Advance molecular research in chemistry to tackle global challenges in sustainability, human health and quality of life.
Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Chemistry delivers industry‑ and mission‑driven innovation aimed at solving critical challenges in sustainability, human health, energy, materials and environmental resilience.
Our faculty make pioneering advances across atmospheric, green and environmental chemistry; biological and bioorganic chemistry; catalysis and energy; materials and nanoscience; and physical, analytical and theoretical chemistry — areas central to today’s scientific, industrial and government priorities.
Our interdisciplinary teams integrate chemistry with engineering, computer science, materials science and biotechnology to produce actionable insights, breakthrough technologies and scalable solutions. Students at all levels are integral to this vibrant research community, gaining hands‑on experience with advanced instrumentation, collaborating closely with faculty mentors, and contributing to discoveries that drive new materials, cleaner energy, medical insights and fundamental chemical understanding.
Polymers, Materials & Nanoscience
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Chemistry advances the fields of polymers, materials and nanoscience through the design, synthesis and characterization of sustainable polymers, circular materials and systems for recycling. Researchers create synthetic, natural and hybrid materials — including bioconjugates and polymer–inorganic composites — that link chemistry with biology, engineering and manufacturing.
Grounded in CMU’s strengths in theory, computation and quantum chemistry shaped by Nobel laureate John Pople, the team develops recyclable plastics, self‑healing materials and environmentally safe polymers, supported by the Center for Macromolecular Engineering.
FACULTY
Inorganic & Organic Materials — Stefan Bernhard | Rongchao Jin | Tomasz Kowalewski | Kevin Noonan
Polymer — Bruce Armitage | Michael Bockstaller | Tomasz Kowalewski | Kris Matyjaszewski | Kevin Noonan | Alan J. Russell | Stefanie Sydlik | Lynn Walker | Newell Washburn | David Yaron
Nanoscience — Subha Das | Rongchao Jin | Linda Peteanu
Atmospheric, Green & Environmental
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Chemistry is internationally recognized for environmental and atmospheric research, including discoveries on how natural and human‑made organic compounds form pollutants affecting air quality, climate and cloud formation, and for developing green oxidation catalysts that break down persistent water contaminants.
Supported by strengths in environmental, analytical, atmospheric and green chemistry, this work is powered by major centers such as the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies, the Center for Molecular Analysis, the Institute for Green Science, and the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, creating a robust ecosystem for sustainable solutions.
FACULTY
Environmental Analytical — Mark Bier | Carrie McDonough | Ryan Sullivan
Atmospheric — Neil Donahue | Ryan Sullivan
Green — Michael Bockstaller | Terry Collins | Rongchao Jin | Hyung J. Kim | Kris Matyjaszewski | Ryan Sullivan | Newell Washburn
Computational & Digital
Carnegie Mellon's Department of Chemistry is advancing computational and digital chemistry through the integration of chemical theory, artificial intelligence, robotics, and high-throughput experimentation. Researchers combine molecular simulation, quantum chemistry, machine learning, automated reaction discovery, and advanced instrumentation to create a more predictive, data-rich approach to chemistry, accelerating breakthroughs in clean energy, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials.
Building on CMU's longstanding leadership in theoretical and computational chemistry — shaped by Nobel laureate John Pople — the department is redefining how chemical knowledge is generated, tested, and applied. Faculty are developing the foundations of the "lab of the future," where computation, digital experimentation, and automation work together to predict and design chemical systems before they are synthesized. Through emerging initiatives such as Artificial Chemical Intelligence ("Chemistry 2.0"), CMU is expanding the frontiers of AI-enabled discovery while training a new generation of scientists fluent in computation, data science, and laboratory research.
FACULTY
Olexandr Isayev | Hyung J. Kim | Maria Kurnikova | Newell Washburn | Dave Yaron
Physical, Analytical & Theoretical
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Chemistry is transforming chemical research through leadership in computational and digital chemistry, integrating theory with automation, robotics, machine learning, AI‑driven modeling and advanced instrumentation to build the “lab of the future.”
This data‑rich, predictive approach accelerates discovery in clean energy, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials by uniting molecular simulation, ion‑channel modeling, machine‑learning‑accelerated quantum chemistry and automated reaction exploration.
Combining deep theoretical expertise with innovative digital tools and scalable automation, CMU continues its legacy in theoretical chemistry established by Nobel laureate John Pople, enabling scientists to predict and design chemical systems before they exist in the lab.
FACULTY
Olexandr Isayev | Hyung J. Kim | Maria Kurnikova | Dave Yaron
Catalysis & Energy
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Chemistry advances synthetic and biological catalysis, developing bio‑inspired catalysts, nanoclusters and computer‑designed systems to address global challenges in sustainability, green chemistry and energy transformation.
Researchers use spectroscopy, theory, automation and AI to uncover mechanisms and discover new reactions, yielding cleaner energy pathways and highly efficient catalysts for water purification and controlled polymerization.
Building on CMU’s legacy in mechanistic and theoretical chemistry, current projects span automated photocatalyst discovery, bioinspired design and AI‑guided catalysis — highlighted by CMU’s real‑world‑adopted TAML oxidation catalysts.
FACULTY
Bio- and Bioinspired Catalysis — Terry Collins | Isaac Garcia Bosch | Yisong (Alex) Guo
Energy Storage — Stefan Bernhard | Michael Bockstaller | Isaac Garcia Bosch | Hyung J. Kim | Tomasz Kowalewski | Stefanie Sydlik
Metal Catalysis — Stefan Bernhard | Terry Collins | Isaac Garcia Bosch | Rongchao Jin | Kris Matyjaszewski | Kevin Noonan
Nucleic Acids, Biological & Bioorganic
Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Chemistry is a leader in nucleic acid chemistry, advancing research on DNA, RNA, fluorescent probes, diagnostics and nucleic‑acid–based therapeutics. Faculty design synthetic nucleic acids, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and nucleic‑acid–polymer hybrids for disease diagnostics, targeted delivery and the study of biomolecular condensates. This work bridges chemistry and biology to reveal how gene expression and signaling can be chemically controlled — foundational for next‑generation therapeutics, biosensors and synthetic biology. With more than 30 years at the chemistry–biology interface, CMU continues expanding research in RNA/DNA analogs and nucleic‑acid delivery systems.
FACULTY
Bioorganic & Chemical Biology — Bruce Armitage | Subha Das | Anna Kietrys | Danith Ly | Carrie McDonough | Linda Peteanu | Gordon Rule | James Schneider | John Woolford
Bioinorganic — Emile Bominaar | Terry Collins | Yisong (Alex) Guo | Michael Hendrich
Biomaterials — Kris Matyjaszewski | Alan J. Russell | Stefanie Sydlik | Newell Washburn
Biophysical — Mark Bier | Roberto Gil | Yisong (Alex) Guo | Michael Hendrich | Maria Kurnikova | Linda Peteanu | Gordon Rule
Research Centers
Department of Chemistry faculty members collaborate on exciting research through a variety of centers and institutes that bring together scholars from across areas of expertise, disciplines and universities. Chemistry faculty lead centers focused on green science, nucleic acids, and macromolecular engineering and participate in others with engineers, biologists, physicists, computer scientists, oncologists, neuroscientists, environmental health scientists and public policy researchers.
Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies
The Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies (CAPS) leads research on the emissions, formation, transformation and impacts of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere. It advances air‑quality science through laboratory experiments, field measurements, modeling and policy‑relevant analysis, with internationally recognized expertise in atmospheric chemistry and particulate behavior.
Contact: Albert Presto, director
Center for Macromolecular Engineering
The Center for Macromolecular Engineering advances polymer science by developing new methods for creating precisely controlled macromolecules, including through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) — a groundbreaking technique that revolutionized polymer synthesis. Its mission is to enhance the societal impact of polymer science by deepening understanding of controlled radical polymerization mechanisms, optimizing catalytic processes, and expanding the design of advanced materials with tailored properties.
Contact: Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
Center for Molecular Analysis
The Center for Molecular Analysis features modern high-performance analytical instruments for use by the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Biological Sciences and other departments and centers at Carnegie Mellon. Other research groups outside of the CMU campus may also use the CMA. In addition to the analytical instrumentation, the CMA provides collaborations, analytical assistance, and training. The CMA houses two NMRs, four photon spectrometers, and two mass spectrometers.
Contact: Mark E. Bier, director
Center for Nucleic Science and Technology
The Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST) is a community of Carnegie Mellon scientists and engineers unified by interests in the chemistry, biology and physics of DNA, RNA and PNA (peptide nucleic acid). CNAST has three pillars of strength:
- RNA Biology
- Molecular and Experimental Tools
- Biotech/Nanotech.
Contact: John Woolford, co-director; Bruce Armitage, co-director
Institute for Green Science
The Institute for Green Science is a research, education and entrepreneurial development center in which a holistic approach to green science is being developed — our approach has evolved to support the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) rubric that the European Commission has created to direct the development of chemical technologies it hopes will arise to populate the chemical enterprise of a sustainable Europe. The technical research programs evolve around the scientific and technological development of TAML oxidant activators, which are extensively patented, trademarked and undergoing commercialization.
Contact: Terry Collins, the Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry
Center for Advanced Biological Imaging Solutions (CABIS)
The Center for Advanced Biological Imaging Solutions provides access to instruments for performing a variety of advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques and flow cytometry. In the shared microscopy facility, there are state-of-the-art confocal microscopes, providing one-photon, two-photon confocal, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), TIRF, photo-manipulation (activation/switching, ablation, FRAP), Spectra unmixing, and UV uncaging. The center also provides flow cytometry services for cell analysis.
Contact: Aleksandra Klimas, imaging director
NMR Center
The NMR Center at Carnegie Mellon University is a core research facility in the Department of Chemistry, located within the Mellon College of Science. It provides high‑performance nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy capabilities for researchers across CMU and for external academic and industry users.
Contact: Roberto R. Gil, director
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center is a joint effort of Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh and the Westinghouse Electric Company. This Center provides cutting-edge computational resources to the national community and advances computational science and computational techniques.
Contact: Barr von Oehsen, director
Steinbrenner Environmental Institute for Education and Research
The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research at Carnegie Mellon was established in 2004 to advance environmental education, research, and sustainability across the university, supported by programs ranging from undergraduate curricula to doctoral fellowships and campus innovation grants. It serves as a hub that connects faculty, students, and interdisciplinary initiatives to promote environmental leadership and catalyze new research and sustainability efforts throughout the CMU community.
Contact: Neil Donahue, director
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University is a university‑wide initiative focused on improving energy efficiency, expanding clean and sustainable energy sources, and advancing innovations in energy technologies, policy, and systems. Through collaborative research, strategic partnerships, entrepreneurship, and education, the institute works to address global energy challenges and accelerate the transition to a reliable, low‑carbon energy future.
Contact: Costa Samaras, director; Andrew Gellman, co-director