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Chemistry Scott Group

Scott Group

Molecular Self-Assembly & Drug Discovery

Our ranges of self-assembling metallohelices (variously helicates, flexicates, triplexes etc.) are usually based on iron as a structural template. They are uniquely suited to applications in the biomedical arena, being optically pure, water-soluble and stable, and capable of supporting great functional and structural diversity. We work in cancer, antimicrobials and Alzheimer disease using the underlying hypothesis that our compounds behave like natural cationic host-defence peptides.Collaborators include Viktor Brabec (biophysics), Roger Phillips (cancer pharmacology), David Roper (antimicrobials), Nick Waterfield (microbiology), Lawrence Young.

triplex metallohelix

Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 9708-9720Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 8547 - 8557Angew. Chemie. Int. Ed., 2019, 57, 15723-15727Science Adv., 2018, 4(1)J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2017, 139, 9835-9838Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 951–958Nature Chem. 2014, 6, 797-803J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 11655-11663Chem. Sci. 2013, 4, 4407-4416Nature Chem., 2012, 4, 31–36


Polymer materials

We develop new mechanisms for the synthesis of polyolefin and polar polymers through coordination and radical methods, with a particular focus on amphipathic materials. This work involves strong collaboration with industry and collaborators include various scientists at our spin-out company Interface Polymers and Infineum where Pete hold a Royal Society Industry Fellowship.

Yin Yang TOC

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 13921-13934Review: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 3521-3530Macromolecules 2011, 44, 1393–1404J. Polym. Sci. 2009, 47, 3111-7Dalton Trans., 2008, 6883-5.


Enantioselective catalysis

In this earlier research we created new ways of generating chiral-at-metal architectures; an area which led to our work on asymmetric self-assembly (see above). We developed catalysts for highly enantioselective hydroamination, aziridination and cyclopropanation.

imido mechanism

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 15308-20Chem. Comm., 2004, 893J. Org. Chem., 2002, 67, 3450Chem. Comm., 2001, 1638J. Am. Chem Soc., 2000, 122, 7132Organometallics 2008, 27, 2706-14Chem. Comm., 2003, 1770


Molecular Materials

We developed new chiral magnetic and conducting materials.

Fe MOFs

Organometallics, 2015, 34, 2543–2549Chem.Comm., 2011, 47, 12646 - 12648Inorg. Chem. 2011, 50, 5925–5935Inorg. Chem. 2011, 50, 4039–4046.


Lanthanide and actinide chemistry

In this earlier contribution we discovered through ligand design some new phenomena in f-element chemistry.

uranium dinitrogen complex

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121, 11255J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1998, 120, 1070The f Elements (text book)


Contact Details

peter dot scott at warwick dot ac dot uk
Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL UK t +44 24 7652 3238 f +44 24 7657 2710