Head shot of Ying Diao on a tan background next to headshot Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez on a tan background

Study finds that tweaked synthetic polymers boost conductivity

A new study marks a significant step forward in positioning synthetic polymers as an alternative for expensive, unsustainable minerals used in the manufacture of devices such as conductors, transistors and diodes.These newly tweaked polymers — developed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign...
Image of palladium square on the periodic table

Researchers reveal intermediate’s key role in palladium-photocatalyzed reactions

For nearly 30 years, scientists studying light-driven palladium-catalyzed reactions have suspected that a fleeting species of palladium plays a key role in the process. Leveraging their expertise with special ligands that stabilize intermediates so they can be seen and characterized,...
Four people standing together in a research lab

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...
Head shot of Ben Snyder

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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