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

Cucurbit[8]uril-Regulated Colloidal Dispersions Exhibiting Photocontrolled Rheological Behavior.
C Hu, J Liu, Y Wu, KR West, OA Scherman
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
(2018)
14
Patterned Arrays of Supramolecular Microcapsules
J Zhang, J Liu, Z Yu, S Chen, OA Scherman, C Abell
Advanced Functional Materials
(2018)
28
Supramolecular Nested Microbeads as Building Blocks for Macroscopic Self-Healing Scaffolds.
Z Yu, J Liu, C Tan, OA Scherman, C Abell
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
(2018)
57
Supramolecular Nested Microbeads as Building Blocks for Macroscopic Self-Healing Scaffolds
Z Yu, J Liu, CSY Tan, OA Scherman, C Abell
Angewandte Chemie
(2018)
130
Controlling Spatiotemporal Mechanics of Supramolecular Hydrogel Networks with Highly Branched Cucurbit[8]uril Polyrotaxanes
CSY Tan, J Liu, AS Groombridge, SJ Barrow, CA Dreiss, OA Scherman
Advanced Functional Materials
(2018)
28
Plasmon-induced optical control over dithionite-mediated chemical redox reactions
J Huang, B de Nijs, S Cormier, K Sokolowski, D-B Grys, CA Readman, SJ Barrow, OA Scherman, JJ Baumberg
Faraday Discuss
(2018)
214
Cell Geometry across the Ring Structure of Sitka Spruce
TPS Reynolds, HC Burridge, R Johnston, G Wu, DU Shah, OA Scherman, PF Linden, MH Ramage
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
(2018)
15
Cucurbit[7]uril as a Supramolecular Artificial Enzyme for Diels–Alder Reactions
A Palma, M Artelsmair, W Guanglu, SJ Barrow, X Lu, N Uddin, E Rosta, E Masson, OA Scherman
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
(2017)
56
Plasmonic tunnel junctions for single-molecule redox chemistry
B de Nijs, F Benz, SJ Barrow, DO Sigle, R Chikkaraddy, A Palma, C Carnegie, M Kamp, R Sundararaman, P Narang, OA Scherman, JJ Baumberg
Nature communications
(2017)
8
Cucurbit[7]uril as a Supramolecular Artificial Enzyme for Diels–Alder Reactions
A Palma, M Artelsmair, G Wu, X Lu, SJ Barrow, N Uddin, E Rosta, E Masson, OA Scherman
Angewandte Chemie
(2017)
129

Head of group

Telephone number

01223 334372 (shared), 01223 331797

Email address

College