Dr David August

Lecturer in Chemical Education

Contact details

Address

Street

Room 282
University of Edinburgh
Joseph Black Building
David Brewster Road
Edinburgh
EH9 3FJ

City
Post code

Postgraduate teaching

Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Academic Cohort Lead

Course Organiser: PGT Laboratory Techniques, PGT Research Techniques, PGT Research Projects & PGT Advanced Analytical and Characterisation Methods

Lecturer: PGT NMR Spectroscopy  

Research summary

Chemical Education – lab and transferable skills, spatial skills and aphantasia, language & cultural inclusion, post-graduate taught masters.

Current research interests

My research is in Chemical Education and the development of new and innovative teaching methods – both for practical skills and chemical theory. My current focus is in three main areas: 1) practical chemistry teaching and transferable skills, 2) the link between spatial skills or aphantasia with understanding chemical principles and 3) international student inclusion.

Past research interests

My previous work focused on supramolecular chemistry and the use of dynamic molecular interactions to design and develop large complex structures for a range of applications including molecular cages for catalysis; molecular knots to investigate folding at the molecular level; and the first example of a true molecularly woven fabric.

Full details can be found on Google Scholar (‪David P. August‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬) or at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4049-0759.

 

  1. “Molecular Weaving.” Z.-H. Zhang, B. J. Andreassen, D. P. August, D. A. Leigh and L. Zhang, Nat. Mater., 2022, 21, 275-283.
  2. “A Chiral Cyclometalated Iridium Star of David [2]Catenane. D. P. August, J. Jaramillo-Garcia, D. A. Leigh, A. Valero and I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 1154-1161.
  3. Self-assembly of a layered two-dimensional molecularly woven fabric.” D. P. August, R. A. W. Dryfe, S. J. Haigh, P. R. C. Kent, D. A. Leigh, J.-F. Lemonnier, Z. Li, C. A. Muryn, L. I. Palmer, Y. Song, G. F. S. Whitehead and R. J. Young, Nature, 2020, 588, 429-435.
  4. “Transmembrane Ion Channels Formed by a Star of David [2]Catenane and a Molecular Pentafoil Knot.” D. P. August, S. Borsley, S. L. Cockroft, F. della Sala, D. A. Leigh and S. J Webb, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 18859-18865.
  5. “Tying different knots in a molecular strand.” D. A. Leigh, F. Schaufelberger, L. Pirvu, J. H. Stenlid, D. P. August and J. Segard, Nature, 2020, 584, 562-568.
  6. “Self-Sorting Assembly of Molecular Trefoil Knots of Single Handedness.” J. Zhong, L. Zhang, D. P. August, G. F. S. Whitehead and D. A. Leigh, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 14249-14256.
  7. “Molecular Trefoil Knot from a Trimeric Circular Helicate.” L. Zhang, D. P. August, J. Zhong, G. F. S. Whitehead, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, D. A. Leigh, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140 (15), 4982–4985.
  8. “Maximizing Coordination Capsule–Guest Polar Interactions in Apolar Solvents Reveals Significant Binding.” D. P. August, G. S. Nichol and P. J. Lusby, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55 (48), 15022-15026.
  9. “Photochemical depolymerisation of dermatan sulfate and analysis of the generated oligosaccharides.” C. G. Panagos, D. P. August, C. Jesson and D. Uhrín, Carbohydrate Polymers, 2016, 140, 13–19.
  10. “Non-equilibrium cobalt(III) “click” capsules.” P. R. Symmers, M. J. Burke, D. P. August, P. I. T. Thomson, G. S. Nichol, M. R. Warren, C. J. Campbell and P. J. Lusby, Chem. Sci., 2015, 6, 756.
  11. “An Improved Method of Preparing Buprenorphine.” N. Archer, D. August, M. Bease, B. Jamieson, R. S. Marmor. (2013). Patent WO 2013/050748 A2.