Ever wondered what drives a brilliant materials scientist? Let's dive into a conversation with Yong Cui, one of the editors at Materials Horizons, to uncover not just the fascinating advancements in the field, but also the passion that fuels groundbreaking discoveries.
So, why did Yong Cui choose this specific research path?
The natural world frequently uses homochirality (think D-sugars and L-peptides) to build biomolecules, whose interactions are crucial for life. Yet, biological homochirality remains a significant scientific puzzle. Cui's research centers on designing and creating chiral crystalline materials through the self-assembly of specially designed chiral building blocks. The goal? To understand how molecular-scale chirality can be amplified across different scales. Ultimately, the aim is to develop useful chiral materials with unique advantages in materials science, molecular biology, nanotechnology, and precision medicine.
What are the biggest hurdles in this field?
Cui acknowledges that the field is filled with challenges. The most significant, in his view, is designing and synthesizing chiral materials that offer exceptional enantioselective performance, potentially even surpassing natural systems.
What excites him most about his research?
One of the most thrilling moments was the development of a new type of 2D material achieved by exfoliating molecule crystals. Surprisingly, these free-standing homochiral monolayer crystallites rely on weak non-covalent forces to maintain their structure. This finding opens up the possibility of expanding the range and diversity of 2D materials.
And what about the most rewarding moments?
Cui finds immense joy in his students' achievements, whether they're producing exciting experimental results or uncovering new phenomena. He takes great pride in his students, who he hopes will continue to dedicate themselves to scientific research.
But here's where it gets controversial... What was the most challenging moment of his career?
Supervising a research group, whether large or small, presented the biggest challenge. However, he also finds it incredibly rewarding. Cui is grateful for the guidance of his advisors, colleagues, and friends, who taught him to be an independent scientist. He also values working with his talented students and hopes they enjoyed their time in his research group.
Which of his publications is he most proud of?
Cui loves all of his publications, given the time and effort invested in the fundamental research. If he had to choose one, it would be the research on designing and synthesizing a homochiral Cr-salen-based MOF for catalyzing asymmetric transformations, including the Nazarov cyclization, aminolysis reaction, and Diels–Alder and hetero Diels–Alder reactions. This work highlights the superior reactivity of Cr-salen embedded crystalline porous materials, representing a significant step toward practical applications.
Why should researchers choose Materials Horizons for publication?
Materials Horizons is a prestigious journal publishing rigorously peer-reviewed research across a broad range of disciplines. The high quality of articles published in the journal reflects the community's trust in it for cutting-edge research.
What attracted him to join Materials Horizons as an editor?
Cui believes the editorial board of Materials Horizons has done an excellent job attracting high-quality and innovative material science research. He hopes to further improve the impact of Materials Horizons and expand its readership in China. He sees this as an opportunity to learn and promote the journal's development and to foster communication between the editorial board and authors. He's excited to contribute to making Materials Horizons one of the most impactful journals.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with Cui's assessment of the biggest challenges? Share your opinions in the comments below!
