Profile of the supervisor
Prof. dr. Ben L. Feringa obtained his PhD degree at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. After working as a research scientist at Shell in the Netherlands and the UK he was appointed professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Groningen. He is currently the Jacobus van ‘t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, a Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences Professor and was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Expertise
Stereochemistry, Synthesis, Dynamic Molecular Systems, Molecular Motors and Machines, Chembiogenesis, Origin of Chirality and Chiral Amplification, Self-Assembly, Supramolecular.
Profile of the research group
The research group is focussing on dynamic molecular systems, chirality and smart (supramolecular) materials addressing challenging problems ranging from chiral amplification and asymmetric catalysis to out-of equilibrium phenomena and molecular switches, motors and machines. Designing functional and responsive molecular systems, taking advantage of self-assembly, molecular motion and catalysis, key features of potential prebiotic chemistry are addressed. The expertise in molecular, supramolecular and responsive stereochemistry allows the exploration of chirality as ‘a signature of life’. With an highly international group (USA, UK, China, Spain, Germany, currently 14 nationalities), the various expertises and cooperations (ranging from chemistry to physics, molecular biology and medicine) and the teams of master, PhD’s and postdoc we provide a playground for initiatives and creativity.
