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

Discrete plasmons in Au nano-assemblies for SERS: Fabricating rigid sub-nm junctions with molecular ‘cucurbituril’ glue
RT Taylor, S Mahajan, O Scherman, T Lee, R Esteban, J Aizpurua, JJ Baumberg
2014 16th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON)
(2011)
Peptide separation through a CB[8]-mediated supramolecular trap-and-release process.
F Tian, M Cziferszky, D Jiao, K Wahlström, J Geng, OA Scherman
Langmuir
(2010)
27
Effect of self-complementary motifs on phase compatibility and material properties in blends of supramolecular polymers
P Shokrollahi, H Mirzadeh, WTS Huck, OA Scherman
Polymer
(2010)
51
Host-guest-driven copolymerization of tetraphosphonate cavitands
F Tancini, RM Yebeutchou, L Pirondini, R De Zorzi, S Geremia, OA Scherman, E Dalcanale
Chemistry – A European Journal
(2010)
16
A Facile Route to Ureidopyrimidinone-Functionalized Polymers via RAFT
AD Celiz, OA Scherman
Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry
(2010)
48
Benzobis(imidazolium)–Cucurbit[8]uril Complexes for Binding and Sensing Aromatic Compounds in Aqueous Solution
F Biedermann, U Rauwald, M Cziferszky, KA Williams, LD Gann, BY Guo, AR Urbach, CW Bielawski, OA Scherman
Chemistry – A European Journal
(2010)
16
Probing cucurbit[8]uril -mediated supramolecular block copolymer assembly in water using diffusion NMR
JM Zayed, F Biedermann, U Rauwald, OA Scherman
Polymer Chemistry
(2010)
1
A Systems Approach to Controlling Supramolecular Architecture and Emergent Solution Properties via Host−Guest Complexation in Water
D Jiao, F Biedermann, F Tian, OA Scherman
Journal of the American Chemical Society
(2010)
132
Supramolecular cross-linked networks via host-guest complexation with cucurbit[8]uril.
EA Appel, F Biedermann, U Rauwald, ST Jones, JM Zayed, OA Scherman
J Am Chem Soc
(2010)
132
Supramolecular gold nanoparticle – polymer composites formed in water with cucurbit[8]uril
RJ Coulston, ST Jones, T-C Lee, EA Appel, OA Scherman
Chem Commun (Camb)
(2010)
47

Head of group

Telephone number

01223 334372 (shared), 01223 331797

Email address

College