Editorial

It is my great pleasure and honor to take over the SYNTHESIS­ Editor-in-Chief role from Professor Paul Knochel, whom I have known and admired since we first met at a conference in Indianapolis 30 years ago. Paul joined the SYNTHESIS­ Editorial Board in 1998 and has held the role of Editor-in-Chief since 2014. During the past 7 years he has been single-minded in his efforts to continuously improve the journal.

He and I, along with several others, are also founding editors of SYNFACTS, and his monthly contributions will be sorely missed. A small story into the article selection process. Our students were tasked with finding the best papers each month, but we were fishing from the same pond. We had to modify the “rules” for selecting SYNFACTS as his group had a six-hour head-start over mine every month, thanks to the transatlantic time difference. A little friendly competition is fun for everyone, but we decided to take a more even-handed approach and alternate issues. Thanks to our groups for all their contributions and good-hearted effort.

Paul Knochel

Paul’s enthusiasm for all things chemistry and his overall joie de vivre are legendary. I can’t say I will ever be able to match his energy (nor am I trilingual), but I share Paul’s determination to have the journal evolve and this is first and foremost in my mind. That evolution really starts with you the readers, and those who select SYNTHESIS to submit their work. Collectively we are Team Thieme.

Paul was more than an Editor, he was also a frequent contributor to the journal and the broader family of Thieme publications. He published 48 articles and communications in the past 7 years in our journals and 147 in his career. That alone is impressive and evidence of his commitment to the journal. On behalf of the publisher and the other regional editors I want to express my thanks and best wishes for him in the future.

Corinna Schindler

Increasing diversity in chemistry and in publishing is long overdue and is a work-in-progress for all of us. I will use my role to do what I can to further that cause. As just one small step, I am delighted that Professor Corinna Schindler­ (University of Michigan, USA) has joined our Editorial­ Board in May 2021. She brings a transatlantic experience and like other recent appointments is a revitalizing force for change. We also welcomed Professor Martin Oestreich (Technical University of Berlin, Germany), who joined the Editorial Board of SYNTHESIS in April 2021 as Editor for Reviews. Further, it´s my pleasure to welcome Hongli Bao (Fujian­ Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, CAS, P. R. of China) who will complete our Board in January 2022. All three expanded our editorial expertise in specific areas of new metal-catalyzed reactions and asymmetric catalysis, silicon chemistry, new synthetic transformations, and the synthesis of biologically active complex molecules.

Martin Oestreich

Hongli Bao

Continuous renewal of the Board is one of my missions, and so without giving anything away, I won’t serve in my new role for nearly as long as Paul. But please don’t start counting the days just yet.

That said, I am honored to be the first Editor-in-Chief from outside Europe, and I believe that speaks to our collective interest in remaining a visible international journal for the evolving field of synthesis. We welcome submissions from around the globe, and our goal is to work with an incredible team at the publishing house to quickly adjudicate your manuscripts and have them copy-ready and in the journal in a timely manner.

With an increased impact factor of 3.157 (18% increase, highest ever), SYNTHESIS continues to deliver high-quality, high-impact research to the scientific community with integrity and care.

Several outstanding Special Topics have been published in 2021:

· Functional Organic Molecules (editor: Franziska Schoenebeck) https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/issue/10.1055/s-010-50074#special%20topic

· Bond Activation in Honor of Prof. Shinji Murai (editor: Hideki Yorimitsu, guest editor: Naoto Chatani); Part I and Part II https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/issue/10.1055/s-011-51730 https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/issue/10.1055/s-011-51731

· Special Issue dedicated to Prof. Sarah Reisman, recipient of the 2019 Dr. Margaret Faul Women in Chemistry Award https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/issue/10.1055/s-011-52211

In 2022, we will continue to publish excellent research from various fields. The following SYNTHESIS Special Topics are planned, among others:

· Bürgenstock Special Issue – Future Stars in Organic Chemistry

· Cycloadditions – Established and Novel Trends – in Celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Nobel Prize Awarded to Otto Diels and Kurt Alder

https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/category/077513/10.1055/s-00000084

· Asymmetric C–H Functionalization (Liu-Zhu Gong, guest editors: Shigeki Matsunaga, Gong Chen)

https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/category/080661/10.1055/s-00000084

· Conference Special Issue ISySyCat21 (guest editor: Anthony Burke)

· Special Issue dedicated to Prof. Ferenc Fülöp

· Special Issue dedicated to the 80th Birthday of Prof. Alain Krief (guest editor: Guillaume Berionni)

· Aryne Chemistry in Synthesis (editor: Hideki Yorimitsu, guest editor: Suguru Yoshida)

· Special Issue dedicated to Prof. Cristina Nevado, recipient of the 2021 Dr. Margaret Faul Women in Chemistry Award (editors: Corinna Schindler, Mark Lautens)

Thanks for publishing with us, thanks for reading the work and thanks to all who referee to improve the manuscripts submitted­ to SYNTHESIS!

I wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year 2022.

Mark Lautens

Editor-in-Chief

Toronto, Canada

December 2021

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publication History

Received: 07 December 2021

Accepted: 08 December 2021

Article published online:
15 December 2021