Inorganic chemistry at the University of Washington spans a diversity of topics including nanoscience, molecular and materials synthesis, and bioinorganic chemistry. Major research thrusts in nanoscience include the development and characterization of new inorganic nanomaterials with unusual electronic, photophysical, and magnetic properties; the study of nanomaterial nucleation and growth; and the tailored design of nanomaterial surfaces. Synthetic inorganic chemists at UW target new molecular complexes, clusters, and extended networks to achieve fundamentally new reactivity and physical properties relevant to catalysis and clean energy applications. Our strong bioinorganic program focuses on the synthesis and characterization of key intermediates in biological reactions, and obtaining mechanistic details regarding fundamental reaction steps. All of our synthetic efforts are complimented by a wide range of spectroscopic capabilities, from absorption, photoluminescence, and Mössbauer spectroscopies to pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance and time-resolved magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies. The research areas highlighted below are enriched by interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues across UW, including in physics, materials science, and chemical engineering.
Research Strengths
- Bioinorganic chemistry (Kovacs, Spiro, Stoll, Xiao)
- Inorganic materials (Cossairt, Gamelin, Velian, Xiao)
- Inorganic synthesis and reaction mechanisms (Cossairt, Heinekey, Kovacs, Velian, Xiao)
- Nanoscience (Cossairt, Gamelin, Velian)
- Physical inorganic chemistry (Gamelin, Kovacs, Spiro, Stoll)
