Research

Sustainable chemical approaches to the production of new and existing chemical products and materials is of crucial importance world-wide over the next decades. At UCL we are pioneering novel green chemistry strategies for molecular assembly and materials construction.

Read more here: Chemical Sustainability

The design of new materials will be key for solving important challenges related to the generation and storage of clean energy, the environmentally-friendly production of chemicals, and the manufacturing of new electronic components and sensors. 

Read more here: Materials for the Future

Chemistry is the very essence of life and can help us live better and more sustainable lives. Chemistry and Chemical approaches can help us understand how life started, how life evolves and how life adapts. 

Read more here: Chemistry for Life

Light is essential for life. For example, light is key to photosynthesis and vision. Light is also important in technology, such as in nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

Read more here: Chemistry and Light

Chemistry can help us to understand, monitor, protect and improve the environment around us. Many environmental problems and processes are chemical, and to understand them requires knowledge of the fundamental chemistry involved. At UCL Chemistry we focus on development of new tools and methods for probing the environment in its natural and perturbed state, including under extreme terrestrial and extra-terrestrial conditions.

Read more here: Chemistry and the Environment

Chemistry Education Research investigates how people learn Chemistry. Exploring how to embed general pedagogical research concepts in chemistry education.

Read More Here: Chemistry Education

Section Head: Prof Graham A. Worth

Research in physical chemistry at UCL employs a wide range of experimental measurement methods and theoretical calculations that include uisng lasers, x-rays, neutrons, ion beams, scanning probes and computational chemistry to measure and calculate chemical, physical and biological properties of molecules to understand the relationship between molecular structure and function. Much of our research is aligned with the EPSRC priority areas of healthcare, sustainable energy, novel quantum technologies and advanced materials.

Many research groups collaborate extensively with each other, with academics from other research groupings within chemistry, with groups from other departments and faculties within UCL and outside UCL.
The following academics belong to this research group:

• Dr. Matthew Blunt
• Dr Guido Bolognesi
• Prof. Daren J. Caruana
• Dr. Tracey Clarke
• Prof. Peter V. Coveney
• Prof. Helen H. Fielding
• Prof. Francesco L. Gervasio
• Dr Tim Hele
• Prof. Katherine B. Holt 
• Dr Rebecca Ingle

• Prof. Sarah (Sally) L. Price FRS
• Dr. David M. Rowley 
• Prof. Christoph G. Salzmann 
• Dr Sabrina Simoncelli
• Prof. Geoff Thornton
• Dr. Giorgio Volpe
• Prof. Andrew S. Wills
• Prof. Scott M. Woodley

Section Head: Prof Martijn Zwijnenburg

UCL's computational chemists work closely with experimentalists to provide atomic or electronic level insights into a wide range of molecules, in isolation, complexes or condensed phases. This involves developing computational chemistry methodology and expanding the scale and efficiency to provide realistic simulations.
Below are the academics working within this research group:

• Dr. Robert G. Bell
• Dr Keith Butler
• Prof. Richard R. A. Catlow
• Prof. Furio Cora
• Prof. Peter V. Coveney
• Dr Rachel Crespo-Otero
• Dr Tim Hele
• Prof. Sarah (Sally) L. Price FRS
• Prof. Ben Slater
• Prof. Scott M. Woodley
• Prof. Graham Worth

Section Head: Prof. Robert Palgrave

This section is concerned with the synthesis, characterisation and functional properties of inorganic complexes and materials. It has a particular emphasis on solid state-chemistry, synchrotron andneutron studies and understanding material properties through computational work. We have a strong research profile thin film deposition methods, crystallography (powders and single crystals), polymorphism, preparation of catalysts, combinatorial materials science, machine learning, bone structure, supercritical fluids, molecular precursors and photoemission spectroscopy.

The following academics belong to this research group:

• Prof. Andrew Beal
• Dr. Robert G. Bell
• Prof. Chris Blackman
• Dr Keith Butler
• Prof. Claire J. Carmalt
• Prof. Sir Richard Catlow FRS
• Dr. Adam Clancy
• Prof. Furio Cora
• Prof. Jawwad A. Darr
• Dr. Fabrizia Foglia
• Dr. Guanjie He
• Dr. Caroline E. Knapp
• Prof. Ivan P. Parkin
• Prof. Robert Palgrave
• Prof. Gopinathan Sankar
• Prof. Andrea Sella
• Prof. Ben Slater
• Dr Yang Xu
• Prof. Martijn Zwijnenburg

Section Head: Prof. Tom Sheppard

The Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology section is engaged in a variety of research activities that are underpinned by organic synthesis. Research activities cover a broad range of topics from the development of new reaction methodologies and catalysts, target asymmetric synthesis of molecules with profound biological activity, through to peptide, protein and DNA chemistry, radiochemistry and molecule imaging, single molecule detection, mass spectrometry, bionanotechnology, biocatalysis, chemical genetics and directed evolution. In much of this work interactions with biology and medicine is vital and a number of exciting projects are developing new therapeutics for treatment of a variety of diseases including infection, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Activities in the areas of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry are coordinated through the Centre for Chemical Biology.

The section is supported by grants from EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, The Simons Foundation (New York), Leverhulme Trust and Industry. 
Below are the academics working within this research group:

• Dr James Attwater
• Prof. Erik Arstad
• Dr. Jamie R. Baker
• Dr Michael Booth
• Dr. Kreso Bucar
• Dr Daniele Castagnolo
• Prof. Vijay Chudasama
• Prof. Helen C. Hailes
• Dr Cally Haynes
• Prof. Stefan Howorka
• Dr Roopender Kumar
• Dr. Derek MacMillan
• Prof. Michael Porter
• Prof. Matthew Powner
• Dr. Kerstin Sander
• Prof. Bob Schroeder
• Prof. Tom Sheppard
• Prof. Alethea B. Tabor