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

Photoresponsive hybrid raspberry-like colloids based on cucurbit[8]uril host-guest interactions
Y Lan, Y Wu, A Karas, OA Scherman
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
(2014)
53
Nondestructive optical detection of monomer uptake in wood polymer composites
A Farina, I Bargigia, E-R Janeček, Z Walsh, C D'Andrea, A Nevin, M Ramage, OA Scherman, A Pifferi
Optics Letters
(2014)
39
Supramolecular polymeric peptide amphiphile vesicles for the encapsulation of basic fibroblast growth factor.
XJ Loh, J del Barrio, T-C Lee, OA Scherman
Chem Commun (Camb)
(2014)
50
Supramolecular colloidosomes: fabrication, characterisation and triggered release of cargo
G Stephenson, RM Parker, Y Lan, Z Yu, OA Scherman, C Abell
Chem Commun (Camb)
(2014)
50
In situ SERS monitoring of photochemistry within a nanojunction reactor.
RW Taylor, RJ Coulston, F Biedermann, S Mahajan, JJ Baumberg, OA Scherman
Nano Lett
(2013)
13
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
Supramolecular dimerisation of middle-chain Phe pentapeptides via CB[8] host–guest homoternary complex formation
S Sonzini, STJ Ryan, OA Scherman
Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)
(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
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

Head of group

Telephone number

01223 331797, 01223 334372 (shared)

Email address

College