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

Photo-induced interfacial electron transfer of ZnO nanocrystals to control supramolecular assembly in waterd
AM Cieślak, E-R Janeček, K Sokołowski, T Ratajczyk, MK Leszczyński, OA Scherman, J Lewiński
Nanoscale
(2017)
9
Mapping SERS in CB:Au Plasmonic Nano-Aggregates
C Carnegie, R Chikkaraddy, F Benz, B De Nijs, WM Deacon, M Horton, W Wang, C Readman, SJ Barrow, OA Scherman, JJ Baumberg
ACS Photonics
(2017)
4
Distinguishing relaxation dynamics in transiently crosslinked polymeric networks
CSY Tan, G Agmon, J Liu, D Hoogland, ER Janeček, EA Appel, OA Scherman
Polymer Chemistry
(2017)
8
Toward a versatile toolbox for cucurbit[n]uril‐based supramolecular hydrogel networks through in situ polymerization
J Liu, C Tan, Y Lan, OA Scherman
J Polym Sci A Polym Chem
(2017)
55
A simple supramolecular assay for drug detection in urine
S Sonzini, JA McCune, P Ravn, OA Scherman, CF van der Walle
Chemical Communications
(2017)
53
Bioinspired supramolecular fibers drawn from a multiphase self-assembled hydrogel
Y Wu, DU Shah, C Liu, Z Yu, J Liu, X Ren, MJ Rowland, C Abell, MH Ramage, OA Scherman
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2017)
114
Smart supramolecular sensing with cucurbit[n]urils: probing hydrogen bonding with SERS
B de Nijs, M Kamp, I Szabo, SJB Barrow, F Benz, G Wu, C Carnegie, R Chikkaraddy, W Wang, W Deacon, E Rosta, JJ Baumberg, O Scherman
Faraday discussions
(2017)
205
Predicting the pore-filling ratio in lumen-impregnated wood
G Wu, D Shah, E Janecek, H Burridge, T Reynolds, P Fleming, P Linden, M Ramage, O Scherman
Wood science and technology.
(2017)
51
Cucurbit[n]urils
O Scherman, J McCune
(2017)
Decoupled Associative and Dissociative Processesin Strong yet Highly Dynamic Host-Guest Complexes.
EA Appel, F Biedermann, D Hoogland, J Del Barrio, MD Driscoll, S Hay, DJ Wales, OA Scherman
Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2017)
139

Head of group

Telephone number

01223 331797, 01223 334372 (shared)

Email address

College