Collaborative research is becoming more and more common in chemistry, however, synthetic organic chemists rarely collaborate with each other. One area of synthetic organic chemistry that is the subject of intense investigation is C−H functionalization. This topic requires not only expertise in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry, but also in theoretical and computational chemistry for the analysis of reaction mechanisms, and is ideal for collaborative research.

In their Editorial in Angewandte Chemie, Huw M. L. Davies and Daniel Morton, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, discuss how they have built up the Center for Selective C−H Functionalization (CCHF) with a selection of faculty members who have a wide spectrum of expertise, from chemical engineering through materials to total synthesis, and from catalyst design to theoretical chemistry. The center also closely collaborates with industry. These 23 research groups in 15 universities have developed an open environment for scientific discussion. Exchange of ideas and information takes place in weekly videoconferences, and the administration is taken care of by a management team at Emory University. The open collaboration within the center has resulted in more than 70 papers, and the center is currently exploring connections with academics in other parts of the world and with industrial partners.

• C−H Functionalization: Collaborative Methods to Redefine Chemical Logic,
  Huw M. L. Davies and Daniel Morton,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014.
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201406633