Stephen Fletcher

Professor Stephen Fletcher is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, affiliated with Keble College. His research focuses on synthesis, catalysis, molecular systems, and self-replicating systems. He leads the Fletcher Research Group, developing asymmetric carbon-carbon bond forming reactions and studying synthetic self-replicating systems to understand life's origins. Key areas include Rh/Cu-catalyzed asymmetric cross-couplings, self-reproducing vesicles/micelles, and molecular machines.

Research interests span:

• Catalytic asymmetric synthesis methodologies
• Self-replicating chemical systems (vesicles, micelles)
• Information transduction across length scales
• Chirality amplification in nanomaterials
• Autocatalytic reaction networks

His work bridges organic chemistry with systems chemistry, exploring synthetic analogs of biological functions. Recent studies include oscillating self-replicators, lipid reproduction dynamics, and catalyst-controlled drug synthesis.

Notable contributions include:

• Development of Rh-catalyzed asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura variants
• Discovery of fuel-driven chemical wave systems
• Protocell models showing evolutionary selection

Current projects aim to create synthetic molecular machines and understand how chemical systems can perform work across scales.