Interview | Professor Michal Szostak, Section Editor-in-Chief of the Organometallic Chemistry in Molecules

Introduction

Michal Szostak received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, which he completed under the supervision of Prof. Jeffrey Aubé. After postdoctoral stints at Princeton University with Prof. David MacMillan and at the University of Manchester with Prof. David Procter, he joined the faculty at Rutgers University. His research group is focused on the development of new catalytic methods based on transition-metal catalysis, amide bonds, N–C, O–C, C–H bond activation, Pd–NHC catalysis, and synthetic methodology. He is the author of over 180 peer-reviewed publications and Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section on Organometallic Chemistry in Molecules.

Main Fields of Interest

Synthetic organic, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, ligand design.

1. Can you briefly describe your research?

The major goal of my laboratory is fundamental reaction methodology development in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry with a focus on N–C activation, amide bonds, cross-coupling, C–H activation, and NHC ligands, and their application to the synthesis of chemically relevant motifs. A particular interest is directed towards new organometallic synthetic strategies that permit ready access to metal electrophiles from ubiquitous carboxylic acid derivatives and highly active, well-defined metal catalysts for organic reactions of major significance to researchers working in both industrial and academic settings.

2. Can you share your career development story?

I have a broad background in synthetic organic chemistry with specific training and expertise in catalysis, nitrogen-heterocycles, carbonyl functional groups and organometallic cross-coupling chemistry. Initially, my laboratory has been focused on developing new synthetic methods based on transition-metal-catalysis for amide bond activation. This research avenue was inspired by the classical amide bond twisting in bridged lactams, which, as extraordinarily elegant as they are, have limited applications in organic synthesis. By applying concepts introduced by pioneers in bridged lactam chemistry, we have successfully developed the amide bond cross-coupling platform by N–C bond activation in common acyclic amides. Taking off from the amide bond research, my laboratory has moved on to establish new methods for cross-coupling of esters, carboxylic acids, mechanistic studies, functional-group-interconversion, decarbonylative coupling, C–H activation and later organometallic synthesis, ligand design and metal-NHC catalysis, which are among the main current goals.

3. What do you think of the future of our Organometallic Chemistry Section? What are the expectations you have for this section? What perspective do you think the section will bring to the related fields?

It is our hope that the section will reach the impact and readership level matching the most established journals in the field. As outlined in our editorial (https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/13/3038), statistical data of Molecules compare very favorably with the flagship journals in the field. The journal impact factor of 3.267 ranks Molecules as one of the highest among the organometallic journals. Furthermore, we have recently compared the statistical data for review articles in the section, which showed an excellent IF of 8.3 for reviews published in the Organometallic Chemistry Section of Molecules. The highly encouraging statistical data combined with open access publishing provide an attractive springboard for future developments. 

4. As a researcher in Organometallic Chemistry, what valuable suggestions would you like to share with young scholars in terms of research topic selection?

Organometallic research occupies a central place in chemistry. The most successful research is if others apply the developed concepts, catalysts, complexes, or reactions in their own studies. Organometallic processes that contribute to and enable scientific advances across disciplines have a potential to be the key driving force for chemical science.

Work–Life Balance

1. What got you interested in scientific research in the first place?

Chemistry research is exciting and extraordinarily rewarding. It is a field where everyone can find their niche and very quickly test their research hypothesis, experiment with a new idea, or try out a new approach. Few other disciplines offer such a quick transition from the conceptual design stage to the experimental testing, and ultimately, in select few cases, to real-life applications.

2. What attracted you to join the academic editor team of Molecules/MDPI?

With the advent of open access publishing, Molecules and MDPI have been steadily growing in recognition and influence among the chemistry community, and recently the journal celebrated its 25-year anniversary. There were some outstanding review articles published by the journal, which we had followed and resulted in expansion of our research portfolio. The journal impact factor compares very favorably with other open access journals and as one of the highest among the organometallic journals.

3. What do you think are the most important characteristics/personality for an editor?

One of the challenges is to ensure that the journal provides an attractive open access platform for disseminating highquality articles in the field. Organometallic research is extremely broad as a field, encompassing organometallic chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, as well as synthesis, catalysis, and applications. Our editors acknowledge these points and provide ample opportunities to the authors to disseminate their research through a variety of article types, platforms, and forums.