ProfessorArtur R. Stefankiewicz
Artur R. Stefankiewicz - was born in 1981. He received his master's degree in chemistry from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan in 2005, under the supervision of Prof. Wanda Radecka-Paryzek. During his graduate studies, he participated in an Erasmus-Socrates exchange at the University of Strasbourg (six months), where he worked under the supervision of Nobel Laureate Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn at the Institute of Supramolecular Science and Engineering (ISIS). He received a Marie Curie doctoral scholarship and began his studies at the University of Strasbourg in October 2005, and received his PhD in June 2009. D., for his work in the field of metallosupramolecular chemistry, with a focus on grid-type architectures under the direction of Prof. Lehn. In September 2009, he joined Prof. Jeremy K. M. Sanders' research group at the University of Cambridge as a Ministry of Defense researcher, where he worked on molecular recognition using a dynamic combinatorial approach. In July 2013, he received a "Homing Plus" grant from the Foundation for Polish Science and returned to Poland to establish an independent research group as an assistant professor at the Department of Chemistry at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. In June 2014, he received a postdoctoral degree for his work entitled. "Application of supramolecular and dynamic covalent chemistry in the development of complex chemical bonds." In October 2014, he was awarded a scholarship from the Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists conducting high-quality research and with impressive scientific achievements. He has been a full professor of physical sciences since 2020. His research interests include supramolecular chemistry, physical organic chemistry, dynamic combinatorial chemistry and the design of functional nanostructures.
2020 – present
- Head of Priority Research Area for Chemistry and Material Science, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2020 – present
- Vice-Director of the Center for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2020 – present
- EPICUR Coordinator, Department of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2020 – present
- Full Professor, Department of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2016 – 2020
- Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
2013 – 2016
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
2010 – 2013
- Ministry of Defense Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK.
Supervisor: Prof. Jeremy K. M. Sanders FRS, Project overview: Design, synthesis and application of dynamic nanoreceptors for the detection of Chemical Warfare Agents
2010 – 2012
- Supervisor and Participant in Nano Science & Technology Doctoral Training Centre (Nano-DTC), University of Cambridge, UK. Collaborator: Dr. Nick Bampos, Project overview: Design and assembly of the next generation of functional, responsive and adaptive metallo-nanostructures
2009 – 2010
- EPSRC Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK.
Supervisor: Prof. Jeremy K. M. Sanders FRS, Project overview: The development of smart, proton-driven nanoswitches
HONORS AND AWARDS
2019 Member of the Academy of Young Scientists, Polish Academy of Sciences (AMU-PAN).
2018 Award from the Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University for an exceptional scientific results in 2018.
2017 VISITING PROFESSORSHIP at the University of Strasbourg – BGF Scholarship from Embassy of France in Poland.
2016 POLITYKA PRIZE for young scientists
2015 Award from the Polish Chemical Society for the best habilitation thesis in 2014 in Poland
The overall goal of our research is to understand, control and utilize molecular recognition and self-assembly processes to create functional and complex nanostructures via the strategic application of dynamic covalent and non-covalent bonds. The main expertise and skills of the group is preparative chemistry and organic synthesis, which we apply in to supramolecular chemistry, dynamic combinatorial chemistry and the development of new dynamic/adaptive materials. Research in the Stefankiewicz laboratory is divided into the four main areas listed below.
1) Dynamic Covalent Chemistry (DCC)
DCC deals with chemical systems under rapidly attained thermodynamic equilibrium and was developed independently in the early 90’s by the research groups of Professor Jeremy Sanders and Professor Jean-Marie Lehn. DCC under thermodynamic control leads to the generation of so called Dynamic Combinatorial Libraries (DCLs) of interconverting species whose composition is adaptable and can be systematically altered by the application of environmental stimuli or chemical “templates”. In DCC reversible covalent bonds and non-covalent interactions are employed, which under appropriate conditions are capable of breakage and reformation. In our laboratory we are using mainly dynamic disulfide, hydrazone, imine and boronic ester linkages for the creation of adaptable materials and functional nanostructures of interesting structural and topological properties. We are mainly focused on the generation of dynamic macrocyclic, linear and cage-like receptors using combinatorial approach and investigation of their physicochemical and complexation properties.
2) Functional Metallosupramolecular Nanostructures
The controlled generation of specific metallosupramolecular architectures rests on the design of ligands incorporating suitable binding subunits and the implementation of metal ions presenting coordination features required for the correct reading of the structural information of the ligand. In our laboratory we are developing 2D and 3D metallosupramolecular architectures using imine, hydrazone and acyl hydrazone based ligands together with d- and f-block metal ions . Our main target is to obtain functional multimetallic architectures which could be potentially used in the field of nanotechnology as host-guest chemistry, catalysis and functional materials.
3) Molecular Self-assembly and Encapsulation
Discrete three-dimensional compounds with defined pores are particularly attractive as they present the ability to accommodate various guest molecules and induce them to exhibit new properties. Owing to their complex but highly elegant structures supramolecular nanocapsules have captivated the attention of many investigators as molecular flasks for confined chemical reactions and their uses in the stabilization of reactive molecules, chiral separations and catalysis.
In our laboratory we are developing the chemistry of entirely new class of spherical nanoarchitectures build from amino acid functionalized molecular components. We are exploring and expanding the scope of structures that can be prepared whilst conducting fundamental investigations into their physicochemical properties. The adaptive and dynamic character of the investigated nanostructures may find use in the creation of guest-specific receptors/sensors and versatile catalysts.
The most important publications:
- Nature Chemistry, 2020, 12, 270-275
- Advanced Science, 2019, 6, 1900577
- Chemical Science, 2019, 10, 1836-1843
- Nature Communications, 2017, 8, 15109
- Chemical Review, 2016, 116 (23), 14620–14674
- Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 3988-3992
- Chemical Society Review, 2014, 43, 1861 – 1872
- Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 5749–5752
- Chemical Science, 2012, 3, 2326-2329
- Science, 2010, 328, 1115-1116