Professor Stephen Goldup

Research Interests

Research in the Goldup Group focuses on the effect of mechanical bonding on the properties and applications of molecules. The Group have developed some of the most efficient rotaxane-forming reactions disclosed to date (ACIE 2011; Chem Sci 2015) and extended them to multicomponent catenanes (JACS 2018) and stereo-defined [n]rotaxanes (JACS 2016; ACIE 2016). Using this methodology, they have developed mechanically stabilised organometallic species (JACS 2013, Chem. Sci. 2020,), interlocked catalysts (ACIE 2015, ACIE 2022), sensors (ACIE 2018; ACIE 2018), ligands to augment the properties of transition metal ions (JACS 2019; ACIE 2021), luminophores (Chem. Sci. 2021, ACIE 2021) and oligonucleotides (JACS 2020). In particular, they have revolutionised the synthesis of mechanically chiral molecules, beginning with the first method to make mechanically planar chiral rotaxanes without chiral stationary phase HPLC (JACS 2014). Since this breakthrough they have disclosed method for the stereoselective synthesis of mechanically chiral rotaxanes (ACIE 2018, Nat. Chem. 2022, Chem 2023) and catenanes (Chem 2019, JACS 2022, Nat. Chem. 2022, Nat. Chem. 2023). Alongside these synthetic breakthroughs, they have provided a framework for the discussion of mechanical stereochemistry and in the process identified new mechanical stereogenic units (CSR 2018, Nat. Chem. 2022, ChemRxiv 2022), which have also yielded to their stereoselective approach. In 2020 they demonstrated the first example of enantioselective catalysis with a mechanically chiral ligand (Chem 2020), highlighting the long-term potential of the molecules that their methodological breakthroughs now make accessible.