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Professor of Supramolecular & Polymer Chemistry / Director of the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis

What we do

Our research interests include the synthesis of functional nanosystems, controlled polymer architectures and dynamic supramolecular assemblies through molecular recognition processes.

The underlying theme of our research lies at the interface between synthetic organic efforts on small molecules and macroscopic properties at the materials level, developing a macro-organic approach to chemistry. Dynamic supramolecular self-assembly of materials will be an area of great importance in the coming years, allowing for innovations in nanotechnology and at the biological and chemical interfaces.

We are particularly interested in exploring topics such as water-soluble and stimuli-responsive materials, template and imprinting technologies of functional polymers for use in chiral separations and enantioselective catalysis, and controlling material morphologies and architectures both in solution and in the solid state through rational design and a multi-step, hierarchical self-assembly process.

Watch Professor Scherman discuss his research

Take a tour of the Scherman Lab

Publications

Correction to Cucurbituril-Based Molecular Recognition

SJ Barrow, S Kasera, MJ Rowland, J Del Barrio, OA Scherman

– Chem Rev

(2016)

116,

12651

(doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00577)

Hybrid organic-inorganic supramolecular hydrogel reinforced with CePO4 nanowires

C Liu, G Xiang, Y Wu, SJ Barrow, MJ Rowland, DE Clarke, G Wu, OA Scherman

– Polymer Chemistry

(2016)

7,

6485

(doi: 10.1039/c6py01127f)

Surface‐Bound Cucurbit[8]uril Catenanes on Magnetic Nanoparticles Exhibiting Molecular Recognition

X Ren, Y Wu, DE Clarke, J Liu, G Wu, OA Scherman

– Chemistry, an Asian journal

(2016)

11,

2382

(doi: 10.1002/asia.201600875)

Single-molecule strong coupling at room temperature in plasmonic nanocavities.

R Chikkaraddy, B de Nijs, F Benz, SJ Barrow, OA Scherman, E Rosta, A Demetriadou, P Fox, O Hess, JJ Baumberg

– Nature

(2016)

535,

127

(doi: 10.1038/nature17974)

Light-Regulated Molecular Trafficking in a Synthetic Water-Soluble Host.

J Del Barrio, STJ Ryan, PG Jambrina, E Rosta, OA Scherman

– J Am Chem Soc

(2016)

138,

5745

(doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b11642)

Light-induced actuating nanotransducers.

T Ding, VK Valev, AR Salmon, CJ Forman, SK Smoukov, OA Scherman, D Frenkel, JJ Baumberg

– Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

(2016)

113,

5503

(doi: 10.1073/pnas.1524209113)

Microfluidic Droplet-Facilitated Hierarchical Assembly for Dual Cargo Loading and Synergistic Delivery

Z Yu, Y Zheng, RM Parker, Y Lan, Y Wu, RJ Coulston, J Zhang, OA Scherman, C Abell

– ACS applied materials & interfaces

(2016)

8,

8811

(doi: 10.1021/acsami.6b00661)

Natural polymers as alternative consolidants for the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood

Z Walsh, ER Janeček, M Jones, OA Scherman

– Studies in Conservation

(2016)

62,

173

(doi: 10.1179/2047058414Y.0000000149)

The Importance of Excess Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) for the Aggregation of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Coated Gold Nanoparticles

ST Jones, Z Walsh-Korb, SJ Barrow, SL Henderson, J del Barrio, OA Scherman

– ACS Nano

(2016)

10,

3158

(doi: 10.1021/acsnano.5b04083)

Monitoring Early-Stage Nanoparticle Assembly in Microdroplets by Optical Spectroscopy and SERS

AR Salmon, R Esteban, RW Taylor, JT Hugall, CA Smith, G Whyte, OA Scherman, J Aizpurua, C Abell, JJ Baumberg

– Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)

(2016)

12,

1788

(doi: 10.1002/smll.201503513)