Sander Wezenberg
Associate professor
- Name
- Dr. S.J. Wezenberg
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 4541
- s.j.wezenberg@lic.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0001-9192-3393
Sander Wezenberg develops artificial stimuli-responsive transmembrane transport systems and dynamic self-assembling materials to study and manipulate biological systems.
More information about Sander Wezenberg
PhD candidates
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Biography
Sander Wezenberg studied Chemistry at the University of Nijmegen where he carried out his Master's research in the group of Prof. Roeland Nolte. He pursued his PhD studies in the field of supramolecular chemistry and catalysis with Prof. Arjan Kleij at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia. During this period, he spent time as a visiting researcher in the group of Prof. Joseph Hupp at Northwestern University. After receiving his PhD degree in 2011, he joined the group of Prof. François Diederich at ETH Zurich as a postdoctoral fellow. Two years later, he moved to the University of Groningen to work with Prof. Ben Feringa, where he was appointed Assistant Professor in 2017. He established his independent research group at Leiden University in 2019, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. His main research interests are in the areas of molecular switches, ion recognition and transport, and dynamic supramolecular systems. Sander is recipient of several prestigious grants, including a Starting Grant (2018) from the European Research Council (ERC), and young investigator grants (Veni-2014, Vidi-2018) from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). In 2020, he was elected as member of the Young Academy of Europe.
Curriculum Vitae
Personal information
Nationality: Dutch
Education
2011 PhD, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Spain
Thesis title: “Exploring metallosalen complexes in materials science and catalysis”
Advisor: Prof. A. W. Kleij
2007 MSc in Chemistry, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Current and previous research positions
2022 – now Associate Professor, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
2019 – 2022 Assistant Professor, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
2017 – 2019 Assistant Professor, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
2013 – 2016 Associate Researcher (Veni), Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (w/ Prof. B. L. Feringa)
2012 – 2013 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (w/ Prof. F. Diederich)
8 – 11 / 2010 Visiting Researcher, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, US (w/ Prof. J. T. Hupp)
Grants, awards, recognitions
2021 NWO ENW-M1 Grant (k€ 350)
2020 NWO ENW-XS Grant (k€ 50)
2020 Member of the Young Academy of Europe
2018 NWO CW-Vidi Grant (k€ 800)
2018 ERC Starting Grant (k€ 1,500)
2014 NWO CW-Veni Grant (k€ 250)
2013 Thesis Award (“Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado”)
2008 FPU Predoctoral Fellowship (k€ 60)
Contribution to teaching and supervision
- One course for BSc Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences at Leiden University: Chemistry
- Two courses for MSc Chemistry and Life Science and Technology at Leiden University: Molecular Nanotechnology and Supramolecular Chemistry
Supervision of 8 PhD students and 4 postdoctoral fellows since 2019 at Leiden University.
Other current responsibilities
- Member of Programme Committee MSc Chemistry of Leiden University
- Member of Institute Council (I-Raad) of the Leiden Institute of Chemistry
- Member of Science Outreach Task Force of the Young Academy of Europe
- Member of Scientific Council (WERA) of the Leiden Institute of Chemistry
Publication record including five recent representative publications
Ca. 55 papers with >2,500 citations, H-index 27 (Web of Science, June 2022)
Full publication record: Leiden University
- S. J. Wezenberg, L.-J. Chen, J. E. Bos, B. L. Feringa, E. N. W. Howe, X. Wu, M. A. Siegler, P. A. Gale. Photomodulation of transmembrane transport and potential by stiff-stilbene based bis-(thio)ureas. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c10034
- D. Villarón, Nol Duindam, S. J. Wezenberg. Push‒pull stiff-stilbene: proton-gated visible-light photoswitching and acid-catalyzed isomerization. Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 27, 17346-17350. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202103052
- D. Villarón, M. A. Siegler, S. J. Wezenberg. A photoswitchable strapped calix[4]pyrrole receptor: highly effective chloride binding and release. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 3188-3193. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC06686A
- D. Villarón, S. J. Wezenberg. Stiff-stilbene photoswitches: from fundamental studies to emergent applications. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 13192-13202. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202001031
- S. J. Wezenberg, B. L. Feringa. Photocontrol of anion binding affinity to a bis-urea receptor derived from stiff-stilbene. Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 324-327. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.6b03423
Presentations including five presentations at international conferences since 2015
>15 invited lectures at universities, companies and institutes, and >20 oral communications at international conferences since 2015
- 2nd International Conference on Noncovalent Interactions (ICNI), Strasbourg, France, July 2022 (Invited)
- Telluride Conference on Molecular Rotors, Motors, and Switches, Telluride, US, July 2022 (Invited)
- Pacifichem 2021, Honolulu (Virtual), Hawaii, US, December 2021 (Invited)
- 6th International Symposium on SupraBiomolecular Systems (SupraBio), Barcelona, Spain, May 2019 (Contributed)
- International Symposium on Advanced Molecular Sciences (ISAMS), Shanghai, China, October 2018 (Keynote)
Associate professor
- Science
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry
- LIC/Chemical Biology
- Jong J. de, Siegler M.A. & Wezenberg S.J. (2024), A photoswitchable macrocycle controls anion-templated pseudorotaxane formation and axle relocalization, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 63(4): e202316628.
- Duindam N., Dongen M. van, Siegler M.A. & Wezenberg S.J. (2023), Monodirectional photocycle drives proton translocation, Journal of the American Chemical Society 145(38): 21020-21026.
- Villarón Salgado D., Bos J.E., Kohl F., Mommer S. & Jong J. de Wezenberg S.J. (2023), Photoswitchable bis(amidopyrroles): modulating anion transport activity independent of binding affinity, Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC) 88(15): 11328-11334.
- Villarón Salgado D., Brugman G.E.A., Siegler M.A. & Wezenberg S.J. (2023), Photoswitching of halide-binding affinity and selectivity in dithienylethene-strapped calix[4]pyrrole, Chemical Communications 59(56): 8688-8691.
- Jong J. de, Bos J.E. & Wezenberg S.J. (2023), Stimulus-controlled anion binding and transport by synthetic receptors, Chemical Reviews 123(13): 8530-8574.
- Wezenberg S.J., Chen L.J., Bos J.E., Feringa B.L., Howe E.N.W., Wu X., Siegler M.A. & Gale P.A. (2022), Photomodulation of transmembrane transport and potential by stiff-stilbene based bis(thio)ureas, Journal of the American Chemical Society 144(1): 331-338.
- Mommer S. & Wezenberg S.J. (2022), Anion-induced reversible actuation of squaramide-crosslinked polymer gels, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 14(38): 43711-43718.
- Wezenberg S.J. (2022), Photoswitchable molecular tweezers: isomerization to control substrate binding, and what about vice versa?, Chemical Communications 58(79): 11045-11058.
- Villarón Salgado D., Duindam N. & Wezenberg S.J. (2021), Push-pull stiff-stilbene: proton-gated visible-light photoswitching and acid-catalyzed isomerization, Chemistry: a European Journal 27(69): 17346-17350.
- Tosi F., Berrocal J.A., Stuart M.C.A., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2021), Tuning of Morphology by Chirality in Self-Assembled Structures of Bis(Urea) Amphiphiles in Water, Chemistry: a European Journal 27(1): 326-330.
- Villaron D., Siegler M.A. & Wezenberg S.J. (2021), A photoswitchable strapped calix[4]pyrrole receptor: highly effective chloride binding and release, Chemical Science 12(9): 3188-3193.
- Xu F., Pfeifer L., Crespi S., Leung F.K.C., Stuart M.C.A., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2021), From Photoinduced Supramolecular Polymerization to Responsive Organogels, Journal of the American Chemical Society 143(15): 5990-5997.
- Villarón D., Duindam N. & Wezenberg S.J. (2021), Push‐pull stiff‐stilbene: proton‐gated visible‐light photoswitching and acid‐catalyzed isomerization, Chemistry: a European Journal 27(69): 17346-17350.
- Castiglioni F., Danowski W., Perego J., Leung F.K.C., Sozzani P., Bracco S., Wezenberg S.J., Comotti A. & Feringa B.L. (2020), Modulation of porosity in a solid material enabled by bulk photoisomerization of an overcrowded alkene, Nature Chemistry 12(7): 595-602.
- Sheng J., Crespi S., Feringa B.L. & Wezenberg S.J. (2020), Supramolecular control of unidirectional rotary motion in a sterically overcrowded photoswitchable receptor, Organic Chemistry Frontiers 7(23): 3874-3879.
- Villarón D. & Wezenberg S.J. (2020), Stiff‐Stilbene Photoswitches: From Fundamental Studies to Emergent Applications, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 59(32): 13192-13202.
- Wezenberg S.J. (2020), Light-switchable Metal-Organic Cages, Chemistry Letters 49(6): 609-615.
- MacDonald S.C., Feringa B.L., Price W.S., Wezenberg S.J. & Beves J.E. (2020), Controlled Diffusion of Photoswitchable Receptors by Binding Anti-electrostatic Hydrogen-Bonded Phosphate Oligomers, Journal of the American Chemical Society 142(47): 20014-20020.
- Villarón D. & Wezenberg S.J. (2020), Stiff‐Stilbene Photoswitches: From Fundamental Studies to Emergent Applications, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 59(32): 13192-13202.
- Jong J. de, Feringa B.L. & Wezenberg S.J. (2019), Light-modulated self-blockage of a urea binding site in a stiff-stilbene based anion receptor, ChemPhysChem 20(24): 3306-3310.
- Tosi F., Stuart M.C.A., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2019), Salen-based amphiphiles: directing self-assembly in water by metal complexation, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 58(42): 14935-14939.
- Stuckhardt C., Roke D., Danowski W., Otten E., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2019), A chiral self-sorting photoresponsive coordination cage based on overcrowded alkenes, Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 15: 2767–2773.
- Roke D., Feringa B. & Wezenberg S.J. (2019), A Visible-Light-Driven Molecular Motor Based on Pyrene, Helvetica Chimica Acta 102(2): .
- Roke D., Sen M., Danowski W., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2019), Visible-Light-Driven Tunable Molecular Motors Based on Oxindole, Journal of the American Chemical Society 141(18): 7622-7627.
- Leeuwen T. van, Danowski W., Pizzolato S.F., Stacko P., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2018), Braking of a Light-Driven Molecular Rotary Motor by Chemical Stimuli, Chemistry: a European Journal 24(1): 81-84.
- Dorel R., Miro C., Wei Y.C., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2018), Cation-Modulated Rotary Speed in a Light-Driven Crown Ether Functionalized Molecular Motor, Organic Letters 20(13): 3715-3718.
- Pinxterhuis E.B., Gualtierotti J.B., Wezenberg S.J. & Vries J.G. de Feringa B. (2018), Highly Efficient and Robust Enantioselective Liquid-Liquid Extraction of 1,2-Amino Alcohols utilizing VAPOL- and VANOL-based Phosphoric Acid Hosts, ChemSusChem 11(1): 178-184.
- Roke D., Stuckhardt C., Danowski W., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2018), Light-Gated Rotation in a Molecular Motor Functionalized with a Dithienylethene Switch, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 57(33): 10515-10519.
- Roke D., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2018), Molecular rotary motors: Unidirectional motion around double bonds, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115(38): 9423-9431.
- Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2018), Supramolecularly directed rotary motion in a photoresponsive receptor, Nature Communications 9: 1984.
- Lubbe A.S., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (Eds.) (2017), Artificial microtubules burst with energy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: NATL ACAD SCIENCES.
- Leeuwen T. van, Danowski W., Often E., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2017), Asymmetric Synthesis of Second-Generation Light-Driven Molecular Motors, Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC) 82(10): 5027-5033.
- Lubbe A.S., Leeuwen T. van, Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2017), Designing dynamic functional molecular systems, Tetrahedron 73(33): 4837-4848.
- Leeuwen T. van, Lubbe A.S., Štacko P., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2017), Dynamic control of function by light-driven molecular motors, Nature Reviews Chemistry 1: 0096.
- Leeuwen T. van, Heideman G.H., Zhao D.P., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2017), In situ control of polymer helicity with a non-covalently bound photoresponsive molecular motor dopant, Chemical Communications 53(48): 6393-6396.
- Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B. (2017), Photocontrol of Anion Binding Affinity to a Bis-urea Receptor Derived from Stiff-Stilbene, Organic Letters 19(2): 324-327.
- Leeuwen T. van, Pol J., Roke D., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2017), Visible-Light Excitation of a Molecular Motor with an Extended Aromatic Core, Organic Letters 19(6): 1402-1405.
- Faulkner A., Leeuwen T. van, Feringa B.L. & Wezenberg S.J. (2016), Allosteric Regulation of the Rotational Speed in a Light-Driven Molecular Motor, Journal of the American Chemical Society 138(41): 13597-13603.
- Vlatkovic M., Feringa B.L. & Wezenberg S.J. (2016), Dynamic Inversion of Stereoselective Phosphate Binding to a Bisurea Receptor Controlled by Light and Heat, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 55(3): 1001-1004.
- Chen J.W., Wezenberg S.J. & Feringa B.L. (2016), Intramolecular transport of small-molecule cargo in a nanoscale device operated by light, Chemical Communications 52(41): 6765-6768.
- Wezenberg S.J., Croisetu C.M., Stuart M.C.A. & Feringa B.L. (2016), Reversible gel-sol photoswitching with an overcrowded alkene-based bis-urea supergelator, Chemical Science 7: 4341-4346.
- Lerch M.M., Wezenberg S.J., Szymanski W. & Feringa B.L. (2016), Unraveling the Photoswitching Mechanism in Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts, Journal of the American Chemical Society 138(20): 6344-6347.
- Wezenberg S.J. (2016), Nobelprijs voor de Scheikunde 2016: Moleculaire motoren in de spotlights, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde (December 2016): 422-425.
- Wezenberg S.J. (2016), Nobel prize in Chemistry 2016: Molecular motors in the spotlight, Dutch Journal of Physics (4).
- Wezenberg S.J., Chen K.Y. & Feringa B.L. (2015), Visible-Light-Driven Photoisomerization and Increased Rotation Speed of a Molecular Motor Acting as a Ligand in a Ruthenium(II) Complex, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 54(39): 11457-11461.
- Wezenberg S.J., Vlatkovic M., Kistemaker J.C.M. & Feringa B.L. (2014), Multi-State Regulation of the Dihydrogen Phosphate Binding Affinity to a Light- and Heat-Responsive Bis-Urea Receptor, Journal of the American Chemical Society 136(48): 16784-16787.
- Chen K.Y., Wezenberg S.J., Carroll G.T., London G., Kistemaker J.C.M., Pijper T.C. & Feringa B.L. (2014), Tetrapodal Molecular Switches and Motors: Synthesis and Photochemistry, Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC) 79(15): 7032-7040.
- Wezenberg S.J., Ferroni F., Pieraccini S., Schweizer W.B., Ferrarini A., Spada G.P. & Diederich F. (2013), Effective cholesteric liquid crystal inducers based on axially chiral alleno-acetylenes, RSC Advances 3(45): 22845-22848.
- Son H.J., Jin S.Y., Patwardhan S., Wezenberg S.J., Jeong N.C., So M., Wilmer C.E., Sarjeant A.A., Schatz G.C., Snurr R.Q., Farha O.K., Wiederrecht G.P. & Hupp J.T. (2013), Light-Harvesting and Ultrafast Energy Migration in Porphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks, Journal of the American Chemical Society 135(2): 862-869.
- Salassa G., Coenen M.J.J., Wezenberg S.J., Hendriksen B.L.M., Speller S., Elemans J.A.A.W. & Kleij A.W. (2012), Extremely Strong Self-Assembly of a Bimetallic Salen Complex Visualized at the Single-Molecule Level, Journal of the American Chemical Society 134(16): 7186-7192.
- Escarcega-Bobadilla M.V., Anselmo D., Wezenberg S.J., Escudero-Adan E.C., Belmonte M.M., Martin E. & Kleij A.W. (2012), Metal-directed assembly of chiral bis-Zn(II) Schiff base structures, Dalton Transactions 41: 9766-9772.
- Wezenberg S.J., Salassa G. Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2011), Effective Chirogenesis in a Bis(metallosalphen) Complex through Host-Guest Binding with Carboxylic Acids, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 50(3): 713-716.
- Elemans J.A.A.W., Wezenberg S.J., Coenen M.J.J., Escudero-Adán E.C., Benet-Buchholz J., Boer D. den, Speller S., Kleij A.W. & De Feyter S. (2010), Axial ligand control over monolayer and bilayer formation of metal-salophens at the liquid–solid interface, Chemical Communications 46(15): 2548.
- Wezenberg S.J. & Kleij A.W. (2010), Cooperative Activation in the Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution of Epoxides by a Bis-Cobalt(III)salen-Calix[4]arene Hybrid, Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis 352(1): 85-91.
- Haak R.M., Wezenberg S.J. & Kleij A.W. (2010), Cooperative multimetallic catalysis using metallosalens, Chemical Communications 46(16): 2713-2723.
- Wezenberg S.J., Anselmo D., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2010), Dimetallic Activation of Dihydrogen Phosphate by Zn(salphen) Chromophores, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry (29): 4611-4616.
- Belmonte M.M., Wezenberg S.J., Haak R.M., Anselmo D., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2010), Self-assembly of Zn(salphen) complexes: Steric regulation, stability studies and crystallographic analysis revealing an unexpected dimeric 3,3 '-t-Bu-substituted Zn(salphen) complex, Dalton Transactions 39: 4541-4550.
- Wezenberg S.J., Metselaar G.A., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2009), Access to hybrid supramolecular salen-porphyrin assemblies via a selective in situ transmetalation-metalation self-assembly sequence, Inorganica Chimica Acta 362(4): 1053-1057.
- Wezenberg S.J., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2009), Anion-Templated Formation of Supramolecular Multinuclear Assemblies, Chemistry: a European Journal 15(23): 5695-5700.
- Wezenberg S.J., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2008), Colorimetric discrimination between important alkaloid nuclei mediated by a bis-salphen chromophore, Organic Letters 10(15): 3311-3314.
- Wezenberg S.J. & Kleij A.W. (2008), Material Applications for Salen Frameworks, Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 47(13): 2354-2364.
- Wezenberg S.J., Escudero-Adan E.C., Benet-Buchholz J. & Kleij A.W. (2008), Versatile approach toward the self-assembly of heteromultimetallic salen structures, Inorganic Chemistry 47(8): 2925-2927.
- Metselaar G.A., Wezenberg S.J., Cornelissen J.J.L.M., Nolte R.M. & Rowan A.E. (2007), Lyotropic liquid-crystalline behavior of polyisocyanodipeptides, Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry 45(6): 981-988.
- Wezenberg S.J., Metselaar G.A., Rowan A.E., Cornelissen J.L.L.M., Seebach D. & Nolte R.J.M. (2006), Synthesis, characterization, and folding behavior of beta-amino acid derived polyisocyanides, Chemistry: a European Journal 12(10): 2778-2786.