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

A supramolecular route towards core–shell polymeric microspheres in water via cucurbit[8]uril complexation
Y Lan, XJ Loh, J Geng, Z Walsh, OA Scherman
Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
(2012)
48
Strongly Fluorescent, Switchable Perylene Bis(diimide) Host-Guest Complexes with Cucurbit[8]uril in Water.
F Biedermann, E Elmalem, I Ghosh, WM Nau, OA Scherman
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
(2012)
51
Ultrahigh-water-content supramolecular hydrogels exhibiting multistimuli responsiveness
EA Appel, XJ Loh, ST Jones, F Biedermann, CA Dreiss, OA Scherman
Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2012)
134
Direct Visualization of Symmetry Breaking During Janus Nanoparticle Formation
G Loget, TC Lee, RW Taylor, S Mahajan, O Nicoletti, ST Jones, RJ Coulston, V Lapeyre, P Garrigue, PA Midgley, OA Scherman, JJ Baumberg, A Kuhn
Small
(2012)
8
Strongly fluorescent, switchable perylene bis(diimide) host-guest complexes with cucurbit[8]uril in water.
F Biedermann, E Elmalem, I Ghosh, WM Nau, OA Scherman
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
(2012)
51
Sustained release of proteins from high water content supramolecular polymer hydrogels
EA Appel, XJ Loh, ST Jones, CA Dreiss, OA Scherman
Biomaterials
(2012)
33
Formation of single-chain polymer nanoparticles in water through host-guest interactions.
EA Appel, J Dyson, J del Barrio, Z Walsh, OA Scherman
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
(2012)
51
Cucurbit[8]uril mediated donor-acceptor ternary complexes: A model system for studying charge-transfer interactions
F Biedermann, OA Scherman
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
(2012)
116
Monofunctionalised cucurbit[6]uril synthesis using imidazolium host-guest complexation.
N Zhao, GO Lloyd, OA Scherman
Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
(2012)
48
Probing the stability of multicomponent self-assembled architectures based on cucurbit[8]uril in the gas phase
M Cziferszky, F Biedermann, M Kalberer, OA Scherman
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry
(2012)
10

Telephone number

01223 334372 (shared), 01223 331797

Email address

College