Royal Society of Chemistry launches new journal in transatlantic style

The greatest scientists in the chemical sciences field appeared at the RSC's three conferences in three continents over three successive weeks in July, for the launch of the new flagship journal, Chemical Science.

Commencing in San Francisco earlier this month, the inaugural meetings heralded the start of a new global conference series, aligned to the new journal. The International Symposia on Advancing the Chemical Sciences (ISACS) events are an integral part of the RSC's mission: to advance the chemical sciences. 

In opening the first event, Dr James Milne, editorial director of the RSC, explained how hosting three conferences in three different continents "truly represents the international nature for the conference series, the new journal Chemical Science, and the RSC as a society". This vision was endorsed by the journal's editor-in-chief, David MacMillan, from Princeton University. MacMillan, a world expert in organic synthesis, expressed his delight at "the support received for the new flagship journal from leading researchers around the world".

Each meeting, each held over four days, contained 18 plenary lectures given of the world's leading researchers in their respective fields. The RSC also welcomed close to 200 new members who joined the society as a result of the high-profile conferences. The first issue of Chemical Science was published just a few weeks before the first meeting, and received significant praise from delegates and speakers. Many confirmed plans to submit their latest research results to the journal, which aims to surpass the standards set by other leading general chemistry titles. 

Professor Tianquan Lian, from Emory University, Atlanta, said about the ISACS2 meeting: "The scientific content of the conference was of the highest quality and the hospitality was just superb. I have already told my colleagues about this wonderful conference and the new journal". Lian's research focuses on ultrafast dynamics in photovoltaic and photocatalytic nanomaterials.

In closing the third meeting, held in Hong Kong, Dr Richard Pike, chief executive of the RSC, said: "My thanks go out to the speakers and delegates for supporting the launch of Chemical Science, and for being part of a significant new conference series developed by the RSC for the scientific community".

Plans are already well underway for next year's three ISACS meetings, which will be spread throughout the summer of 2011. Many delegates have already registered an interest in attending future ISACS meetings, suggesting this will quickly become an established and exceptional series for the chemical science research community.

Notes for editors:

Details of the three conferences were as follows: 

ISACS1: 6-9 July San Francisco, USA Organic Chemistry & Chemical Biology
ISACS2: 13-16 July Budapest, Hungary Physical Chemistry & Nanoscience
ISACS3: 20-23 July Hong Kong, China Inorganic and Materials Chemistry

2011's conference details are as follows:

ISACS4: 5-8 July Boston, USA Chemistry of Renewable Energy
ISACS5: 26-29 July Manchester, UK Chemical Biology
ISACS6: 2-5 Sept Beijing, China Organic Materials & Supramolecular