PhD in Chemistry
UMass Amherst chemistry has a strong and interactive group of faculty and graduate students with research expertise in materials and biological chemistry, in addition to traditional divisions in chemistry such as analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, providing an ideal foundation from which to pursue cutting-edge applications.
Materials Chemistry
As a department, we bring expertise in synthesis, fabrication, characterization, and theory of novel materials, especially in nanomaterials, for applications in sensors, devices, catalysis, and as biofunctional materials. Our department is well known for having developed an impressive array of synthetic approaches for bottom-up assembly of organic, inorganic, and hybrid nanomaterials. We are also well known for innovative ways to characterize nanomaterials using both spectroscopy and theory.
Biological Chemistry
Our department is well known for applying biophysical/bioanalytical approaches to uncover fundamental mechanisms of protein structure, folding, and function. We apply an arsenal of tools, including spectroscopies, crystallography, calorimetry, and protein engineering.