iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Huh that's a new one for me. I use chocolate for teaching polymorphism, but might have to try this!

110

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Thanks! USask saw it before anyone back in Jan!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thanks!! And the approach should work for the many PN cages of different symmetries that are readily available.

010

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A PN adamamtane for MOFs! Our 1st foray into MOFs. Conceived + executed by student Pinelopi Tsami. Larger, flexible, e-rich (10 lone pairs!), PNMR active vs adamamtane tetrabenzoic acid. Happy to ship you some! Details: doi.org/10.26434/che... @mofpapers.bsky.social @uvicscience.bsky.social

4165

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Another nice collab with @marcuswdrover.bsky.social on hydrostibination chemistry! This time revealing the H-Al-Sb functional group! chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10....

chemrxiv.org

0101

Reposted by Saurabh Chitnis

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 09/09/2026

Not to brag, but our product has been foldable since 1828.

142135242189

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I didn't burn computes to find a singularity in the Navier-Stokes equilibrium. But I did make a new 3rd year inorganic chemistry course from the ground up over the summer. It's kicking off 15 mins!

040

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Yes it is! Works quite well so far!

120

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

After a multi-decade gap, @uvicscience.bsky.social has a single crystal XRD!! Last week our @innovation.ca funded Bruker dual source Ag/Cu diffractometer was installed. Time to fire up the molecular chemistry again 🔥

1151

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Combining phosphazenes and siloxanes - check out our latest work in RSC PolymChem @polymerchem.rsc.org where we show the PN analogues of organic diols like BPA. Congrats to PhD student Anjali on her first paper! pubs.rsc.org/py/article/d... @uvicscience.bsky.social @dalchemistry.bsky.social

060

Reposted by Saurabh Chitnis

ChemComm @chemcomm.rsc.org · 07/08/2026

Nominations are now open for the ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship, recognising an outstanding independent early-career researcher who is advancing the chemical sciences through their exceptional research. Anyone can nominate – make yours today www.rsc.org/standards-an...

0415

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

PN cages on surfaces! Our collab with the Ragogna group @western-chemistry.bsky.social is out now in JACS @jacs.acspublications.org ! pubs.acs.org/jacsat/artic... Kudos to lead author Justin Lomax from Paul's group on the idea + doing the heavy lifting! @uvicscience.bsky.social

091

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

🎉Congrats to MSc alum @taminazk.bsky.social on winning the 2026 Governor General's Gold Medal for the top thesis in Science & Engineering @dalhousieu.bsky.social!🎉 Very proud that my outstanding trainees have won 3 of the last 5 top thesis prizes! Tamina's now a PhD student @bismutolab.bsky.social

010

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Congrats to our latest PhD alum Tyler Hannah on winning the Best Seminar prize @dalchemistry.bsky.social, based on votes by fellow students + committee members. Don't miss Tyler's Award for Grad Work in Inorganic Chemistry talk at x2026 in Toronto! Tue 3 pm Main Group chemistry symposium!

091

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Congrats to Tyler Hannah who on Friday became PhD #3 to graduate from our group at @dalchemistry.bsky.social! Thanks to Eric Rivard for serving as external + NSERC for funding. Tyler made HUGE contributions to our science and culture over the past 4 yrs and is off to a pdf @c2mci.bsky.social!

083

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

📣I have a PhD position available in main group chem @uvic.ca. Project areas: shown⬇️ Start: 09/26, 01/27, or 04/27. Must have: completed/in-progress research-based MSc in MainGroup/Organomet/Inorg chem + strong academic record. Open globally. Email CV + cover letter: bit.ly/4rLSFon [Pls share]

079

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Thanks Marc-Etienne! Hope to meet soon!

010

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Thanks! This is very helpful info!!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Xray friends! I'm in the market for a new microscope for xtal harvesting. Samples range from barely big enough to diffract to boulders. If you're happy with yours, I'd love to know the model/make (budget <10k CAD, 7k USD, 6200 E)! We're considering the Zeiss Stemi 508. Thoughts?

111

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Congrats to PhD student Pinelopi Tsami on winning a poster prize at the Grad Student Research Day in our department this week!! We hope to reveal some exciting results from her project this year!

030

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I am proud to be a recipient of this years Chem Comm Emerging Investigator Lectureship! This recognizes the hard work and creativity of group members over the last few years both at Dalhousie Chemistry @dalchemistry.bsky.social and University of Victoria @uvicscience.bsky.social!

3282

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

The only bouquet I need this Valentine's day (wild spring onions out now in Victoria)!

A hand holding a bouquet of spring onions.

040

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Congrats to PhD student Tyler Hannah from our group on winning the national Award for Graduate Work in Inorganic Chemistry!! Check out Tyler's award talk at CSC this summer! @dalchemistry.bsky.social cscinorganicdivision.weebly.com/division-new...

cscinorganicdivision.weebly.com

2026 AGWIC and AURIC winners

Congratulations to the 2026 Awards for Graduate (Doctoral/Masters) Work in Inorganic Chemistry ( AGWIC-D / AGWIC-M ) and Award for Undergraduate Research in Inorganic Chemistry ( AURIC ) winners!...

080

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

As with any output, now we must be punished for producing it by entering it into the CCV.

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Huge news for our group!! We finally completed this puzzle in the student office. Everyone is co-1st author.

250

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Amazing! I hope you followed all health and safety regulations in disposing such dangerous samples.

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Last week I had way too much fun putting together this delicious demo of solid state polymorphism for the intro inorganic chem course @uvic.ca Chemistry! Collab with @mcindoe.bsky.social Inspired by www.google.com/amp/s/www.co...

160

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I see this in the main group community a lot too. The oft-touted goal of replacing TM catalysts with MG ones is almost always naive, and overshadows all the other cool, unexpected, and MAYBE-useful-in-the-long-term-but-not-sure-how discoveries. (I've been guilty of doing this too)

210

Reposted by Saurabh Chitnis

Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I'm excited to announce this new study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, which explores public support for degrowth and ecosocialist transformation. The findings are quite surprising. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

6283138

Reposted by Saurabh Chitnis

Polymer Chemistry @polymerchem.rsc.org · 01/12/2025

We are very pleased to present our themed collection on Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Polymers guest edited by Professors Rebekka Klausen, Saurabh Chitnis and Erin Leitao! All papers are FREE to read until 31 January 2026 Visit the collection here ⬇️ rsc.li/hybrid_polym... 🧪 #HybridPolymers

041

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

If you're into inorganic polymers, check out the "Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Polymers" Themed Issue of @polymerchem.rsc.org that I had the pleasure of guest editing with Rebekka Klausen & Erin Leitao. Many thanks to all contributors! pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a... @dalchemistry.bsky.social @uvic.ca

pubs.rsc.org

Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Polymers Home

021

Reposted by Saurabh Chitnis

Hering-Junghans Lab @hering-lab.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Happy to see this fun project with @kretschmerlab.bsky.social out. Two gallium centers in close proximity led to some unexpected outcomes. Thanks to everyone involved and congrats to the team!

0153

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Like weird metal clusters? Our latest work shows an unprecedented "open" Sb8 cluster, out now as a HOT article in the Main Group issue of @inorgchemfront.rsc.org! Congrats to MSc student Mitch on his 1st first auth paper! cc Chemistry @uvic.ca @dalchemistry.bsky.social pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

1243

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

We're keeping away from ionic liquid since the product is a polymer with many electron-rich sites that might bind strongly to these. But then again PPh4+ is pretty weakly coordinating, so might be ok!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

great idea - will check this out

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Thanks for the suggestion. I should have clarified - it's a polymerization forming a viscous melt needing mechanical stirring or rotation - magnetic stirring is too weak. The other challenge is that unless heating is uniform (eg sealed tube in oven), monomer sublimes to the cold part of the vessel.

010

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Sulfolane is a bit difficult to dry and reaction is moisture sensitive - we're going to try heavy duty silicone oil and anthracene...thanks!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

We're rolling with silicone oil... Fingers crossed! Thanks for the suggestion. I'm too afraid to take dmso over 100C so will skip that one.

120

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Excellent suggestion (and super easy to test) - bonus for being a hydrophobic molecule as this is a moisture sensitive reaction!

010

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Our desired product is a polymer...as long as TOPO is more soluble in some hydrocarbon solvent, we can use the lower solubility of the polymer to separate by precipitation...so might work after all!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

We're doing something similar currently: sealed glass tube rotated in oven for mixing the viscous polymer melt. We could do it in a metal autoclave instead but magnetic stirring won't cut it due to viscosity. But perhaps if we dilute it, magnetic stirring in autoclave could work. Thanks!

100

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Pyrene might work! Great idea!

000

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Thanks Fran - silicones would be better in this case as the reaction is moisture sensitive. But good point about PPGs that will solve problems in a different reaction!

120

Saurabh Chitnis @sschitnis.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Good point. We're doing something similar currently: sealed glass tube that is slowly rotated for mixing the viscous polymer melt. We could do it in an autoclave instead but magnetic stirring won't cut it due to viscocity. But perhaps if we make it more dilute it could be done in autoclave. Thanks!

010