Dom Willcox
domrwillcox.bsky.social
Dom Willcox
@domrwillcox.bsky.social
Assistant professor in chemistry at Heriot-Watt University. Making complex molecules with automation. https://willcoxlab.co.uk/
Marfan’s awareness https://www.marfantrust.org
Pinned
If you have ever used simple Lewis acids like AlCl3 and GaCl3 in your chemistry, you may be interested to learn how they react with non-nucleophilic bases. Anna did an amazing job with this and has discovered some really exciting new chemistry! Read the Accepted article in Angew. Chem. #chemsky
Intermolecular sp3C‐H Metalation of Non‐Nucleophilic Brønsted Bases Using Simple Lewis Acids
2,6-Di-tert-butyl substituted pyridines (tBu2-py) are widely used non-nucleophilic Brønsted bases. Their ubiquity is due to their highly hindered basic site and chemically robust nature. Herein we re...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Good to see Heriot-Watt climbing back up the rankings! 8th for chemistry now
September 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
We are recruiting for a Lecturer in AI/ML applied to Drug discovery at @uniofbath.bsky.social @bathchem.bsky.social www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy...
AP13001 Lecturer in AI/ML applied to Drug discovery - Jobs at Bath
Lecturer
www.bath.ac.uk
September 3, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Opportunity for senior lecturer (associate professor) in School of Chemistry at University of Bristol (UK) ref: ACAD108220 | closing: 30-Sep-2025 #UKChemJobs #ChemJobs #chemsky 🧪
www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol
www.bristol.ac.uk
September 2, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
📢 Our Education team’s new policy position calls for a major rethink of how chemistry is assessed in schools. Current exam-heavy models narrow the curriculum & undervalue vital skills like practical investigation & critical thinking. buff.ly/7GvP2pZ #ChemEd #AssessmentReform #EduSky #ChemSky
August 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
A new chapter in Small Inorganic Ring 💍🧪in @chemicalscience.rsc.org
Congratulations Palui and all the coauthors for the great job. Thanks @tonifrontera.bsky.social for the great computational support. #Bismuth #Antimony

pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/A...
Azadistibiridines and Stabilised-iminobismuthane: Reactivity of Small Inorganic Rings in Heavy Main Group Chemistry
Small organic rings are important molecular entities that have long played a crucial role in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Similarly, small inorganic rings have shown promise in promoting...
pubs.rsc.org
August 19, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Big day #chemsky
August 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
A postdoctoral position, funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk for up to 36 months, is available to join my group @edinburghchem.bsky.social. The project focuses on biomimetic approaches to natural product synthesis.

Deadline: 28th August 2025.

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position to work under the supervision of Prof. Andrew Lawrence on a project funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com
July 29, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
We are very happy to announce that our collaboration with the Garden Group, Joseph Cockcroft's paper 'Highly Acyclic Selective Cobalt Catalysts for Butadiene Dimerization' has been published in ChemCatChem! You can read it here: doi.org/10.1002/cctc...
#chemsky #chemistry
doi.org
July 25, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
🎉 Today’s the day! We're thrilled to be hosting our (Gen)AI in Education workshop, bringing together brilliant minds from 26 universities across the UK!

We’re diving into how generative AI is shaping the future of teaching, learning, and research — and we can’t wait to explore it together.💬🤖📚
July 21, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Does @science.org have the technology for institutional log in that doesn’t put you back to the home page? All the other journals manage it… #science #chemsky
July 21, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Some good news from the recent NSS survey. Chemistry at @heriotwattuni.bsky.social has been ranked 1st in Scotland based on Overall Satisfaction. Additionally, it is ranked 2nd in Scotland across all questions and 8th in the UK. It's great to see everyone's hard work recognised! #chemsky
July 14, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
As promised, postdoc positions at BristolUni.bsky.social available in homogeneous catalysis and computational chemistry exploring the replacement of palladium catalysts by Earth-Abundant Metals: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...

#ChemSky #CompChemSky #ChemJobs #UKChemJobs
July 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
If you have ever used simple Lewis acids like AlCl3 and GaCl3 in your chemistry, you may be interested to learn how they react with non-nucleophilic bases. Anna did an amazing job with this and has discovered some really exciting new chemistry! Read the Accepted article in Angew. Chem. #chemsky
Intermolecular sp3C‐H Metalation of Non‐Nucleophilic Brønsted Bases Using Simple Lewis Acids
2,6-Di-tert-butyl substituted pyridines (tBu2-py) are widely used non-nucleophilic Brønsted bases. Their ubiquity is due to their highly hindered basic site and chemically robust nature. Herein we re...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 26, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Absolutely ground-breaking work from the Grimme group. Looking forward to having a go!
After years of development and preparatory works which you might have seen on this profile, a major milestone is achieved:
g-xTB marks not just an evolution, but a revolution in the capabilities of semiempirical quantum chemistry. Convince yourself! A thread.
🔗 chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...
#compchem
g-xTB: A General-Purpose Extended Tight-Binding Electronic Structure Method For the Elements H to Lr (Z=1–103)
We present g-xTB, a next-generation semi-empirical electronic structure method derived from tight-binding (TB) approximations to Kohn–Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT). Designed to bridge the ga...
chemrxiv.org
June 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Alchemy Frontier Fund 2025 now open (aichemy.ac.uk/aichemy-fron...). Apply for 2-year projects of up to £1.25m to advance the frontiers of AI for chemistry. Deadline = Sept 12th 2025. Webinar to launch the fund on June 18th. For information, email: funding@aichemy.ac.uk @ukri.org #EPSRC #AI
June 10, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Congratulations to Ryan and Moto on the publication of their 1,2-acyl transposition in 2,3-dihdyrobenzofurans in @science.org!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
1,2-Acyl transposition through photochemical skeletal rearrangement of 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans
Saturated heterocycles are commonly adorned with groups that influence their biological properties. Synthetic methods that transpose existing substituents on saturated heterocycles to multiple peripheral positions are therefore highly valuable. In this ...
www.science.org
May 8, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Does anyone know of anybody else who has Marfan’s Syndrome working within chemistry? I’d be interested in chatting with others with the condition to build up a little network. Marfan’s is a genetic disorder that affects connective tissues in the body (see more: www.marfantrust.org) #chemsky
Marfan Trust | Home
for people with Marfan & Loeys-Dietz Syndromes
www.marfantrust.org
April 28, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
We want everyone in the chemical sciences community to feel welcome, supported and valued, so we're sad to see some people seize on yesterday's supreme court ruling with anti-trans messages. Today, we're highlighting our resources on allyship for trans colleagues and friends
rsc.li/4j6lojs
LGBT+ toolkit
This kit provides the tools for everyone to take part in positive change: employers, colleagues, and LGBT+ individuals.
rsc.li
April 17, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
A paper in Nature presents a method for breaking down perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), environmental contaminants known as ‘forever chemicals,’ while recycling the fluoride contained within them. https://go.nature.com/3Rk1dCf #chemsky 🧪
April 8, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Prof Ingleson is looking forward to speaking at the University of Gothenburg on Monday 7th April!
April 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
If you're interested in a break from the doom-and-gloom, may I recommend our article, online today @nature.com

A solution to the pyrazole alkylation problem, leveraging S-to-NR atom replacement. Skeletal editing has strategic value, outside of late-stage!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
April 3, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Uncover the fascinating world of #SiliconSwitch!🔍Our #synpacts article by Dominic Willcox explores the latest developments in syntheis of complex silyl heterocycles using 1,1-carboboration.

👉 thieme-connect.de/products/ejo...
March 18, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
We are now LIVE on #ChemSky – joining @pubs.acs.org, @acs.org, and @cenmag.bsky.social!

Follow us for the latest significant research from the world’s preeminent journal of chemistry and interfacing areas of science.

Learn more about JACS: buff.ly/efZCTEt
March 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
If you're near University of Oxford, Department of Chemistry on 11 March, come & hear Prof Mike Ingleson deliver the Royal Society of Chemistry Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Prize lecture - 2 pm, ICL, Department of Chemistry.
March 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Dom Willcox
Follow all your favorite @rsc.org journals now on Bluesky! Let the posting begin! 🥳🧪 #chemsky go.bsky.app/QAaTTZ3
February 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM