Ian Manners (1961–2023): Learning to Fly

Ian Manners, an internationally renowned main-group and materials scientist, passed away on December 3, 2023. He will be remembered as a brilliant researcher, an avid birdwatching enthusiast, Pink Floyd fan, and champion of his students who had a profoundly positive impact on those around him. Ian Manners was born on March 9, 1961 in Croydon (London, England), coincidentally also the birthplace of his favourite football club: Crystal Palace. At the age of six, Ian moved with his family to Wantage (Oxfordshire, England) as his father, Derek, was offered a job to work as a chemist for Shell. As Ian grew, so did his curiosity. With all the components he needed to explore his ideas – a kitchen, and a father with resources and relevant knowledge – Ian began to experiment as a fledgling chemist. It didn't take long for Ian's passion for chemistry to be sparked – rapidly resulting in his relegation to the garage. It was also in Wantage where he met Deborah, his childhood sweetheart, who he married in the summer of 1980. Ian Manners. After years of being a hobby chemist from home, Ian continued his journey westward to study chemistry at the University of Bristol, obtaining a BSc (1982) and then further pursuing a PhD (1985) under the supervision of Neil G. Connelly. There he worked on transition metal chemistry1 and he and Deborah had their two children, Hayley (1982) and Chris (1984). Subsequently, Ian and his young family moved to Germany where he went on to work with Peter Paetzold at the RWTH Aachen as a Royal Society Postdoc, focusing on main group chemistry (1986–1987).2 Later he migrated across the Atlantic to work in the US with Harry R. Allcock at Penn State as a research associate, where he expanded his research portfolio to include polymer chemistry (1988–1990). In the summer of 1990, Ian began his independent career at the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor, where he used all of his prior training to make a name for himself as a brilliant main group, inorganic, and polymer chemist. His research was at the frontier of key advances in the synthesis of unprecedented inorganic heterocycles,3 as well as main group4 and metal containing polymers,5 including ring opening polymerization (ROP) of strained metallocycles to generate polyferrocenes6 (Figure 2). Research in the Manners lab building chemical structures across length scales. Images displayed under Nanomaterials were taken from references 9 and 12. "Ian was a master tactician, he was always thinking three papers ahead. He made training a priority and ensured that his students and their projects had the resources, support, and time that were needed. In Ian's lab, discovery happened when nobody was looking and his positive and supportive nature was deeply infectious. Ian made me believe in myself and that this life′s pursuit as a scientist was one worth seeking." – Dan Foucher (PhD, 1990–1994) In recognition of the scientific contributions and impressive body of work achieved during his early career, Ian was promoted to Full Professor after only 5 years, a rare feat in academia. After this he took a sabbatical at Xerox (1996) to expand his knowledge in materials science, with the goal of applying what he learned there to his research. This experience helped Ian's research program evolve to use some of the materials synthesized in the lab for functional applications,7 such as photonic crystal displays8 and block copolymer self-assembly9 to make nanostructures (Figure 2). His pivot towards applications hatched many collaborations with other researchers; notably with Geoffery Ozin and Mitchell Winnik in his own department. Ian's scientific impact, and the innovation he demonstrated in his work, was recognized by over 20 national and international awards, including the EWR Steacie Prize, The Rutherford Memorial Medal, The Henry Marshall Tory Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, The Royal Society of Chemistry De Gennes Prize, The Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, and an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. He was also an elected fellow of the Canadian Royal Society, British Royal Society, and European Academy of Science. Ian migrated several more times during his 33-year career, returning to where it had all started at the University of Bristol as a Marie Curie Chair (2006) and later moving back to Canada as a C150 Research Chair at the University of Victoria (2018). He also held a Visiting Professorship at Jilin University (2014) and an Advisory Professor position at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2018–2023). Throughout this period, his research program continued to expand and flourish, as he developed new classes of molecules,10 macromolecules,11 and nanomaterials,12 notably with newfound methodologies and techniques such as living crystallization driven self-assembly (CDSA)13 (Figure 2). This synthetic journey was supported by advanced characterization techniques, mechanistic studies, theoretical insight, property testing, and exploring numerous applications. As the group and its research areas expanded, so did Ian's family, with the birth of his four grandchildren Rhys (2011), Gavin (2014), Alys (2017) and James (2023). Ian always made a point to share these important family milestones with the group and celebrated them with us - he and Deborah made the group feel like a second family. "Becoming part of the Manners Group was much more than simply joining a research group, it felt closer to being adopted into a large extended family. Ian prided himself of selecting, not only the best scientists, but also people he thought would be a great fit for the group. We worked hard not because we felt that we had to, but because we wanted to." – Liam MacFarlane (PhD and PDF, 2014–2021) Ian had an extraordinary ability to focus his energy on what was important, and while this was evident throughout his scientific career, his main focus was on the people around him: his family, friends, coworkers, and students. Ian had an incredibly positive, encouraging, and enriching presence that lifted others, with whom he shared his passion for learning and discovery. An example of this is how his encouragement for Deborah to further pursue her education led to their mutual passion for birds and wildlife. He also inspired his first grandson, Rhys, to share in his love of Pink Floyd. Ian's positive, supportive nature also extended to his research group. Over 150 people worked in his lab throughout his tenure, many of whom now work in prominent industrial and government research positions, and over 50 hold academic positions around the world. He was a champion of his students and made those he worked with feel accepted by cultivating an environment where everyone had the freedom to explore, learn, and thrive. "Working with Ian felt like embarking on a journey with a friend – there was a general destination in mind, and even if we didn′t reach it, we could appreciate the scenery along the way, listen to the birds sing, and venture to the next destination together." – Yifan Zhang (PDF, 2018–2022) In Ian's later years he focused on spending as much time as he could with his family, especially taking scenic 'giggy' routes along the trails of the Victoria Highlands, enjoying the journey with his beloved grandchildren, where he flew with no destination in mind. Ian's memory will live on through his family, over many generations. His legacy will be carried by his protégés and the many others he taught to fly.