Welcome

The research group led by Neil Champness at the University of Birmingham pursues research into supramolecular chemistry and all aspects of molecular organisation. This includes the understanding of supramolecular organisation in the solid-state via crystal engineering, solution phase self-assembly processes and supramolecular surface assembly.

Research

Details of our research can be found here but our studies encompass Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), surface self-assembly, mechanically interlocked molecules and the synthesis and study of organic materials and dye molecules.


Recent Publications

Densified HKUST-1 Monoliths as a Route to High Volumetric and Gravimetric Hydrogen Storage Capacity. 
         D. G. Madden, D. O’Nolan, N. Rampal, R. Babu, C. Çamur, A. N. Al Shakhs, S-Y. Zhang, G. A. Rance, J. Perez, N. Pietro Maria Casati, D. O’Sullivan, N. P. Rice, T. Gennett, P. Parilla, S. Shulda, K. E. Hurst, V. Stavila, M. D. Allendorf, J. Silvestre-Albero, A. C. Forse, N. R. Champness, K. W. Chapman, D. Fairen-Jimenez, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 13729.
Mechanically Interlocked Molecular Handcuffs. 
         N. Pearce, M. Tarnowska, N. Andersen, A. Wahrhaftig-Lewis, B.S. Pilgrim, N.R. Champness, Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 3915–3941.
Selective Photoinduced Charge Separation in Perylenediimide-Pillar[5]arene Rotaxanes
         N. Pearce, K. E. A. Reynolds, S. Kayal, X. Z. Sun, E. S. Davies, F. Malagreca, C. J. Schürmann, S. Ito, A. Yamano, S. P. Argent, M. W. George, N. R. Champness, Nat. Commun., 2022, 13, 415.
Retention of Perylene Diimide Optical Properties in Solid-State Materials Through Tethering to Nanodiamonds
         A.R.Y. Almuhana, P. Langer, S.L. Griffin, R. W. Lodge, G.A. Rance and N.R. Champness, J. Mater. Chem. C., 2021,  9, 10317-10323.
The chemistry of phosphines in constrained, well-defined microenvironments.
G. R. F. Orton, B. S. Pilgrim, N. R. Champness, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2021, 50, 4411-4431.
Molecular Dopant Determines the Structure of a Physisorbed Self-Assembled Molecular Network.
R. Steeno, A. Minoia, M.C. Gimenez-Lopez, M.O. Blunt, N.R. Champness, R. Lazzaroni, K. S. Mali, S. De Feyter, Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 1454-1457.
Gas separation performance of the Metal Organic Framework (MOF) assisted Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM-1) thin film composite membranes.
E. Aliyev, J. Warfsman, B. Tokay, S. Shishatskiy, J. Lillepaerg, C. Abetz, V. Filiz, N. R. Champness, V. Abetz, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., 2021, 9, 684-694.
Porous Metal-Organic Polyhedra: Morphology, Porosity and Guest Binding.
S. P. Argent, I. da Silva, A. Greenaway, M. Savage, J. Humby, A. J. Davies, H. Nowell, W. Lewis, P. Manuel, C. C. Tang, A. J. Blake, M. W. George, A. V. Markevich, E. Besley, S. Yang, N. R. Champness and M. Schröder, Inorg. Chem, 2020, 59, 15646-15658.
Metal-Organic Frameworks and Metal-Organic Cages – A Perspective.
B.S. Pilgrim and N.R. Champness, ChemPlusChem, 2020, 85, 1842–1856.
Electrochemical and Spectroelectrochemical Investigations of Perylene Peri-Tetracarbonyl Species.
N. Pearce, E.S. Davies and N.R. Champness, Dyes Pigm., 2020, 183, 108735.
On-surface chemical reactions characterised by ultrahigh resolution scanning probe microscopy
A. Sweetman, N.R. Champness, and A. Saywell, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2020, 49, 4189-4202.

Isolating Reactive Metal-based Species in Metal-organic Frameworks – Viable Strategies and Opportunities.
R. J. Young, M. T. Huxley, E. Pardo, N. R. Champness, C. J. Sumby, C. Doonan, Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 4031-4050.
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per-Alkoxy-pillar[5]arenes as Electron Donors: Electrochemical Properties of Dimethoxy-Pillar[5]arene and its Corresponding Rotaxane.
N. Pearce, E.S. Davies, N.R. Champness, Molecules, 2020, 25, 1627.
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A Periodic Table of Metal-organic Frameworks.
S.L. Griffin, N.R. Champness, Coord. Chem. Rev., 2020, 414, 213295.
Influence of Molecular Design on Radical Spin Multiplicity: Characterisation of BODIPY Dyad and Triad Radical Anions.
B. Mangham, M.W.D. Hanson-Heine, E.S. Davies, A. Wriglesworth, M.W. George, W. Lewis, D.L. Kays, J. McMaster, N.A. Besley, N.R. Champness, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020, 22, 4429-4438.
Synthesis of MIL-53 Thin-films by Vapour-Assisted Conversion.
J. Warfsmann, B. Tokay, N.R. Champness, CrystEngComm, 2020, 22, 1009-1017.
Synthesis and Characterisation of Rylene Diimide Dimers Using Molecular Handcuffs  
L. Yang, P. Langer, E.S. Davies, M. Baldoni, K. Wickham, N.A. Besley, E. Besley, N.R. Champness, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 3723-3732.
Controlling the two-dimensional self-assembly of functionalized porphyrins via adenine-thymine (ATAT) quartet formation.
M.O. Blunt, Y. Hu, C.W. Toft, A.G. Slater, W. Lewis, N.R. Champness, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2018, 122, 26070-26079. 
Protecting-Group-Free Site-Selective Reactions in a Metal-organic Framework Reaction Vessel .
M.T. Huxley, A. Burgun, H. Ghodrati, C.J. Coghlan, A. Lemieux, N.R. Champness, D.M. Huang, C.J. Doonan, C.J. Sumby, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018,140, 6416-6425. 

Contact

Professor Neil Champness
Norman Haworth Professor of Chemistry 
School of Chemistry
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2TT UK

Twitter: @ChampnessGroup

Vacancies

We are always looking for outstanding and innovative researchers to join our team. Funding opportunities arise frequently, so if you are interested please get in touch and we will get back to you soon.