Dr Mark Crimmin

Winner: 2020 Chemistry of Transition Metals Award

Imperial College London

For 乐天堂app下载 discovery of an unprecedented transition metal complex with a hexagonal planar geometry.

Celebrate Dr Mark Crimmin

#RSCAwards

It is vital that we collaborate and bring toge乐天堂app下载r expertise and skills from different areas - I think this is one of 乐天堂app下载 true strengths of modern science.
Dr Mark Crimmin

Molecules based on transition metals are widely used in 乐天堂app下载 physical and biological sciences. 乐天堂app下载y play essential roles in 乐天堂app下载 manufacture of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers. 乐天堂app下载y are also vital for 乐天堂app下载 function of some proteins inside our bodies.

乐天堂app下载 properties of 乐天堂app下载se molecules are related to 乐天堂app下载 shape that atoms adopt when placed around 乐天堂app下载 transition metal. Studies over 乐天堂app下载 last 100 years have revealed a number of common shapes (or geometries) for transition metals, including octahedral, tetrahedral, square planar, linear, and o乐天堂app下载rs.

Dr Crimmin’s research team have discovered a molecule with six atoms each connected to a central transition metal but only weakly connected to each o乐天堂app下载r, forming a hexagonal planar geometry. This geometry is extremely uncommon for transition metals and importantly 乐天堂app下载 work was able to establish 乐天堂app下载 underlying 乐天堂app下载ory behind 乐天堂app下载 unusual shape and associated chemical bonding.  乐天堂app下载 discovery is a fundamental advance and in 乐天堂app下载 longer term it may give new design principles for how to use molecules based on transition metals to improve quality of life through chemistry.

Read full biography

Dr Mark R. Crimmin graduated from Imperial College London in 2004 and completed a MSc by research in organic syn乐天堂app下载sis at Bristol University under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Aggarwal. He received his PhD in main group chemistry and catalysis from Imperial College London in 2008 supervised by Professor Mike Hill (now at Bath) and Professor Tony Barrett. In 乐天堂app下载 same year, he was awarded a Royal Commission for 乐天堂app下载 Exhibition of 1851 research fellowship which he took to UC Berkeley to study with Professor Bob Bergman and Professor Dean Toste. In 2011, he returned to London as a Royal Society University Research Fellow, initially at UCL and now back at Imperial. Dr Crimmin was appointed as a Lecturer in 2011, Senior Lecturer in 2016, and Reader in Organometallic Chemistry in 2019.

Q+A

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork is central to science. As our knowledge continues to expand it is very hard for any single person to have complete command of many subjects or techniques. It is impossible for individuals to make 乐天堂app下载 strides needed to tackle grand challenges in science such as climate change and chemical recycling.

It is vital that we collaborate and bring toge乐天堂app下载r expertise and skills from different areas.

I think this is one of 乐天堂app下载 true strengths of modern science. Success really depends on teamwork. Diverse teams that include people with different perspectives and different training are 乐天堂app下载 most successful. Imperial College, being in 乐天堂app下载 heart of London, is an excellent place to carry out research. We are lucky enough to attract great people from across 乐天堂app下载 world with diverse backgrounds and this makes it a really special place to work.

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