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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

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Publications

In Situ SERS Monitoring of Photochemistry within a Nanojunction Reactor

RW Taylor, RJ Coulston, F Biedermann, S Mahajan, JJ Baumberg, OA Scherman

– Nano letters

(2013)

13,

5985

(doi: 10.1021/nl403164c)

Electrokinetic Assembly of One-Dimensional Nanoparticle Chains with Cucurbit[7]uril Controlled Subnanometer Junctions

N Hüsken, RW Taylor, D Zigah, J-C Taveau, O Lambert, OA Scherman, JJ Baumberg, A Kuhn

– Nano Lett

(2013)

13,

6016

(doi: 10.1021/nl403224q)

Supramolecular dimerisation of middle-chain Phe pentapeptides via CB[8] host–guest homoternary complex formation

S Sonzini, STJ Ryan, OA Scherman

– Chem Commun (Camb)

(2013)

49,

8779

(doi: 10.1039/c3cc45420g)

A facile route to viologen functional macromolecules through azide-alkyne [3+2] cycloaddition

ER Janeček, U Rauwald, J Del Barrio, M Cziferszky, OA Scherman

– Macromolecular Rapid Communications

(2013)

34,

1547

(doi: 10.1002/marc.201300453)

Cucurbit[8]uril and blue-box: high-energy water release overwhelms electrostatic interactions.

F Biedermann, M Vendruscolo, OA Scherman, A De Simone, WM Nau

– Journal of the American Chemical Society

(2013)

135,

14879

(doi: 10.1021/ja407951x)

A Facile Route to Viologen Functional Macromolecules through Azide–Alkyne [3+2] Cycloaddition

E-R Janeček, U Rauwald, J del Barrio, M Cziferszky, OA Scherman

– Macromolecular rapid communications

(2013)

34,

1547

(doi: 10.1002/marc.201300453)

Photocontrol over cucurbit[8]uril complexes: Stoichiometry and supramolecular polymers

J del Barrio, PN Horton, D Lairez, GO Lloyd, C Toprakcioglu, OA Scherman

– Journal of the American Chemical Society

(2013)

135,

11760

(doi: 10.1021/ja406556h)

Supramolecular alignment of gold nanorods via cucurbit[8]uril ternary complex formation

ST Jones, JM Zayed, OA Scherman

– Nanoscale

(2013)

5,

5299

(doi: 10.1039/c3nr01454a)

Dynamically crosslinked materials via recognition of amino acids by cucurbit[8]uril.

MJ Rowland, EA Appel, RJ Coulston, OA Scherman

– Journal of materials chemistry. B

(2013)

1,

2904

(doi: 10.1039/c3tb20180e)

Chemistry inside molecular containers in the gas phase.

T-C Lee, E Kalenius, AI Lazar, KI Assaf, N Kuhnert, CH Grün, J Jänis, OA Scherman, WM Nau

– Nat Chem

(2013)

5,

376

(doi: 10.1038/nchem.1618)