Dr Andrew Surman

Dr Andrew Surman is a Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, King's College London.

Andrew (ORCID:0000-0002-2042-7373) and the Surman Lab (surmanlab.com) have broad interests, centring on Supramolecular Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Systems Chemistry. We also have an affinity for horrible messes which nobody else wants to deal with (extremely heterogenous systems), and a fondness for getting machines to do the work (automation in the lab and in advanced data handling). We are applying our skills to solve both practical problems (probing heterogenous industrial nanomaterials, catalysis, environmental & medical analyses, nanoscale drug delivery, sustainable chemical processes) and more fundamental questions (e.g. around the Origin of Life, and Supramolecular reaction control).

Andrew obtained his first degree in Chemistry from King’s College, London, and enjoyed his Y4 research project in Supramolecular Chemistry so much he decided to pursue a PhD. This focussed on ‘smart’ contrast agents for medical imaging, using specific molecular recognition of molecules and surfaces (w/Prof Ramon Vilar, ICIQ/Catalan Institute of Chemical Research and Imperial College London). After this, he spent ca. three years in industry at Plaxica, a company set up to establish new industrial methods for producing ‘next generation’ recyclable plastics from renewable resources. Here he worked across most aspects of Plaxica’s biomass to plastic route (catalysis, biocatalysis, separation science) and led a range of teams. After a brief period working on self-assembled nanostructures at the University of Puerto Rico, he moved to another postdoc position (w/Prof Cronin, University of Glasgow) working on a wide variety of projects, encompassing analytical, nanoscale, inorganic, and organic chemistry. Then Andrew returned to King’s new Chemistry Department as a Lecturer, with the Surman Lab beginning research in late 2019.

Research Interests

Subject Areas

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanomaterials
• Catalysis and Reaction Control
• Systems Chemistry

Applications

• Reaction Control
• Drug Delivery & Medical Diagnoses
• Medical, Environmental and Industrial Analyses
• Origin of Life
• Sustainable processes

The Surman Lab (surmanlab.com) collaborate widely and are always keen to make connections and collaborate with colleagues across the world or locally, in academia and industry.