Darren Broom
@darrenbroom.bsky.social
Product Manager @hidenisochema.bsky.social. Hydrogen storage, gas adsorption & reproducibility enthusiast. Salford University alumni, ex-neutron scatterer & adopted Mancunian.
Associate Editor, Adsorption. Editorial Board Member, Green Carbon.
Associate Editor, Adsorption. Editorial Board Member, Green Carbon.
Pinned
Darren Broom
@darrenbroom.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Challenges in characterizing adsorbents for gas storage and separation - Adsorption
Porous adsorbents, including activated carbons, zeolites, silicas, and newer materials such as metal–organic frameworks, have been investigated extensively for gas storage and separation applications....
link.springer.com
Hello BlueSky!
I'm a Product Manager @hidenisochema.bsky.social, a leading manufacturer of gas & vapor sorption instruments. In my spare time, amongst other things, I write articles like this, on gas #adsorption, #hydrogen storage & #reproducibility:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
I'm a Product Manager @hidenisochema.bsky.social, a leading manufacturer of gas & vapor sorption instruments. In my spare time, amongst other things, I write articles like this, on gas #adsorption, #hydrogen storage & #reproducibility:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Darren Broom
Reposted by Darren Broom
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Darren Broom
If I knew I could have been conducting this sort of research, I might have been out on the beach shouting at seagulls for the past two decades...
abcnews.go.com/Technology/w...
abcnews.go.com/Technology/w...
Seagulls more likely to leave you alone if you shout at them, researchers say
Researchers have found that shouting is more effective than speaking when trying to scare off seagulls
abcnews.go.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
If I knew I could have been conducting this sort of research, I might have been out on the beach shouting at seagulls for the past two decades...
abcnews.go.com/Technology/w...
abcnews.go.com/Technology/w...
Reposted by Darren Broom
Our company, Lakril, was selected by @cenmag.bsky.social as one of the Top Ten Startups to Watch!
cen.acs.org/business/bio...
cen.acs.org/business/bio...
Låkril tackles the challenge of biobased acrylic acid
Start-up may have a catalyst that finally makes the process work
cen.acs.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Our company, Lakril, was selected by @cenmag.bsky.social as one of the Top Ten Startups to Watch!
cen.acs.org/business/bio...
cen.acs.org/business/bio...
Reposted by Darren Broom
Theorists handling QM software calculations to the experimentalists 🤓 #chemsky #compchemsky
November 9, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Theorists handling QM software calculations to the experimentalists 🤓 #chemsky #compchemsky
Following #AIChE2025, I had one main aim today & that was to get to Chinatown in Boston & have some dim sum. Thankfully, that was successful (photographic proof attached). My only other aim is to catch my flight home & that seems to be going okay too.
November 7, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Following #AIChE2025, I had one main aim today & that was to get to Chinatown in Boston & have some dim sum. Thankfully, that was successful (photographic proof attached). My only other aim is to catch my flight home & that seems to be going okay too.
Reposted by Darren Broom
Ok, this has to be the worst/best NMR acronym I've ever seen:
"MIChI StAndard foR ReportinG Liquid-StAte NMR ExperIments of SmAll MoleculeS (MARGARITAS)"
(Source: www.nfdi4chem.de/uv-vis-michi...) #chemsky
"MIChI StAndard foR ReportinG Liquid-StAte NMR ExperIments of SmAll MoleculeS (MARGARITAS)"
(Source: www.nfdi4chem.de/uv-vis-michi...) #chemsky
UV-Vis MIChI Draft Is Ready - NFDI4Chem
We are pleased to announce that the amended UV-Vis MIChI draft is now ready and will be published before the end of the year.
www.nfdi4chem.de
November 7, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Ok, this has to be the worst/best NMR acronym I've ever seen:
"MIChI StAndard foR ReportinG Liquid-StAte NMR ExperIments of SmAll MoleculeS (MARGARITAS)"
(Source: www.nfdi4chem.de/uv-vis-michi...) #chemsky
"MIChI StAndard foR ReportinG Liquid-StAte NMR ExperIments of SmAll MoleculeS (MARGARITAS)"
(Source: www.nfdi4chem.de/uv-vis-michi...) #chemsky
Reposted by Darren Broom
I think about this post every day 🧪
November 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM
I think about this post every day 🧪
This paper on "Inflatable porous organic crystals", by Len Barbour & his collaborators, looks rather excellent.
#ChemSky
#ChemSky
Inflatable porous organic crystals - Nature Materials
Reversible and unidirectional expansion of an acicular porous molecular crystal is observed with gas uptake. Using in situ structural and photomicrographic techniques, a molecular-level insight is obt...
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:11 PM
This paper on "Inflatable porous organic crystals", by Len Barbour & his collaborators, looks rather excellent.
#ChemSky
#ChemSky
Reposted by Darren Broom
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
November 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I've now arrived in Boston & look forward to seeing everyone at #AIChE2025!
We’re excited to exhibit at the AIChE Annual Meeting 2025 in Boston, MA (Nov 2-6)!
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
November 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I've now arrived in Boston & look forward to seeing everyone at #AIChE2025!
Reposted by Darren Broom
We’re excited to exhibit at the AIChE Annual Meeting 2025 in Boston, MA (Nov 2-6)!
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
October 31, 2025 at 9:11 AM
We’re excited to exhibit at the AIChE Annual Meeting 2025 in Boston, MA (Nov 2-6)!
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
Join us to see how our precision sorption analyzers can support your research in #CarbonCapture, #Hydrogen storage, and #MaterialsScience.
📍 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
🔗 www.aiche.org/conferences/...
How odd. An account was set up impersonating me, with an identical bio. It had reposted quite a few of my posts & I believe a few of my followers followed it. It wasn't me. I've now reported it & it seems to have gone already. Thanks to @stecanossa.bsky.social for flagging this up as well.
October 30, 2025 at 1:33 PM
How odd. An account was set up impersonating me, with an identical bio. It had reposted quite a few of my posts & I believe a few of my followers followed it. It wasn't me. I've now reported it & it seems to have gone already. Thanks to @stecanossa.bsky.social for flagging this up as well.
Reposted by Darren Broom
“Reliability and reproducibility checklist for molecular dynamics simulations”, by the Communications Biology @commsbio.nature.com editors www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reliability and reproducibility checklist for molecular dynamics simulations - Communications Biology
We present a checklist to improve the reliability and reproducibility of molecular dynamics simulations and related methods.
www.nature.com
October 27, 2025 at 6:31 PM
“Reliability and reproducibility checklist for molecular dynamics simulations”, by the Communications Biology @commsbio.nature.com editors www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Darren Broom
I sometimes wonder what people who type “u” instead of “you” do with all that time they’ve saved.
October 27, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I sometimes wonder what people who type “u” instead of “you” do with all that time they’ve saved.
A colleague noted that papers with lots of authors tend to get cited more. It may be mainly self-citation effects, but there's probably a feedback loop - more citations make a paper look more citable, so it gets cited more. Anyway, such articles are the ones where authors have done the least.
1/
1/
October 24, 2025 at 7:04 PM
A colleague noted that papers with lots of authors tend to get cited more. It may be mainly self-citation effects, but there's probably a feedback loop - more citations make a paper look more citable, so it gets cited more. Anyway, such articles are the ones where authors have done the least.
1/
1/
Reposted by Darren Broom
What a weird name for a dog. But sorry for their loss.
October 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
What a weird name for a dog. But sorry for their loss.
Reposted by Darren Broom
I finished my PhD 10 years ago here a few lessons I have learned after 10 years in academia.
1) If you don’t believe in yourself no matter what, this is not the business for you.
2) Only some universities give promotions to out of the box thinkers and disruptive thinkers.
…
1) If you don’t believe in yourself no matter what, this is not the business for you.
2) Only some universities give promotions to out of the box thinkers and disruptive thinkers.
…
October 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I finished my PhD 10 years ago here a few lessons I have learned after 10 years in academia.
1) If you don’t believe in yourself no matter what, this is not the business for you.
2) Only some universities give promotions to out of the box thinkers and disruptive thinkers.
…
1) If you don’t believe in yourself no matter what, this is not the business for you.
2) Only some universities give promotions to out of the box thinkers and disruptive thinkers.
…
Reposted by Darren Broom
Reposted by Darren Broom
Before Richard Robson created the field of MOFs, he created what are now known as "Robson macrocycles", probably the first binucleating and tetranucleating (terms he invented) macrocycles. To create one field of chemistry is amazing, but to create two new kinds of chemistry across a career....
(1/3) This 1970 paper showcases the early brilliance of Richard Robson's work on macrocyclic binucleating ligands - foundational research contributing to the revolution in coordination chemistry and materials design.
October 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Before Richard Robson created the field of MOFs, he created what are now known as "Robson macrocycles", probably the first binucleating and tetranucleating (terms he invented) macrocycles. To create one field of chemistry is amazing, but to create two new kinds of chemistry across a career....
I really like this sentence:
"But for now an overwhelming amount of nonsense is still ending up in the published literature."
Indeed.
"But for now an overwhelming amount of nonsense is still ending up in the published literature."
Indeed.
AI is stepping in to help publishers tackle the surge in fraudulent scientific papers. From spotting fake authors to detecting AI-generated text, automated tools are reshaping how journals protect research integrity. But is tech enough to fix a broken system?
AI tools tackle paper mill fraud overwhelming peer review
With more article submissions and fraudulent activity than ever before, journal peer review processes are creaking under the pressure. Nina Notman discovers how AI and automated tools are taking some…
www.chemistryworld.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:10 AM
I really like this sentence:
"But for now an overwhelming amount of nonsense is still ending up in the published literature."
Indeed.
"But for now an overwhelming amount of nonsense is still ending up in the published literature."
Indeed.
Reposted by Darren Broom
AI is stepping in to help publishers tackle the surge in fraudulent scientific papers. From spotting fake authors to detecting AI-generated text, automated tools are reshaping how journals protect research integrity. But is tech enough to fix a broken system?
AI tools tackle paper mill fraud overwhelming peer review
With more article submissions and fraudulent activity than ever before, journal peer review processes are creaking under the pressure. Nina Notman discovers how AI and automated tools are taking some…
www.chemistryworld.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:15 AM
AI is stepping in to help publishers tackle the surge in fraudulent scientific papers. From spotting fake authors to detecting AI-generated text, automated tools are reshaping how journals protect research integrity. But is tech enough to fix a broken system?
This looks very interesting, particularly for any MOF chemists interested in #reproducibility (which should mean all MOF chemists...)
Do you want to produce exactly the same #MOF #particles every time? Do you want to be able to control particle #size and size #distribution? Check out our latest manuscript on #ChemRxiv! 🧪⚛️
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters
How to reproducibly synthesize ZIF-8: AutoMOF paper available on ChemRxiv
It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have the first manuscript on the automated MOF syntheses available online on ChemRxiv here. In this large collaborative effort, we go into detail …
lookingatnothing.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This looks very interesting, particularly for any MOF chemists interested in #reproducibility (which should mean all MOF chemists...)
Reposted by Darren Broom
Do you want to produce exactly the same #MOF #particles every time? Do you want to be able to control particle #size and size #distribution? Check out our latest manuscript on #ChemRxiv! 🧪⚛️
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters
How to reproducibly synthesize ZIF-8: AutoMOF paper available on ChemRxiv
It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have the first manuscript on the automated MOF syntheses available online on ChemRxiv here. In this large collaborative effort, we go into detail …
lookingatnothing.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Do you want to produce exactly the same #MOF #particles every time? Do you want to be able to control particle #size and size #distribution? Check out our latest manuscript on #ChemRxiv! 🧪⚛️
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters
More details in my blog post: lookingatnothing.com/index.php/ar...
#metalorganicframeworks #stirringmatters