In situ with Steve Liddle

Steve Liddle is professor and head of inorganic chemistry, and co-director of the Centre for Radiochemistry Research, at the University of Manchester, UK. He was a part of the award-winning Periodic Videos channel, exploring chemical elements and compounds.

I liked taking the engine of my first car to bits. I’ve always been intrigued about what makes things work. In one of my first chemistry lessons, the second I saw those classic blue copper sulfate crystals, I was hooked on chemistry. Something inside of me said that there had to be much more to it, and I was lucky enough to have inspirational chemistry teachers who encouraged me to pursue the subject further.

When I went to university, I didn’t really have a clear idea of what I’d do afterwards. I had a rough plan that I’d go have a career in industry. I enjoyed working for a year at a chemical company during my degree, but I realised I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life doing that.

The head of my university department suggested that I consider doing a PhD. I liked the sound of making my own compounds and analysing them myself on a diffractometer. It’s fair to say that I had caught the inorganic synthesis bug.

I got my first taste of working with the f-elements not long after my PhD, trying to pair lanthanides with various ligands. By putting these elements in quite ambitious and unusual situations, they’ll often reward you: either with what you wanted, or something that’s even better than what you were chasing in the first place.

There wasn’t much actinide research going on in the UK. Anybody who thinks the f-elements are all the same is in for a very pleasant surprise. Every time you do something with a different actinide or ligand, you’re going to get a distinctly different outcome. These elements have got so much to teach us about the way that nature works.

The race is with yourself and no one else

I recommend doing something different to everyone else. Also, be prepared to be persistent. Sometimes it can take quite a long time to shift the dial. Pick a problem that intrinsically excites you and set out to make a difference.

It’s always tempting to compare yourself to others but I think it’s important to remember that the race is with yourself and no one else. It’s about following your instinct because that usually turns out to be a pretty good indicator of what’s right.

While I was an undergraduate, I joined the army part-time. Many of my family members had some military experience, but my father didn’t, so I was curious about it but also needed the money.

On military missions, you work in small teams and get sent out into the wilderness. Working with comrades under pressure to meet what can feel like an impossible deadline is a good skill to have. Academia is surprisingly similar, though it’s usually not so cold and wet.

A research group is a team but I always have one person clearly in charge in the lab. If you have good people who know why they’re doing something and feel valued, then the rest tends to take care of itself.

I was the first person in my family to go to university. It was difficult to find out about what it would be like, especially in a pre-internet era. It was a big unknown so that impressed on me that outreach is inherently important. Making Periodic Videos at breakneck speed at the beginning was challenging, but great fun.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking. I’m a firm believer that if you’re any good at synthetic chemistry, you’re probably a good cook as well. It’s satisfying when people enjoy my food too.

My kids give me a sense of perspective. They often come to my study and ask quite profound questions about the natural world. It’s easy to get sucked into the academic world but try and stay grounded and remember that being able to pursue fundamental research is a real privilege.