DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Health + Human Impact

• Remarkable’ ALS drug may also work on Alzheimer’s: A drug developed to treat a rare neurological may hold promise for combating Alzheimer's
• Sugar-coated nanotherapy dramatically improves neuron survival in Alzheimer’s model: New treatment traps, neutralizes toxic proteins to stop disease progression
• First ‘perovskite camera’ can see inside the human body: New detector promises to lower the cost and increase the quality of nuclear medicine
• Microplastics are everywhere. 7 effective ways to limit your exposure: It’s impossible to avoid microplastics altogether researchers tell us how to cut back
• Dancing molecules’ treatment receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation: Regenerative spinal cord injury therapy repairs tissue, reverses paralysis in preclinical models

CLIMATE + SUSTAINABILITY

• No-sort plastic recycling is near: New catalyst could make mixed plastic recycling a reality
• A Non-Toxic Alternative to ‘Forever Chemicals’: Researchers invented a water- and oil-resistant material that could replace harmful plastic and PFAS coatings in food packaging.
• Bio-inspired membrane unlocks potential to purify and extract water: Researchers develop tunable system that controls chemical transport at atomic scale

COOL TECH + MATERIALS 

• Symmetrical crystals can absorb light asymmetrically: Discovery could lead to new technologies that control light, including sensors and optical displays
• How Electrolytes Could Fuel Computing, Not Just Athletes: New ion-driven flows in simple channels could boost energy efficiency and memory in flexible iontronic devices
• COF’s head for the bigtime: Two decades on from the first reported covalent organic frameworks, Nina Notman investigates what their future holds

FOUNDATIONAL DISCOVERIES

• Scientists spot water molecules flipping before they split, and it could help them produce cheaper hydrogen fuel: Splitting water molecules takes more energy than calculations suggest. Now, scientists have discovered why.
• Watch a live catalytic event in real time: New observations could lead to more efficient catalysts for green hydrogen production
• CRISPR’s efficiency triples with DNA-wrapped nanoparticles: New system delivers CRISPR machinery more safely and effectively into cells
• Clean hydrogen’s iridium problem? Solved in an afternoon: New megalibrary accelerates discovery of iridium alternative for hydrogen production
• Integrating sulfur into crystalline nanostructures fuels catalytic activity: Novel, simple approach demonstrates impact of previously untapped active sites

Podcasts

Breakthroughs Podcast

• A Promising Drug for Alzheimer's Disease with William Klein, PhD, and Richard Silverman, PhD

NANOSCAPE PODCAST

• Bankable Science: Turning Discovery into Durable Energy Tech with Ted Sargent
• The Intersection of Nanoscience and Chemistry with Omar Farha
• Nanoscale Solutions to Gigaton Problem: Exploring Sustainability with Vinayak Dravid
• Unraveling the Mysteries of Quantum Mechanics with Roel Tempelaar   

NU Chemistry Research Impact

Northwestern Chemistry’s research is making a difference beyond the lab.

From advanced materials and energy innovation to biomedical breakthroughs and clean manufacturing, Northwestern Chemistry is tackling some of the most important challenges facing our society. Explore real-world innovations from our faculty and students—solutions that are improving lives, strengthening the economy, and shaping a more resilient future. Read more about the Northwestern Chemistry Impact.