Professor Matteo Palma

Profile

• Professor, Queen Mary University of London, 09/2022 – present
• Reader (Associate Professor), Queen Mary University of London, 10/2018 – 08/2022
• Senior Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London, 10/2017 – 09/2018
• Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Queen Mary University of London, 09/2013-09/2017  
• Postdoctoral & Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University (U.S.A.)2008-2013
• PhD in Physical Chemistry, University Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg, France), 2004-2007
• BSc & MSc (1st) in Chemistry, University of Rome La Sapienza (Italy), 1998-2004   

Find out more on the Palma Group website

I carried out my doctoral studies under the supervision of Professor Paolo Samorì, at the Institute of Supramolecular Science and Engineering (ISIS) (founded by Nobel laureate Professor. J.M. Lehn) of the University Louis Pasteur, France (now University of Strasbourg). During my doctoral career I investigated the nanoscale structural and electronic properties of supramolecular assemblies for organic electronics, via scanning probe techniques. My doctoral work has been awarded the “Young scientist award” by the European Materials Research Society.

I have then worked as a postdoctoral scientist in the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics at Columbia University (New York, U.S.A.) as part of the groups of Professor James Hone and Dr. Shalom Wind. At Columbia University I have focused my research efforts on the use of surface chemistry and nanofabrication strategies to control (bio)molecular self-assembly at the nanometer scale, for: i) high throughput monitoring of bio-molecular interactions at the single-molecule level, and ii) controlled self-assembly of nanostructures in materials science.

Since September 2013 I am a Principal Investigator in the Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London, where I lead a research group focusing on the controlled assembly of (low-dimensional) nanomaterials into functional nanohybrids/heterostructures, down to single-molecule resolution. Applications range from optoelectronics, to biosensing and biological investigations at the single-molecule level.

Undergraduate Teaching

• Topics in Physical Chemistry (CHE304U)
• Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry (CHE114)
• Essential Skills for Chemist (CHE100)
• Essential Skills for Chemist II (CHE210)
• Chemistry Research Project (CHE600)
• Chemistry Research Project (CHE700)

Research

Research Interests:

Our research focuses on the controlled assembly of functional nanostructures - with nanoscale spatial resolution towards single-molecule control - and their use in optoelectronics, biosensing and single-molecule biological investigations. We employ different building blocks, from carbon nanotubes and 2D nanomaterials (as nano-electrodes/transducers) to DNA origami (as nanoscale scaffolds). Through (supra)molecular interactions-,including via DNA as linker and template, we drive the self-assembly of nanoscale heterostrucutres in solution and their organization on nanopatterned substrates in device configurations.

See Matteo Palma’s research profile pages including details of research interests, publications, and live grants.

Publications

DNA‐Templated 2D Heterostructures as Phototriggered Dynamic Nanohybrids: From Releasing Molecular Loads to Controlling Enzyme Biocatalytic Function
Chen K Miao H Hong W Palma M
Advanced Functional Materials, Wiley, 2025.

Multivalent DNA Origami Enables Single-Molecule Dissection of Integrin αvβ6–Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Crosstalk in Cancer Biology
Zheng T Rigby LG Marshall JF Palma M
Acs Nano, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 19 (35), 31467-31480, 2025.

Crystal Growth Modulation of Tin–Lead Halide Perovskites via Chaotropic Agent
Dong Y Zhu W-X Wu D-T Li X Westbrook RJE Huang C-J Min Z Hong W et al.
Journal of The American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 147 (35), 31578-31590, 2025.  

Hetero‐Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes Termini with Single‐Molecule Control
Hong W Lambert B Mengrani Z Cognet L Palma M
Small, Wiley vol. 21 (38), 2025.

DNA-directed assembly of graphene homostructures
Miao H Chen K Yu H Ali M Palma M
Journal of Applied Physics, Aip Publishing vol. 138 (4), 2025.

Modulating Signal Generation in Aptamer‐Based CNT‐FET Biosensors by Controlling the Functionalization Route
Miao H Manoharan G Lim A Mirau P Chávez JL Lee C Palma M
Advanced Sensor Research, Wiley vol. 4 (6), 2025.

Mixed‐Dimensional 0D‐DNA‐2D Heterostructures Beyond van der Waals: A DNA‐Templated Strategy for Optoelectronic Tunability
Chen K Miao H Dimitrov S Palma M
Advanced Functional Materials, Wiley vol. 35 (41), 2025.

DNA Origami Multicolor Quantum Dot Platforms for Sub-diffraction Spectral Separation Imaging
Huang D Haddad L Rahman F Sapelkin A Palma M
Methods in Molecular Biology, Springer Nature vol. 2901, 67-87, 2025.

Supervision

PhD supervision

• Mehamed Salih Abdela Ali (A*  funded, co-supervised with Dr A. Lau at IMRE Singapore) 
• Luis Bibiano-Salas
• Xiang Li
• Wuyang Lin
• Yuhan Ma
• Zechariah Mengrani
• Haosen Miao
• Shahaab Qureshi
• Houlin Yu  

Postdoctoral supervision 

• Dr Gririraj Manoharan

Grants

DNA Nanotechnology for Single-Molecule Control in Sensing Devices: from Biomarkers and Explosives
£313,131 Air Force office of Scientific Research (USA)
15-09-2025 - 14-09-2028

Portable Multiplexed Biosensors for Trauma Induced Coagulopathy
£249,998 Ministry of Defence
01-06-2025 - 31-03-2027

Nanoscale Multicolour Photodetectors : DNA Nanotechnology for Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructures
£130,000 Defence Science and Technology Lab.-GOV UK
01-04-2024 - 31-03-2025

Bio-molecular nanocarbon junctions for low-power computing
£95,848 Defence Science and Technology Lab.-GOV UK
01-10-2022 - 30-09-2025

KTP with Exactmer
£230,941 Innovate UK
01-09-2022 - 31-08-2024