How metal organic complexes can shape your electronic devices

Contributors: Dr. Leonardo Santoni Dr. Kevin Hares LinkedIn Thanks for considering to support the show on buymeacoffee.com/innovateandreact ☕️ Summary: In this episode of Innovate and React, Dr. Leonardo Santoni, a postdoctoral researcher at UCL and a science content creator, shares his insights into the fascinating world of metal-organic precursors for low-temperature metal deposition. He presents his PhD research on aluminum complexes for printed electronics, highlighting the challenges of precursor design, deposition techniques, and the potential of sustainable and user-friendly alternatives to pyrophoric materials. In the second part Leonardo gives his opinion on science communication how short form videos can make chemistry accessible for a broader audience. 03:00 From Membranes to Metals: Leonardo’s Research Journey Leonardo introduces his academic background, from filtration membranes to metal-organic complex synthesis for metal deposition in electronics. 07:00 Printed Electronics and Sustainable Conductive Layers A look into how aluminum can be used as a cheaper, recyclable alternative to silver and copper in printed electronics, and why low-temperature deposition is key. 12:00 Designing the Ideal Precursor The importance of ligand design, aluminum-ligand bonding, and balancing stability vs. reactivity for efficient deposition on heat-sensitive substrates like plastics. 28:00 Industry Applications and the Path Ahead How this research can lead to safer, scalable solutions for the electronics industry—and the group’s recent breakthrough with a non-pyrophoric aluminum precursor. 31:00 Communicating Chemistry on Social Media Leonardo shares his journey as a science communicator on TikTok and Instagram, and why he believes pure chemistry deserves more attention online. 38:00 Better Science Storytelling Tips for effective science communication at conferences and online, from simple slide design to authentic video storytelling. 🔗 Resources & Further Reading: Check out his website https://theschlenkchemist.com for all his research and upcoming events “A non-pyrophoric precursor for the low temperature deposition of metallic aluminium” in Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60786-2 Follow Leonardo on Instagram and TikTok for entertaining chemistry 📩 Got a topic or guest idea? Email me at contact@innovateandreact.com 💬 Connect on LinkedIn | ⭐ Follow & Review the podcast to help others discover it! Have questions about this episode? Leave a comment and we’ll get back to you.