SCHEMA Hub

The need for science diplomacy in a fragmenting world After receiving a US science diplomacy prize, Chemistry World talks to Martyn Poliakoff and Richard Catlow about global scientific challenges, their love of technicians and being astounded by children...

The @aaas.org awarded chemists Martyn Poliakoff, from @uniofnottingham.bsky.social, and our co-investigator Richard Catlow, from @ucl.ac.uk and Cardiff University, the David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy.

📲Read more in @chemistryworld.com: bit.ly/4aBEYlV

#Chemistry #SciComm #AAAS

Controlled Polymerization Catalysis for the Synthesis of Degradable Amphiphilic Polycarbonates from CO2 Synthetic water-soluble polymers are ubiquitous in solution-based applications, but their petroleum origin and nondegradable bonds create environmental concerns. Here, CO2- and glycerol-derived polyca...

🔬 Read our latest JACS @pubs.acs.org paper!

📄 Controlled Polymerization Catalysis for the Synthesis of Degradable Amphiphilic Polycarbonates from CO2

📲 Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/jacs...
🌍 View SCHEMA publications: schemahub.ac.uk/publications

#PolymerScience #Catalysis #SustainableMaterials

Earlier this week, the SCHEMA team visited researchers and affiliates from the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, based at Cardiff University. We were given a tour of facilities including the High Throughput Reactor, the Translational Research Hub, and the Microscopy Suite. Thank you for hosting us!

⏱️ 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗕𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 🧪

Our Spring 2026 conference poster session at the University of Cambridge is now open for abstract submissions — this is your chance to showcase what you’re working on.

📅 Deadline: 11 March 2026
📲 Register for the conference: https://forms.office.com/e/31Q72TLAAL

🔬 New Publication❗

📄 Photo-initiated solvent-mediated depolymerization of consumer poly(methyl methacrylate) without chlorinated reagents

📚 Nature Communications

🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-

#ChemicalRecycling #GreenChemistry #PolymerChemistry #PlasticCircularity

Dr Hannah Leese is a finalist in the Innovator category of the Every Woman in Tech Awards

Congratulations to our Co-Investigator Dr Hannah Leese, Reader in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the @uniofbath.bsky.social for being named a finalist in the Innovator category of the 2026 Every Woman in Technology Awards.

📲 More here: bit.ly/3MIXvn7

#ewTechAwards #WomenInTech #STEM

SCHEMA Co-Investigator Sir Richard Catlow and Sir Martyn Poliakoff

Congratulations to SCHEMA Co-Investigator Sir Richard Catlow for being awarded the @aaas.org David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy along with Sir Martyn Poliakoff.

🔗Read more here: bit.ly/4aIzd5P

#AAAS2026 #AAASawards #AdvancingScience #Chemistry #Catalysis #SciComm #ScienceNews

"Many Voices, One Science" is the theme for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Global Women’s Breakfast 2026.

🌍 Use the IUPAC GWB event search function to find an event near you: https://iupac.org/gwb/

#IUPACGWB #GlobalWomensBreakfast #WomenInChemistry #WomenInSTEM

🧪 New publication 🚨

"Hydrolytic degradation of amorphous PLA: Effect of mechanical loads" in 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

👉 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111751
🌐 View all SCHEMA publications: bit.ly/4rpg0M2

We’re thrilled to announce Linda Broadbelt, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, as a keynote speaker at our upcoming spring conference in Cambridge.

🔗 Join us: https://lnkd.in/ddMTG5Fm
🌐 More info: https://bit.ly/4to1G8w

#Chemistry #Engineering #Conference

🧪 New publication 🚨

"Pressure-sensitive adhesives from polyester pentablock copolymers" by Chang Gao, Kam C. Poon, Charlotte K. Williams in Polymer Chemistry, @rsc.org

👉 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5PY01006C
🌐 View SCHEMA publications: https://bit.ly/4rpg0M2

#Chemistry #PolymerScience

Swiss Embassy in London

Affiliate and doctoral researcher Katherine Morton presented some of her research at the Swiss Embassy in London late last year. The presentation was delivered for Unione Ticinese and was titled "Sustainable Plastics".

📸 Unione Ticinese London and FDFA/Swiss Embassy London

SCHEMA Spring Conference Prof Gabriella Pizzuto announced as speaker

We’re delighted to welcome Gabriella Pizzuto, Assistant Professor in Robotics & Chemistry Automation and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at @liverpooluni.bsky.social, as speaker at our Spring Conference.

📍 University of Cambridge | 📅 24–25 March 2026
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/3ZwSb9b

Rosie and Katharina

UKCC2026 (photo by the UK Catalysis Hub)

Two doctoral affiliates presented at the recent UK Catalysis Conference:

🧪📈R Thorogood: Linear Free Energy Relationships for Accelerated Ring-opening Polymerisation Catalyst Design

🫧📊K Eisenhardt: Quantifying the Influences of Epoxide Binding in Epoxide/CO2 Ring Opening Copolymerization Catalysis

We’re delighted to welcome Erwin Reisner, Professor of Energy & Sustainability (University of Cambridge) as a speaker at our upcoming Spring conference

🎤 Meet Our Speakers | SCHEMA Spring Conference

We’re delighted to announce Erwin Reisner, Professor of Energy & Sustainability at @cam.ac.uk, as a speaker at our Spring Conference.

📍 Cambridge | 📅 24–25 March 2026
🔗 Register here: bit.ly/3ZlEVUJ

#Chemistry #MechanicalEngineering #Sustainability

🔬New Publication❗

📄 Effects of Molecular Weight Distribution on the Thermal–Mechanical Performance and Recycling of CO2-Derived Poly(cyclopentene carbonate)

🌱📗 Macromolecules @acs.org

Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/acs....

#GreenChemistry #Polymers #Research #NewPublication

⏱️ Call for Abstracts 🧪

PhD students, postdocs & ECRs: Submit a poster to our Spring 2026 conference at @cam.ac.uk.

🏆 Two £200 prizes
📅 Deadline: 11 March 2026
🔗 Register and submit abstract: bit.ly/4bwZPaI

#Chemistry #GreenChemistry #CallForAbstracts #Academia

SCHEMA Co‑Investigator Prof Graham Hutchings recently appeared on BBC Radio 4 to discuss gold, and more specifically, its usefulness in non-decorative applications.

🎧 Full episode: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#ScientificResearch #Chemistry #Catalysis #ScienceCommunication

#SCHEMAYearInReview: Prof Buchard and Prof Williams co-hosted the RSC Faraday Discussion in Oxford and authored the preface to the themed collection "Polymerisation and depolymerisation chemistry: the second century Faraday Discussion".

👉 News: bit.ly/4bk1twg
📕 Collection: bit.ly/4poJBUw

Happy New Year from SCHEMA 🎆

You can now register for our Spring Conference at @ceb.cam.ac.uk University of Cambridge from 24-25 March 2026 — attendance is free. Tickets for the conference dinner at @corpuscambridge.bsky.social will be released soon.

👉 Register here: forms.office.com/e/31Q72TLAAL

#SCHEMAYearInReview: EDI Lead & Co-Investigator Prof Kylie Vincent and the Biocatalytic Nitro Hydrogenations team were awarded the 2025 @rsc.org Biology Interface Horizon Prize.

🔗 Read an interview with the team here: bit.ly/49cBMuX

#SCHEMAYearInReview:

🍃Spring conference in Bath with industry-focused talks from Dr Adam Jarvis (Unilever) & Dr Stefan Lawrenson (Scott Bader)
🍂 Autumn conference in Oxford featuring keynote by Prof Karen L Wooley (Texas A&M)

💻 Sign up from our Spring 2026 conference: forms.office.com/e/31Q72TLAAL

Prof Williams is pictured with MPI CEC Research Directors Prof Serena DeBeer and Prof Walter Leitner (photo credit: MPI CEC)

Prof Charlotte Williams delivering a lecture titled ‘Forward and Back Again: Using Catalysis to Make and Recycle Sustainable Polymers’.

#SCHEMAYearInReview: In March, Prof Charlotte Williams received the Frontiers Award 2025 from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion. She delivered a lecture titled “Forward and Back Again: Using Catalysis to Make and Recycle Sustainable Polymers.” Read more here: bit.ly/4qosuD3

Season’s greetings from everyone at the SCHEMA Hub. We wish you a very happy holiday period!

Our latest newsletter is live and features news, upcoming events, industry collaboration spotlights, and new opportunities.

👀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: mailchi.mp/106e02acf75d...
📝 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: schemahub.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

#SustainableManufacturing #Chemistry #Hiring

Article: Bio-Based, Degradable, and Tunable Epoxy Thermosets from Homogenized Acids and Epoxidized Linseed Oil or Glycerol Triglycidyl Ether Journal: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Authors: Benjamin J. Groombridge, Gavin R. Irvine, Vlad Jarkov, Jonathan T. Husband, Strachan N. McCormick, Matthew G. Davidson

🔬New Publication❗

📄Bio-Based, Degradable, and Tunable Epoxy Thermosets from Homogenized Acids and Epoxidized Linseed Oil or Glycerol Triglycidyl Ether

🌱📗ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering @acs.org

Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/acss...

#PolymerScience #SustainableMaterials #GreenChemistry

We are hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Development of co-electrocatalysts using high-throughput screening. You will work under the supervision of Professor MJ Rosseinsky OBE FRS at the University of Liverpool supported by the EPSRC-funded The Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA). This project is in collaboration with Ceres Power.

We are hiring a PDRA who will work under Prof MJ Rosseinsky at @liverpooluni.bsky.social supported by the @ukri.org EPSRC-funded SCHEMA Hub. This project is in collaboration with Ceres Power.

🔗 Full details: schemahub.web.ox.ac.uk/opportunities

#Hiring #Postdoc #ResearchJobs #STEMCareers #Jobs

Article: H2-Driven Flavin Recycling Supports Biocatalytic Halogenation by Flavin-Dependent Halogenase Authors: Jiayu Peng, Miguel A. Ramirez, Kylie A. Vincent

📣 New Publication 🧪

📄 H2-Driven Flavin Recycling Supports Biocatalytic Halogenation by Flavin-Dependent Halogenase

🔗 Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/cctc...
📲 View SCHEMA research: schemahub.web.ox.ac.uk/publications

#Biocatalysis #Flavin #Halogenation #Chemistry

@chemistryeurope.bsky.social

Title: Block CO2–Polycarbonates: Tunable Chain Extension with Zn(II) Carboxylates Journal: ACS Macro Letters Authors: Kam C. Poon, Chang Gao, Diego A. Resendiz-Lara, Mantas Drelingas, Charlotte K. Williams

📣 New Publication in ACS Macro Letters @acs.org

📄 Block CO2–Polycarbonates: Tunable Chain Extension with Zn(II) Carboxylates

🔗 Read it here: doi.org/10.1021/acsm...
📲 View SCHEMA research here: schemahub.web.ox.ac.uk/publications

#Research #Innovation #Chemistry #NewPublication

📢 White Paper Launch: Growing the UK’s Bioeconomy

🌱 A new report from BB-REG-NET says bio-based and biodegradable solutions could boost the UK economy by £204bn while advancing net zero. Our Industry & Partnerships Manager Dr Greg Sulley attended the event.

📄 Read more: bbia.org.uk/wp-content/u...