Molecules Webinar | σ-Hole–Based Interactions: Halogen Bonds, Chalcogen Bonds and Beyond

On Tuesday, 2 November 2021, MDPI and the Journal Molecules organized the 20th webinar on Molecules, entitled "σ-Hole–Based Interactions: Halogen Bonds, Chalcogen Bonds and Beyond".

The introduction was held by the Chair of the webinar, Dr. Victor Mamane. He is a CNRS researcher at the University of Strasbourg. He graduated from Orsay University in 1998 and obtained his Ph.D. at the same university in 2001. In 2004, he was awarded the position of CNRS researcher at the University of Nancy, where he developed new methodologies in heterocyclic chemistry. In 2013, he moved to the University of Strasbourg, where he started a new project dedicated to the study of σ-hole interactions in solution and their application in catalysis. Currently, he is a member of the Organic Section Board of Molecules.

The first speaker to quick off this webinar was Prof. Dr. Antonio Frontera, with his presentation "Structure Guiding Role of σ-Hole Interactions in the Solid State". He is Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB) and co-leader of the Supramolecular Chemistry research group, where he leads the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory. His general research interests are focused on the study of noncovalent interactions, supramolecular chemistry, noncovalent catalysts, and crystal engineering. His current research interest is the study of σ/π-hole interactions.

The second presentation with the title "Halogen-Bonding in Catalysis" was held by Prof. Dr. Olga Garcia Mancheño. She is a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Münster (WWU). She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2005 at the University Autonomous of Madrid under the supervision of Prof. J.C. Carretero. In 2013, she was appointed at the University of Regensburg and, in 2017, at the WWU Münster as a professor of organic chemistry. Her research aims at developing new, efficient synthetic methodologies in organic chemistry, with a special focus on the design of novel catalytic systems and their application in homogenous catalysis, including photocatalysis, noncovalent interactions and asymmetric anion-binding catalysis.

The third presentation was held by Prof. Dr. François Gabbaï and its title was "Chalcogen and Pnictogen Bonding Augmented by the Charge and Redox State of the Main Group Element". In 1990 he joined the graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 1994, he was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and subsequently a Marie Curie Fellowship. In 1998, he joined Texas A&M University, where he now holds the Arthur E. Martell Chair of Chemistry. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the recipient of the 2009 North American Dalton Lectureship. His research interests revolve around the chemistry of p-block elements and late transition metals with applications in the domain of molecular recognition, anion sensing and transport, and catalysis.

The presentations were followed by a Q&A and a discussion, moderated by the Chair Dr. Victor Mamane. The webinar was offered via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found here on Sciforum website. In order to stay updated on the next webinars on Molecules be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking on “Subscribe” at the top of the page.

Halogen bonding and Other σ-Hole Interactions: Insights from Theory and Experiment
Guest Editor: Dr. Tanja van Mourik
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2021

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Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ekaterina V. Bartashevich & Dr. Irina Yushina
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2022

Novel Chemical Bonds, Planar Multi-Coordinate Topologies and Their Functional Applications
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Min Zhang & Prof. Dr. Zhong-hua Cui
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Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ryan Groeneman & Dr. Eric Reinheimer
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021