CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY

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The University of Delaware's graduate program in Chemistry and Biochemistry was one of the first advanced-degree programs established at the University, awarding its first Ph.D.s in 1948. Over the last 70+ years, the program has conferred nearly 1,000 doctoral degrees to students that have gone on to positions in industry, academia and government laboratories. Hallmarks of the program include a strong concentration in the broadly defined subjects of chemistry and biochemistry, cutting-edge research facilities, and excellent faculty mentorship that emphasizes the development and maturation of each individual student.

Two student work on an experiment in a lab.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers programs leading to the Ph.D., M.S., and M.A. degrees. Financial support is available for Ph.D. students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships and fellowships. Such support provides a highly competitive stipend that is guaranteed for at least five years, allowing our students to comfortably focus on their research and education as they develop into independent scholars and proficient scientists. The thesis for the Ph.D. or M.S. degree may be completed in a number of traditional areas of concentration, with emphasis placed on a mix of interdisciplinary coursework and research experiences. In addition to stressing a multidisciplinary approach within chemistry and biochemistry, students are encouraged to explore coursework and research partnerships offered through other departments when they fit logically into the student's proposed dissertation area.

About the Department

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Dynamic Faculty

Our department is home to more than 30 research active faculty members working across chemistry and biochemistry. In addition to the 2010 Nobel Prize, our faculty have received numerous awards in recent years.

Meet our faculty

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World-Class Research Centers

Research efforts are bolstered by department-led Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), an NIH Chemical and Biology Interface (CBI) training program and partnerships with many multidisciplinary research centers on campus. The CBI program provides an interdisciplinary education to graduate students that will enable them to apply atomistic and mechanistic approaches of chemistry to important biological and biomedically-related problems.

Discover the CBI program

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Cutting-Edge Facilities

Critical to the success of modern research is access to advanced instrumentation. Our department occupies more than 200,000 square feet of laboratory and classroom space. In addition, we host an impressive range of instrumental facilities that support our research effort.

View our facilities

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Diverse Research Areas

Our department offers opportunities for Ph.D.s in a range of traditional research areas including analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, as well as biochemistry. Within these areas, we place major emphasis on collaborative and interdisciplinary inquiry.

Explore research projects

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Graduate student conducts research using a vent hood with supervision from faculty members.

Electrically Driven Chemistry

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising class of materials that have many applications as catalysts, sensors and for gas storage. Widely studied over the past two decades, MOFs are typically produced using chemical processes that require high heat and high pressure.

Now, University of Delaware chemists Joel Rosenthal and Eric Bloch report that it is possible to produce iron-based MOF materials directly using renewable electricity at room temperature. The UD-developed method is 96% efficient in using electricity to form the MOF materials quickly, reliably and inexpensively.

Read the UDaily article

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