Ian Manners is a professor of chemistry at the University of Bristol, UK. His research focuses on the molecular, polymer, supramolecular, and materials chemistry of inorganic elements. New synthetic reactions and polymerisation pathways are being developed, leading to highly controlled inorganic structures encompassing reactive inorganic molecules, metal-containing polymers and nanostructures, or functional hybrid and supramolecular material.

What inspired you to study chemistry and become a scientist?

My dad was an organic chemist, and worked in industry. He had a lot of old chemistry and science books which I used to read. I found chemistry the most interesting and inorganic chemistry the most interesting of all. I liked that it seemed to be unpredictable and that you could often see very different chemistry for different elements - even those in the same group. As time has gone on I have become increasingly interested in the other areas of chemistry as well - especially macromolecular chemistry, self-assembly, and the interfaces with materials science and biology. 

What key projects are you working on at the moment? 

Our group is broadly interested in inorganic chemistry and we try to use inorganic elements to make new types of materials. To do this we try to develop new types of chemical reactions. For example, we are really interested in polymerisations, and also new catalytic chemistry that allows us to make interesting inorganic molecules. We are also very interested in supramolecular materials. There are many new synthetic challenges involved with making nanoscopic supramolecular materials, particularly examples that are well-defined and where the structure can be controlled. If you can control supramolecular structure, you should be able to create materials with interesting functions such as light emission, liquid crystalline behaviour, enzyme-like catalytic activity, or nanowires. 

Which of your previous research results are you most proud of? 

We recently developed examples of living polymerisations that are photo-controlled, where you can switch the polymerization on and off with light. With collaborators we have also made supramolecular structures using a living process controlled by crystallization. This was an unexpected and exciting discovery. 

Last year, we made the first high molecular weight boron-nitrogen analogues of polyolefins. This allows polymers such as poly(methylaminoborane), which is isostructural with polypropylene, to be made. The analogy between boron-nitrogen compounds and organic compounds is well-known. For example you can make borazine, which is a six-membered ring of alternating boron and nitrogen atoms that is isostructural to benzene (C₆H₆). We were excited to find that we could extend this analogy to polymers. 

Your work involves many facets of chemistry. What would you say is the importance of multidisciplinarity work? 

30 years ago scientists only focused on their own discipline and didn't interact much with other areas. Now, it's certainly the case that many of the most exciting challenges in science are actually at the boundaries between disciplines; for example, at the boundaries of materials science and chemistry, and biology and chemistry. But I think it is also important to remember that there are still lots of exciting and important challenges also within the centre of disciplines. These days it is sometimes forgotten. 

Do you enjoy being back in the UK after 20 years away in Canada? 

My wife and I really enjoy living in the UK, and South Wales in particular, because of the scenery and history. I am fortunate to work in an excellent department with great colleagues, and my research group has outstanding, highly motivated personnel and very high quality infrastructure. There are lots of exceptionally talented and dedicated people in Universities in the UK. The system here is certainly better funded now than it was a decade or so back when UK science was really being pushed to the global periphery. A problem in the UK is still the need for more funding but, more importantly, a major issue is that the system is very bureaucratic and overly micromanaged at virtually every level. 

Is living in the beautiful Wye Valley in South Wales a source of inspiration? 

Yes, quite often I have ideas at the weekend when walking or hiking around where we live. It is certainly a really beautiful area and we live in a valley that is surrounded by trees, a small river, and lots of wildlife. This is very helpful for thinking and inspiration.

What would be your message to young people wanting to pursue a career in chemistry?

I think a key approach is to study as many different areas within the chemical science discipline as possible and to also look beyond chemistry. For example, areas that border chemistry, such as biology and physics, offer many fascinating opportunities. Many (but not all) of the most exciting problems that need to be addressed require a combination of areas to really tackle them. By looking at different areas of science and meeting colleagues in these areas, I think you can start to imagine new problems you might want to try and tackle in the future, perhaps through collaboration. 

What do you enjoy doing when you're not doing chemistry? 

I value time with my wife, we have been married 28 years, and that's very special. We do lots of activities together such as hiking and we enjoy nature. We have a large garden that keeps us very occupied too. I also enjoy exploring other countries, reading and I listen to a lot of classical music. 

Finally, if you were not a scientist, what would you be? 

Maybe a musician, but I'd need much more training! I used to play piano and I used to write music for school plays, but I haven't done it since I was eleven! So in a different world, I might have gone off in that direction.

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