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Inorganic Chemistry

The inorganic faculty in the Chemistry Department bring an interdisciplinary and collaborative focus to their diverse interests in materials and solid-state chemistry, bio-inorganic science, and nano-chemistry. For over 50 years, the inorganic faculty has been a leader at Northwestern University in establishing numerous interdisciplinary centers and institutes spanning materials science, homogeneous and heterogenous catalysis, bioinorganic-molecular biology, and sustainability and energy. With expertise in all areas of inorganic chemistry, the inorganic division especially focuses on developing the novel methods and advanced materials that are needed to create a more robust, healthy, and sustainable future. Following the rich heritage of the student led weekly BIP seminars established by Fred Basolo, James Ibers, and Ralph Pearson, the inorganic division has a long tradition of excellence in training and education of our graduate and post-graduate students. All students, including undergraduate students, have access to cutting-edge analytical equipment in research core facilities led by full-time research professors and staff, with which they publish cutting-edge work in premier journals.

Inorganic Chemistry Research Areas:

bioinorganic chemistryBioinorganic Chemistry

Electronic structure • elucidating bio-functionality • crystallography • diagnostics • therapeutics • bio-programmable materials • synthesis • metalloenzyme structure and function • model complexes • spectroscopy • biological proton transfer

Hoffman, Meade, Mirkin, Rosenzweig


inorganic-organic materialsInorganic-Organic Materials

Porous materials • solar energy • catalysis • magnetism • chemical sensors • alternative energy appliances • gas storage and separation • theory collaborations • molecular sieving membranes

Farha, Gianneschi, Hupp, MalapitMarks, Mirkin, NguyenPoeppelmeier, Sargent


nanochemistryNanochemistry

Diagnostics • therapeutics • photovoltaics • catalysis • patterning • electronic structure • synthesis • magnetic separation • magnetic resonance imaging • synthetically programmable lattices

Dichtel, Farha, Gianneschi, Hunter, Kanatzidis, Marks, Meade, Mirkin, Odom, Sargent


organometallic coordination complexesOrganometallic & Coordination Complexes

Catalysis • synthesis • electronic structure • reactivity • molecular magnetism • dye sensitized solar cells • main group electronic structure • transition metal inhibitors • quantum computation

Hunter, Malapit, Marks, Meade, Mirkin, Nguyen


solid-state materialsSolid-State Materials

Synthetic technique development • electronic structure • theory-inspired research • solar energy • gamma ray detectors • thermoelectrics, superconductors • magnetic materials • batteries • nanostructuring • exploratory synthesis • transparent conducting oxides

Dichtel, Hunter, Kanatzidis, Poeppelmeier, Sargent