Professor Zenixole Tshentu is a Professor of Chemistry at Nelson Mandela University. He has published more than 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as four book chapters. He has experience in transition metal chemistry, using materials in hydrometallurgy, and heterogeneous catalysis. He has been involved in several projects, such as designing extractants for the separation of base metals and platinum group metals via solvent extraction and ion exchange processes and designing catalysts for the oxidation and hydrodesulphurization of fuels. He terms his philosophy “the quest for selectivity and specificity in chemical systems”.