Dr Stephen D.P. Fielden PhD, MChem

Stephen Fielden

School of Chemistry
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow

Contact details

Email
s.fielden@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@FieldenStephen
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Stephen Fielden is a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow based in the School of Chemistry.

Stephen leads the Fielden Research Group that develops functional nanotechnology. He previously held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in the school.

Nanotechnology is important to everyone’s lives and will continue to serve a vital role in solving society’s problems. As such, Stephen has given talks and been involved with outreach activities relating to nanotechnology in recent years.

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Qualifications

  • PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Manchester, 2019
  • MChem Chemistry, University of Oxford, 2015

Biography

Stephen Fielden qualified with a MChem in Chemistry from the University of Oxford in 2015. During this time he held a Scholarship at Hertford College. He then undertook his PhD in the group of Prof. David Leigh FRS at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2019. He was awarded the 2019 Thesis Prize from the RSC MASC group. The focus of his PhD research was the development of new artificial molecular machinery, such as motors and pumps, as well as the synthesis of rotaxanes, catenanes and knots.

After a short period as a postdoctoral research associate in Prof. Leigh’s group, Stephen moved in 2021 to Prof. Rachel O’Reilly’s group at the University of Birmingham, a world leader in polymer nanotechnology research. Stephen subsequently held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship from 2021 to 2025 that allowed him to continue his research into functional polymer nanotechnology whilst working towards research independence. Stephen was then awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship in 2025 to establish his own research group at Birmingham.

Postgraduate supervision

Stephen supervises PhD students within the Fielden Research Group.

Research

Molecular Machines

Stephen has researched the development and operation of molecular machines, including the application of Brownian ratchet mechanisms. These can be used to drive systems away from thermodynamic equilibrium. Stephen has demonstrated prototypical molecular machines formed of interlocked molecules, including catenanes and rotaxanes. He has focussed on chemical reaction networks, which can operate using the energy released by the degradation of high energy chemicals to waste products.

Polymer Nanotechnology

Stephen also has expertise in the application of polymers to construct functional nanotechnology. Stephen has developed polymer nanoparticles formed of amphiphilic block copolymers that respond to different stimuli. Such dynamic behaviour is used to develop complex nanoscale systems.

Publications

‘Holding your nerve in academia whilst managing multiple sclerosis.’ (Comment article part of Disability inclusion in chemistry collection). A. N. Bismillah,* S. D. P. Fielden* Nat. Rev. Chem. 2024, 8, 793–794.

‘Kinetically controlled and nonequilibrium assembly of block copolymers in solution.’ S. D. P. Fielden* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 18781–18796.

‘Harnessing Cytosine for Tunable Nanoparticle Self-Assembly Behaviour Using Orthogonal Stimuli.’ S. Parkinson, S. D. P. Fielden, M. Thomas, A. Miller, P. D. Topham, M. J. Derry, R. K. O’Reilly* Biomacromolecules 2024, 25, 4905–4912.

‘Controlled node growth on the surface of polymersomes.’ M. Thomas, S. Varlas, T. R. Wilks, S. D. P. Fielden,* R. K. O’Reilly* Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 4396–4402.

‘Flexibility from fluxionality.’ (News and Views article) S. D. P. Fielden* Nat. Synth. 2024, 3, 296–298.

‘Crown Ether Active Template Synthesis of Rotaxanes.’ S. D. P. Fielden* ChemSystemsChem 2023, 6, e202300048.

‘Triggered Polymersome Fusion.’ S. D. P. Fielden,* M. J. Derry, A. J. Miller, P. D. Topham, R. K. O’Reilly.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 5824–5833.

‘Transamidation-driven molecular pumps.’ L. Binks,+ C. Tian,+ S. D. P. Fielden, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, D. A. Leigh.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 15838–15844.

‘Knotting matters: orderly molecular entanglements.’ Z. Ashbridge, S. D. P. Fielden, D. A. Leigh,* L. Pirvu, F. Schaufelberger, L. Zhang. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2022, 51, 7779–7809.

‘A Catalysis-Driven Artificial Molecular Pump.’ S. Amano, S. D. P. Fielden, D. A. Leigh.* Nature 2021, 594, 529–534.

A Molecular Endless (74) Knot.’ D. A. Leigh,* J. J. Danon, S. D. P. Fielden, J.-F. Lemonnier, G. F. S. Whitehead, S. L. Woltering. Nat. Chem. 2021, 13, 117–122.

‘Single-step enantioselective synthesis of mechanically planar chiral [2]rotaxanes using a chiral leaving group strategy.’ C. Tian,+ S. D. P. Fielden,+ B. Pérez-Saavedra, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, D. A. Leigh.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 9803–9808.

‘Weak functional group interactions revealed through metal-free active template rotaxane synthesis.’ C. Tian,+ S. D. P. Fielden,+ G. F. S. Whitehead, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, D. A. Leigh.* Nat. Commun. 2020, 11, 744.

‘Dissipative Catalysis with a Molecular Machine.’ C. Biagini, S. D. P. Fielden, D. A. Leigh,* F. Schaufelberger, S. Di Stefano, D. Thomas. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 9876–9880.

‘Spontaneous assembly of rotaxanes from a primary amine, crown ether and electrophile.’ S. D. P. Fielden, D. A. Leigh,* C. T. McTernan, B. Pérez-Saavedra, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 6049–6052.

‘Molecular knots.’ S. D. P. Fielden, D. A. Leigh,* S. L. Woltering. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 11166–11194.

‘Rotary and linear molecular motors driven by pulses of a chemical fuel.’ S. Erbas-Cakmak, S. D. P. Fielden, U. Karaca, D. A. Leigh,* C. T. McTernan, D. J. Tetlow, M. R. Wilson. Science, 2017, 358, 340–343.