| Department of Chemistry

Meet recent graduates

Read more about Meet recent graduates

Get to know some of our newest alumni from the Department of Chemistry—highlights of their journey at Illinois, some of their best student memories, their future plans and more.

New crystallization and microgel technology advances biohybrid brain research

2025-12-17

Side by side headshots of Hyunjoon Kong and Hee-Sun Han

Research led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Hyunjoon Kong and chemistry professor Hee-Sun Han, and performed by Ryan Miller, currently a post-doctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, has unveiled...

Adults and kids enjoy the Holiday Magic Chemistry Demonstration Show

2025-12-11

Four people in lab coats standing together in front of a chalk board with christmas trees drawn on the board

Teaching faculty, staff and student volunteers entertained more than 300 adults and children who attended two Holiday Magic Chemistry Demonstration Shows on Dec. 6-7 in Noyes Laboratory on the Illinois campus. The popular holiday-themed chemistry show was revived in December 2024 after...

Community Building Committee

Read more about Community Building Committee

The Community Building Committee in the Department of Chemistry develops practices and policies that build and maintain an inclusive environment.

Chemistry Graduate Admissions Interview Links

Read more about Chemistry Graduate Admissions Interview Links

Chemistry Graduate Admissions Interview Links

Below, you will find links to the interview scheduler tools we've created for Fall 2026 applicant interviews.

Jose Luis Llera Munoz CHEM 535 Abstract

Read more about Jose Luis Llera Munoz CHEM 535 Abstract

Study finds that tweaked synthetic polymers boost conductivity

2025-11-25

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...

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

2025-11-17

Image of palladium square on the periodic table

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,...