Welcome to Inorganics: A New Open Access, Inclusive Forum for Inorganic Chemistry

One of the beauties of inorganic chemistry is its sheer diversity. Just as chemistry sits at the centre of the sciences, inorganic chemistry sits at the centre of chemistry itself. Inorganic chemists are fortunate in having the entire periodic table at their disposal, providing a palette for the creation of a multitude of rich and diverse compounds and materials from the simplest salts to the most complex of molecular species. It follows that the language of inorganic chemistry can thus be a demanding one, accommodating sub-disciplines with very different perspectives and frames of reference. One could argue that it is the unequivocal breadth of inorganic chemistry that empowers inorganic chemists to work at the interfaces, not just between the traditional Inorganic-Organic-Physical boundaries of the discipline, but in the regions where chemistry borders the other physical and life sciences, engineering and socio-economics.

Yet, despite the broad church that is inorganic chemistry, there is a common understanding and framework that defines and unifies the subject; that of concepts, for example, of structure, bonding and periodicity and how these govern the synthesis of compounds and explain their chemical reactivity and physical properties. Such concepts find relevance in the gamut of topics that constitute traditional and emerging inorganic chemistry areas, from main group, d- and f-block molecular and coordination chemistry through organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis to solid state chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, bioinorganic chemistry and inorganic medicinal chemistry.

This first issue marks the launch of the new open access journal Inorganics. Inorganics provides a natural home for the publication of papers dealing with all these varieties of research. Inorganics has succeeded in bringing together a formidable editorial board of distinguished colleagues from across the continents with expertise covering all branches of the discipline. Furthermore, and as is becoming the recognised standard for MDPI journals, there are several unique features which distinguish Inorganics from others that publish in a similar area. As an electronic, open access journal, Inorganics will publish accepted, peer-reviewed submissions of the highest quality online rapidly, where they can then very effectively reach the widest possible readership. Contributions, either theoretical or experimental in content, can not only be accessed by all, but also can include as much use of colour and supporting information as might be required to disseminate and convey the research performed most effectively.

Aside from providing a means of disseminating the most current and exciting developments across all areas of inorganic chemistry, there are opportunities in Special Issues to focus more specifically on burgeoning research topics or, equally, a chance to highlight emerging or unheralded themes. Any suggestions for such special issues will be most welcome and my editorial colleagues and I would be delighted to receive proposals from potential guest editors.

First and foremost, Inorganics aims to be a vibrant and dynamic vehicle for the publication of the most topical and exciting high quality research, for the universal benefit of authors and readers alike. My colleagues and I look forward to your contributions.