Winner: 2025 Dalton Emerging Researcher Prize
Dr Nathan Davison
University of Birmingham
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2025 Dalton Emerging Researcher Prize: awarded for significant advances in organolithium and organosodium chemistry, including the first solvent-free Birch reduction, and the isolation of monomeric methyllithium.
Organo-alkali metal reagents (such as n-butyllithium) are essential tools in synthetic chemistry and are widely used in both academia and industry. Alkali metal organometallics aggregate in solution and solid-state, which stabilises the polar and reactive M鈥扖 bond. Nathan seeks to design and synthesise highly reactively monomeric species and study the relationship between structure and reactivity and the differences between lithium vs sodium organometallic compounds.
Ligand design is key 鈥� using a bespoke ligand, Nathan isolated the first monomer of the archetypical organolithium: a MeLi monomer. While most chemistry takes place on solution-state, the use of solvent is often problematic. Mechanochemistry uses mechanical forces to directly promote chemical reactions, with no solvent required, providing two major benefits: 1) sustainability (no solvent waste) and 2) synthesising the 鈥榠mpossible鈥� (no solubility requirements or issues with compounds reacting with solvent).
Nathan investigates the use of mechanochemistry in alkali metal chemistry, in particular, the synthesis and reactivity of electrides (compounds containing a free electron) and alkalides (compounds containing an alkali metal in the -1-oxidation state). Using mechanochemistry, Nathan synthesised an electride that enabled the first solvent-free Birch reductions.
Biography
Dr Nathan Davison completed his MChem at Newcastle University in 2019. During his study he undertook a summer project with Dr Keith Izod and a finial year research project with Dr Lee Higham. Nathan stayed at Newcastle University for his PhD under the supervision of Dr Erli Lu, graduating in 2024.
Currently, Nathan is a research fellow at the University of Birmingham under the supervision of Dr Erli Lu. During Nathan鈥檚 doctoral and postdoctoral research Nathan has investigated alkali metal chemistry in both solution and solid-state. In particular, Nathan鈥檚 focuses on organo-alkali metal chemistry, investigating monomeric organolithium and organosodium complexes and electride and alkalide chemistry. In March 2025, Nathan presented his work in the Houses of Parliament and was awarded the 2025 STEM for Britain silver award for chemistry.
Research is very exciting and rewarding! I love overcoming and solving problems and challenges and trying to push the boundaries of what we know.
Nathan Davison
Q&A with Dr Nathan Davison
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I first became interested in chemistry in secondary school. It was always my favourite subject, and my enthusiasm only grew as I studied chemistry more. When I was in sixth form I watched the YouTube channel Periodic Videos which led to me applying to study chemistry at university.
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career
I am very grateful to everyone who has helped and worked with me. In particular, I would like to say a huge thank you to my PhD and postdoc supervisor, Dr Erli Lu, for all his guidance, support, training, advice and patience. Working with Erli has not only improved my scientific knowledge, ability and skills, but also inspired me to learn and grow as a research chemist.
What motivates you?
Research is very exciting and rewarding! I love overcoming and solving problems and challenges and trying to push the boundaries of what we know. I love making new compounds and trying to target compounds that seem almost impossible.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
I have learned a lot from working with others and collaborating brings vital expertise. My work often involves bringing together synthetic chemists, computational chemists, spectroscopists and crystallographers.
How can scientists try to improve the environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context?
Mechanochemistry uses mechanochemical forces to directly promote chemical reactions in solid-state, with no solvent required, meaning faster, safer, cleaner manufacturing with less toxic waste. I think interest in mechanochemistry will only grow as we seek more sustainable chemical research. Within my own work, I used mechanochemistry to conduct the first solvent-free Birch reductions.
What is your favourite element?
Lithium. Organolithium reagents are used in almost every chemical synthesis laboratory in both academic and industry. Devices containing lithium-ion batteries are everywhere and lithium compounds are also essential medicines.