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

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
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
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
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
Supramolecular alignment of gold nanorods via cucurbit[8]uril ternary complex formation
ST Jones, JM Zayed, OA Scherman
Nanoscale
(2013)
5
Dynamically crosslinked materials via recognition of amino acids by cucurbit[8]uril
MJ Rowland, EA Appel, RJ Coulston, OA Scherman
J Mater Chem B
(2013)
1
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
Nature Chemistry
(2013)
5
Synthesis of Photoswitchable Homodimeric Polypeptides: Towards Biological Applications
S Sonzini, F Biedermann, OA Scherman
BIOPOLYMERS
(2013)
100
Inhibition of Human Insulin Aggregation through Supramolecular Host-Guest Interactions
FC Christie, AM Donald, OA Scherman
BIOPOLYMERS
(2013)
100
Neurochemically gated activity of gyromagnetic nanostars
Q Wei, T-C Lee, E Appel, H-M Song, OA Scherman, A Wei
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2013)
246

Telephone number

01223 331797, 01223 334372 (shared)

Email address

College