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Chemistry News

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Sculpting strong C—H bonds in complex natural products
 A team of chemists led by M. Christina White, William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has unveiled a breakthrough in selective oxidation chemistry that could significantly advance drug development with natural products. In...
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Ben Snyder named 2025 Packard Fellow
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Benjamin Snyder, a professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been named a 2025 Packard Fellow by the David and Lucile...
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Study: Light-driven reaction leads to advanced hybrid nanomaterial
 Scientists are exploring many ways to use light rather than heat to drive chemical reactions more efficiently, which could significantly reduce waste, energy consumption, and reliance on non-renewable resources.A team of chemistry researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-...
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Scientists identify two compounds that could benefit people living with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting more than 2.9 million people worldwide. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, the protective insulation...
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Alumnus Omar Yaghi (PhD, '90) awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
 Illinois chemistry alumnus Omar Yaghi (PhD, '90) has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, that Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan; Richard Robson, University of Melbourne, Australia; and Omar M. Yaghi...

Chemistry Learning Center

The Chemistry Learning Center (CLC) is an opportunity for all undergraduates enrolled in general chemistry to receive help with homework, meet with teaching assistants and connect with other students taking the same courses. 

CLC Information & Resources

Chemistry courses offer study abroad opportunities

Explore these two courses in the Department of Chemistry that offer short-term study abroad opportunities that will enrich what you learn in the classroom by applying your knowledge to real-world experiences while exploring another part of the world. 

Coffee, Chemistry, and the Community in Panama Natural Products in Costa Rica

Research Areas in Chemistry

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Analytical Chemistry
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Chemical Biology
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Inorganic Chemistry
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Materials Chemistry
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Organic Chemistry
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Physical Chemistry

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Spotlight: Catherine J. Murphy

An award-winning researcher and pioneer in the synthesis and use of inorganic nanocrystals as probes of biological systems, professor Catherine J. Murphy has also served as Head of the Department of Chemistry at Illinois since June 2020 when she became the first woman to lead the department in its more than 152-year history.   In the lab, Murphy’s research has led to the development of synthetic methods used in commercial production of gold nanorods in environmentally sustainable ways. The Murphy Research Group fabricates colloidal inorganic nanomaterials of controlled...