Supramolecular Chemistry Laboratory
Team leader: dr hab. Michał Chmielewski, prof. ucz.
Team leader’s e-mail address: mchmielewski@chem.uw.edu.pl
Brief description of the research topic:
Supramolecular chemistry – often described as “chemistry beyond the molecule” – is an interdisciplinary field of research at the triple meeting point of chemistry, biology, and physics. It focuses on phenomena governed by non-covalent interactions, forming the foundation of both biology and medicine on one hand, and nanotechnology on the other.
The core expertise of the Supramolecular Chemistry Laboratory (SChL) lies in organic synthesis, which we apply in two major research areas:
– the development of functional materials based on Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), i.e. crystalline coordination polymers with molecular-scale voids such as pores and channels, and
– the synthesis of molecular receptors for anions, capable of their selective binding, sensing and transporting across lipid bilayers.
MOFs are a fascinating class of materials actively investigated in leading academic and industrial research centers around the world. These crystalline, porous frameworks are constructed from inorganic building blocks connected by organic ligands into a regular, three-dimensional lattice. MOFs find applications in various fields, including gas storage and separation (especially of hydrogen, methane, and CO₂), sensing technologies, drug delivery, electronics, and catalysis. At SChL, we focus on immobilizing catalysts within the nanoscale cavities of MOF structures. These modified MOFs function as microreactors, in which chemical transformations occur in confined spaces, resulting in higher selectivity and easier catalyst recovery and reuse.
Anions, in turn, play critical roles in numerous biological, chemical, medical, and environmental processes. The design and synthesis of molecules that can selectively bind, detect, and transport anions across biological membranes is one of the central themes in supramolecular chemistry. At SChL, we develop anion receptors that operate in aqueous environments and are capable of detection (e.g., via colorimetric or fluorescent signals), extraction, or transport of anions across lipophilic biological membranes. These receptors may serve as sensors for monitoring anion concentrations in living cells or environmental samples and—thanks to their biological activity—as next-generation antibiotics, anticancer agents, or therapeutic candidates for diseases associated with dysfunctional natural transporters, such as cystic fibrosis.