Paul Beer
Braithwaite Fellow and Tutor in Chemistry
Biography
My general field of research is host-guest supramolecular chemistry, which covers a broad area of interests.
With a view to increasing the understanding of molecular recognition processes in biological systems and producing new molecular sensors, switches and devices, my research is focused on the synthesis of novel macrocyclic and interlocked host molecules that contain redox- or photo-active reporter groups. These systems have been designed to complex and sense cationic, anionic or neutral inorganic or organic guest species via electrochemical and optical methods. Selective binding of a particular guest species is of paramount importance for commercial applications such as potential prototypes of new molecular sensory devices, molecular switches and extraction agents for cleansing the environment of toxic materials.