Research

The research interests of the faculty members encompass not only the traditional areas of analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry but also cover many interdisciplinary areas including bioanalytical, bioorganic, biophysical and medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, chemical physics, combinatorial chemistry, environmental chemistry, glycoscience, materials science, nanotechnology, organometallic chemistry and catalysis, surface science, and theoretical and computational chemistry.

Faculty members of the department are involved in academic and industrial collaborations at the national and international levels, with colleagues from foreign countries, including France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

On this page, you can read a little about the research interests of our faculty members, including:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Chemical Physics
• Green Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials and Surfaces
• Nanotechnology
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
• Research Centre on Nanotechnology

Analytical Chemistry

The analytical chemistry program is among the strongest in North America with a dozen faculty members conducting award-winning research at the forefront of some of the most exciting and significant areas of analytical chemistry.

Much of the recent research is aimed at advancing the state-of-the-art in analytical instrumentation and techniques through increased understanding of the fundamental principles involved. Students graduating from this program readily find employment in government, industry, and academia in fields such as industrial chemicals, high tech, and pharmaceuticals.

Chemical Biology

Chemical biology research involves the use of chemical tools to gain a deeper understanding of biological systems. Chemical biologists use a range of technologies and techniques including: chemical synthesis, spectroscopy, imaging, mass spectrometry, molecular biology, enzymology, protein chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and cell biology to study biological systems. They are also often creating new technologies or build tools that may have broad applicability in the biological sciences.

Chemical Physics

Chemical physics encompasses both experimental and theoretical/computational research at the boundaries of chemistry and physics, with a stronger focus on the fundamental physics than in the traditional area of physical chemistry.

Green Chemistry

Green chemistry is an emerging research area of vital importance.

Society is now required to deal with a diminishing supply of nonrenewable fossil fuels and the negative environmental impact of our current methods for producing energy, commodity chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

As an inherently cross-disciplinary field, green chemistry requires new research and training structures built upon collaborations between disparate fields of science, engineering, economics, and policy. Several faculty members are involved in crucial research projects that aim to address these global challenges.

These faculty members, along with their graduate students, are gaining the required expertise to play a key role in improving chemical efficiency and sustainability in Canada and throughout the world.

Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic chemistry is an exciting and expanding field of research that encompasses a wide range of areas and is at the crossroads of interdisciplinary inquiry. This is exemplified by work in inorganic/materials chemistry and main group/organometallic chemistry, which are major strengths in the division.

Materials and Surfaces

Research in materials and surfaces explores the properties of matter and the interfaces of their different states. This field highly interdisciplinary and an exciting area for the department.

In collaboration, the faculty is working to develop novel materials with never before observed physical and chemical properties to solve some of the most important problems in health, energy, and the environment. The materials being developed range from "hard" inorganic materials to "soft" organic/polymer-based materials on macro to nano dimensions.

Nanotechnology

Research in nanotechnology is interdisciplinary and diverse, with applications in several fields including chemistry, medicine and microfabrication. Our researchers are at the forefront of this new and exciting science, with many holding appointments with the prestigious Nanotechnology Research Centre (formerly NINT).

Organic Chemistry

Drawing upon the experience and knowledge of a large internationally recognized faculty, students studying organic chemistry at the U of A receive an enriching and high quality education. Graduates of our program find successful and fulfilling careers in industry, government and within academia.

Physical Chemistry

Research in physical chemistry in the department covers a diverse range of topics, including dynamics across time and lengths scale, weakly interacting systems, biophysical chemistry, technique development, and condensed phase studies.

Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Theoretical chemistry utilizes mathematical techniques, and their subsequent numerical and computational implementation, to examine and understand physical and chemical phenomena in a wide range of problems in chemistry.

Centres and Institutes

In addition to national and international collaborations with industry, the Department of Chemistry houses centres and institutes that produce innovating and exciting research.

• GlycoNET
• TMIC