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

Turning Cucurbit[8]uril into a Supramolecular Nanoreactor for Asymmetric Catalysis
L Zheng, S Sonzini, M Ambarwati, E Rosta, OA Scherman, A Herrmann
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
(2015)
54
Formation of Cucurbit[8]uril-Based Supramolecular Hydrogel Beads Using Droplet-Based Microfluidics
X Xu, EA Appel, X Liu, RM Parker, OA Scherman, C Abell
Biomacromolecules
(2015)
16
Divergence from the classical hydroboration reactivity; boron containing materials through a hydroboration cascade of small cyclic dienes
A Andreou, M Leskes, PG Jambrina, GJ Tustin, CP Grey, E Rosta, OA Scherman
Chemical science
(2015)
6
Catalytic polymeric nanocomposites via cucurbit[n]uril host-guest interactions
Y Wu, Y Lan, J Liu, OA Scherman
Nanoscale
(2015)
7
Preparation and Supramolecular Recognition of Multivalent Peptide–Polysaccharide Conjugates by Cucurbit[8]uril in Hydrogel Formation
MJ Rowland, M Atgie, D Hoogland, OA Scherman
Biomacromolecules
(2015)
16
Cucurbit[8]uril directed stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymer brushes for dynamic surface engineering.
C Hu, F Tian, Y Zheng, CSY Tan, KR West, OA Scherman
Chem Sci
(2015)
6
Cucurbit[8]uril directed stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymer brushes for dynamic surface engineering
C Hu, F Tian, Y Zheng, CSY Tan, KR West, OA Scherman
Chemical Science
(2015)
Supramolecular hydrogel microcapsules via cucurbit[8]uril host-guest interactions with triggered and UV-controlled molecular permeability.
Z Yu, J Zhang, RJ Coulston, RM Parker, F Biedermann, X Liu, OA Scherman, C Abell
Chemical science
(2015)
6
Electrostatically Directed Self-Assembly of Ultrathin Supramolecular Polymer Microcapsules.
RM Parker, J Zhang, Y Zheng, RJ Coulston, CA Smith, AR Salmon, Z Yu, OA Scherman, C Abell
Advanced Functional Materials
(2015)
25
Responsive double network hydrogels of interpenetrating DNA and CB[8] host-guest supramolecular systems
C Li, MJ Rowland, Y Shao, T Cao, C Chen, H Jia, X Zhou, Z Yang, OA Scherman, D Liu
Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
(2015)
27

Head of group

Telephone number

01223 334372 (shared), 01223 331797

Email address

College