Focus on Chemistry

Learn more about these faculty members in the Department of Chemistry who are conducting research in the areas of green chemistry and nano-scale materials, and visit Chemistry Outreach, one of the most comprehensive university science K-12 programs in the country.

Faculty Spotlight

	Steven Suib, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Department Head Nanotechnology and the control of the physical and chemical properties of solid state materials are Prof. Suib’s research interests. He makes nano-particles, or extremely small particles, that can be used in catalysis, energy conversion, and the production of semi-conductors and composites, and in making different types of novel coatings, among other things. Learn more
	Nicholas Leadbeater, Assistant Professor Making chemistry cleaner, faster, and easier is the research focus of Nicholas Leadbeater. With a special microwave system built for chemistry, one of the best in the nation, he can accomplish in a few minutes chemical reactions that otherwise would take hours. Often he uses water rather than toxic organic solvents in reactions, resulting in cleaner chemistry and easier isolation of the end product. Leadbeater first made organic materials, dyes and polymers. Learn more
	C. Vijaya Kumar, Professor Prof. Kumar’s research interests involve biocatalysis and biomaterials at the very small, or nano-biomaterial level. He uses inorganic nano-biomaterials to immobilize enzymes and conduct enzyme catalysis at very high temperatures, reactions that normally would not be possible. Most enzymes are proteins that are highly specific and efficient catalysts. However, their application in chemistry is limited, in part, because of their instability. Learn more

Chemistry Outreach

Chemisry Outreach Chemistry Outreach each year extends science programs to more than 2,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in Connecticut, with particular attention to urban school systems with diverse student populations. The Summer Chemistry Blast program this year brought high school students from East Hartford to Storrs to learn about forensic science and middle school students from Hartford to learn chemistry. Learn more

More Information

• Chemistry at UConn
• Chemistry Fact Sheet