Department of Chemistry

Recent News

Synthetic ‘super melanin’ speeds skin repair

Researchers, including nanochemist Nathan Gianneschi and dermatologist Ken Lu, report that they’ve created a synthetic version of melanin—what they’re calling “super melanin” — that when applied as a skin cream nearly doubles the speed of skin healing following injury. The compound, described today in Regenerative Medicine, could offer dermatologists a powerful new tool for treating and even preventing skin damage from overexposure to the Sun, radiation therapy, or chemical burns.

Ciss effect observed in an isolated molecule for the first time

For the first time researchers have observed a mysterious phenomenon known as the chirality-induced spin selectivity (Ciss) effect in isolated molecules – unattached to substrates or solid electrodes. This effect, known as Ciss, establishes a strong link between spin and charge motion and therefore has strong implications in macroscopic properties. 'It could have important implications for biology, quantum information and energy,' said Michael Wasielewski, the project's leader.

Chemist and engineer Dayne Swearer receives Packard Fellowship

Northwestern Chemistry faculty member Dayne F. Swearer has received a 2023 Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This prestigious award honors the nation’s most innovative, early-career scientists.

“The Packard Fellowship is a transformational opportunity that will allow me and my team to ask tough questions, take big risks and follow the science wherever it leads us,” Swearer said.

Recent Honors

Rick Silverman receives ACS Abeles and Jencks Award for Chemistry of Biological Processes

Northwestern sends delegate Stella Fors (Malapit) to COP28 - UN Climate Change Conference

Upcoming Events

Nov

2023

Chemistry Department Colloquium: Suzanne Bart, Purdue University

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Evanston

Chemistry Department Colloquium Hosted by Tobin Marks For further information, contact marks-ofc@northwestern.edu

Dec

2023

BIP: Informal Chalk Talks by Students and Postdocs

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Evanston

BIP is a great place for the Chemistry community to meet other students and faculty while learning about research at NU. BIP meets in ...

Dec

2023

BIP: Informal Chalk Talks by Students and Postdocs

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Evanston

BIP is a great place for the Chemistry community to meet other students and faculty while learning about research at NU. BIP meets in ...

All Events

Community Spotlight

The faculty, students, alumni, and staff who comprise our department are dedicated to outstanding research and scholarship.

Faculty: James Gaynor

Teaching Faculty: Carine Nemr

Student: Ananya Basu

Alumni: Jing Zhao

Fall Newsletter

Welcome to our Fall newsletter! We are excited to start the new academic year and to celebrate new arrivals in our ever-growing Northwestern Chemistry community. We were refreshed during the summer with intellectually stimulating talks as part of our named lectureship series. We have also seen the completion of a highly anticipated infrastructure project, where the Department’s first dedicated community space for students, faculty, and staff opened just in time for the arrival of our incoming graduate student class. In addition, other renovations and expansions are in progress with our distinguished IMSERC shared facility. We look forward to this season of good change and to the continued research advances that are addressing critical societal needs. Please enjoy our latest happenings.