PROF LEONARD BARBOUR
Photo: Supplied
What is your field of specialty, and could you please give a brief explanation of it?
I work in the field of Crystal Engineering. This involves the design, preparation and study of new crystalline materials with properties that can be tailored for useful applications. The properties of greatest interest to me are (i) porosity, (ii) anomalous thermal expansion and (iii) solid-state reactivity. New classes of porous materials are potentially useful for a variety of important technologies, such as gas separation and sensing, the purification of commodity chemicals, and atmospheric water harvesting (new desiccants and water purification systems). Anomalous thermal expansion is of fundamental scientific interest and includes negative thermal expansion (i.e., materials that shrink when heated), or colossal positive thermal expansion. Such materials can be used as thermal actuators, or in composites that are tuned to have zero thermal expansion. Solid-state reactivity offers a ‘green’ synthetic route to preparing new chemical compounds without using solvents.
How would you say does your research contribute to the concept of “research for impact”?
In terms of scientific outputs, I value quality over quantity. As such, I try to publish work in the very best journals possible. This requires far more effort that producing a constant stream of low-impact papers. Moreover, it is ultimately of far greater value to the scientific community.
What does attaining an A-rating mean to you professionally, and personally?
Our rating system is virtually unknown in other countries. Therefore, the international impact of having an A rating is not relevant. Since funding in SA is not linked to one’s rating, there is also little local advantage to having an A rating. The rating system has become more valuable to the institutions, who use them for benchmarking purposes in only a local context. In this regard, having an A rating is only really of value to the researcher in terms of leveraging resources from their institutions. I really can see no other benefit.
What do you enjoy most about your job and what are the aspects that you find challenging?
I enjoy the freedom to do what interests me, as well as the opportunity to work with bright, enthusiastic postgraduate students.
What is the biggest piece of advice that you would give early-career researchers and those who are aspiring to become leaders in their respective research fields?
Focus on the quality of your outputs and not the quantity.
What do you do for fun (apart from research!)?
My hobby is woodworking, but unfortunately, I don’t get much time to do much of it these days. I will do more of it when I retire.