iron-silicon bonds as related to catalysis, high-spin Fe(0)-silyl complexes remain a historical synthetic challenge in the field. Herein, we report the first s...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Here's our first preprint of 2026. Selective, catalytic hydroboration of carbon–carbon bonds of strained cyclobutanes with magnesium complexes. chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr.... Some interesting mechanistic twists in this one. Congrats to @upwinder.bsky.social Joe Parr and Esther Raga.

Liverpool is hiring for a Professor who would also be Head of Chemistry. Application deadline Jan 4th. Interviews Feb 5th. I really like it here; maybe you would, too. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPQ019/p...

Professor and Head of Department of Chemistry at University of Liverpool

Recruiting now: Professor and Head of Department of Chemistry on jobs.ac.uk. Click for details and explore more academic job opportunities on the top job board

jobs.ac.uk

Incredibly grateful to @royalsociety.org for the award of a URF to support our research on alkaline earth metal-metal bonding!

The Royal Society@royalsociety.org · 9mo ago

Meet the new cohort of exceptional researchers who have been awarded more than £83 million worth of early career fellowships by the Royal Society, working on research spanning the sciences: #RSGrants: https://bit.ly/49jMkKx

This week's Chemical Science Pick of the Week is "All-Boron Analogue of Planar Benzene on an Osmium Template" by Eluvathingal Jemmis and Sundargopal Ghosh et al. from IIT Madras and IISc Bangalore. Read it for free here: doi.org/10.1039/D5SC...

We are advertising for two PhD studentships in organometallic chemistry! Come and work with us @imperialchemistry.bsky.social from October 2026: Advert 2) www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

PhD Studentship in C–H Functionalisation Using Polymetallic Complexes at Imperial College London on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - PhD Studentship in C–H Functionalisation Using Polymetallic Complexes at Imperial College London, listed on FindAPhD.com

findaphd.com

We are advertising for two PhD studentships in organometallic chemistry! Come and work with us @imperialchemistry.bsky.social from October 2026: Advert 1) www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

PhD Studentship in Organometallic Beryllium Chemistry at Imperial College London on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - PhD Studentship in Organometallic Beryllium Chemistry at Imperial College London, listed on FindAPhD.com

findaphd.com

It's been one year since my blog on the closure of Hull, which kind of blew up. A thread with some reflections on what's happened since then. 1/ www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2024/...

On Hull — Michael O'Neill

A personal reflection on the closure of Hull’s Chemistry Department, where I held my first academic post.

michaeloneill.org

Excited to share our new preprint! 🥳 We developed a modular strategy to access small four-membered biradicaloids by trapping them in Mn and Co complexes. Many congratulations to Stefan and Michi for their successful efforts !

Thrilled to share the work of @clarencetankl.bsky.social and @antorna.bsky.social on elevating #sodium mediated deprotonative #borylation to #catalytic regimes with an insightful #mechanistic study in collaboration with Max Garcia Melchor @pubs.acs.org @unibe.ch pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

(2/2) ..I increasingly encounter faculty that will not support their own students/postdocs in fellowship applications due to perceived competition on science. Maybe I am just getting old but isn't the idea of our jobs to create great scientists that can go on and do even better science than we have?

TIRE CHANGE: First Mg(I) complex with a Cp* ligand enables facile ligand exchange. Reaction with RONa gives (BDI)Mg-MgOR and Cp*Na. This paves the way for syntheses of many new asymmetric Mg(I) complexes. @angew_chem onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....