One of the defining challenges for scientists in this century involves securing the energy future of the planet and developing sustainable technologies that lift entire populations out of poverty while ensuring the preservation of natural resources for generations to come. Energy research in the Department of Chemistry spans the chemistry of energy harvesting, conversion, and storage including areas such photovoltaics, photocatalysis, thermoelectrics, batteries, fuel cells, enhanced oil recovery, biofuels, electrocatalysis, and nuclear energy. Ongoing research is focused on fundamental mechanistic understanding of the atomistic and electronic correlations involved in energy processes and the design (via experiments or modeling) of molecular, macromolecular, or materials scaffolds to transform such processes.
