New Talent: Europe, 2018

As Guest Editors and Europe-based members of the Dalton Transactions Editorial Board, we are proud to present the second “New Talent: Europe” themed issue of the journal, which brings together an exciting collection of publications by some of the rising stars of European inorganic chemistry.

In an age characterized by political uncertainty, the appetite shown by scientists for cross-border collaboration thrives at unprecedented levels. Funding opportunities that enable the internationalization of research are widely accessible, and in this arena Europe is a leading light. At national and supranational levels, the provision of financial support by many organisations for networking activities, individual fellowships and prestigious personal grants, such as those awarded by the European Research Council, has made invaluable contributions to the European science base. The exchange of knowledge and understanding is a two-way success story that allows European scientists to explore the globe, and that allows European universities and institutes to recruit talented researchers from all countries. Chemistry is a major beneficiary of the new opportunities and, by establishing themselves as leaders in their fields, our very best early-career chemists have shown how age and excellence are unrelated: their achievements form the basis of a compelling case for continued support of science across borders.

Showcasing emerging talent in inorganic and organometallic chemistry is central to the ethos of Dalton Transactions. It is interesting to reflect on the first “New Talent: Europe” collection, published in 2014,¹ and the subsequent success of the authors in their research, which perhaps serves as a clarion call to the authors of the 2018 collection. With perspectives, communications and full articles, the new instalment features the full diversity of inorganic chemistry. Some contributions reach out to new areas and applications, whilst others describe important novel contributions to established topics from across the periodic table. An impressive degree of multi-disciplinary research features, thus highlighting the important roles played by inorganic chemistry in medical and biological sciences, nanoscale materials, catalysis and molecular physics.

In nominating potential authors for this themed collection, the Guest Editors considered only one criterion: quality. Following the journal's usual thorough peer-review process, the 55 accepted manuscripts from 13 countries are characterized by insight, originality and rigour, and illustrate that the future of inorganic chemistry in Europe is bright. We are sure that the journal's audience will derive as much pleasure from reading the articles as the Editors did in compiling the collection. In particular, we encourage the current generation of post-doctoral researchers to study the papers and to seek inspiration for their own potential contributions to a future “New Talent: Europe” collection.

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff at Dalton Transactions for their continued support of early-career inorganic and organometallic chemists in Europe, Asia and the Americas.^1–3 We are indebted to Helen Lunn and the Associate Editors for their sterling efforts in crystallizing the final product in an excellent isolated yield.

References

1. M. Tamm and M. Walter, Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 4196.
2. H. Nishihara, Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 15074.
3. J. Arnold and T. M. Nenoff, Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 9743.

---