School of Chemistry School of Chemistry
Professor David Leigh

Professor David A Leigh FRS

Forbes Professor of Organic Chemistry & EPSRC Senior Research Fellow

Research Interests

Synthetic organic chemistry, design and synthesis of functional molecules, supramolecules and macromolecules, artificial "molecular machines"

catenane/rotaxane structures scheme

Our research group is concerned with developing simple ideas and concepts across the traditional branches of the molecular, biomolecular and materials sciences by the design and synthesis of new types of molecular level architecture's to control and influence function and properties. Following the discovery of a simple hydrogen bond-directed route to catenanes (mechanically-interlocked rings) in our laboratories a few years ago, we are currently exploring several areas of application including catalysis (reagents that function through hydrogen bonding), smart materials and "molecular machines" (catenane and rotaxane-based molecular devices), biological chemistry (peptide and protein rotaxanes, novel prodrug systems) and macromolecules (mechanically-linked polymers).

These, and other research programmes in the group, are supported by the UK research councils, the European community (including RTN Networks with academic and industrial groups in Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands) and both UK and overseas industry.

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

  1. For a review see: E.R. Kay, D.A. Leigh and F. Zerbetto Angew Chem Int Ed 46, 72-191 (2007); "Synthetic Molecular Motors and Mechanical Machines".
  2. C.-F. Lee, D. A. Leigh, R. G. Pritchard, D. Schultz, S. J. Teat, G. A. Timco and R. E. P. Winpenny, Nature, 458, 314-318 (2009); "Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Rotaxanes and Molecular Shuttles".
  3. V. Serreli, C.-F. Lee, E.R. Kay and D.A. Leigh Nature 445, 523-527 (2007); "A Molecular Information Ratchet".
  4. E.R. Kay and D.A. Leigh Nature 440, 286-287 (2006); "Lighting Up Nanomachines".
  5. J. Berná, D.A. Leigh, M. Lubomska, S.M. Mendoza, E.M. Pérez, P. Rudolf, G. Teobaldi and F. Zerbetto Nature Mater 4, 704-710 (2005); "Macroscopic Transport by Synthetic Molecular Machines".
  6. V. Hernández, E.R. Kay and D.A. Leigh, Science 306, 1532-1537 (2004); "A Reversible Synthetic Rotary Molecular Motor".
  7. D.A. Leigh, J.K.Y. Wong, F. Dehez and F. Zerbetto, Nature 424, 174-179 (2003); "Unidirectional Rotation in a Mechanically Interlocked Molecular Rotor".
  8. M. Cavallini, F. Biscarini, S. León, F. Zerbetto, G. Bottari and D.A. Leigh, Science 299, 531 (2003): "Information Storage using Supramolecular Surface Patterns".
  9. A.M. Brouwer, C. Frochot, F.G. Gatti, D.A. Leigh, L. Mottier, F. Paolucci, S. Roffia and G.W.H. Wurpel, Science 291, 2124-2128 (2001): "Photoinduction of Fast, Reversible Translational Motion in a Hydrogen-Bonded Molecular Shuttle".
  10. V. Bermudez, N. Capron, T. Gase, F.G. Gatti, F. Kajzar, D.A. Leigh, F. Zerbetto and S. Zhang, Nature 406, 608-611 (2000); "Influencing Submolecular Motion with an Alternating Electric Field".

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