News – MIT Department of Chemistry

A false-color electron microscope image shows the devices. Using the new scalable fabrication technique, researchers fabricated more than 1,000 devices using sub-nanometer molecular layers.

Turning molecules into reliable electronic devices

A new fabrication platform integrates molecules into electronic devices, opening the door to emerging computing technologies.

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Two new studies explain why nitrogenases that contain the metal molybdenum are the most efficient at converting nitrogen gas into ammonia.

Why some nitrogen-processing enzymes are more efficient than others

New findings could help researchers design synthetic catalysts that convert nitrogen gas to ammonia, a key step in fertilizer production.

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Gregory Valtierra smiles in the Boston Public Garden

Graduate Student Spotlight: Gregory Valtierra

Chemistry Graduate Student Gregory Valtierra describes his research and answers 20 random questions as part of the Graduate Student Spotlight series.

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Five panels in a horizontal row depicting the science indicated in the caption below.

MIT and Broad Institute Researchers Break Diffraction Barrier in Super-Resolution Microscopy

A surprising discovery in optical materials allows scientists to visualize the molecular machinery of life with exceptional detail and simplified equipment.

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MIT researchers studied the microscopic changes that occur inside LEDs that utilize electrically-excited quantum dots, which are nanoscale particles that emit extremely pure colored light. Their insights could be used to make advanced, more energy-efficient QD-LED displays commercially viable for applications like flat-screen TVs and medical imaging devices.

Discovery could lead to brighter, more energy-efficient digital displays

Researchers found a simple solution for extending the lifespans of LEDs made from glowing microscopic particles called quantum dots.

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Rachel Sava presents her Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize submission, titled "Superintelligence, Superintimate."

Toward a future that preserves benefits of neurotechnology for all

PhD student Rachel Sava, winner of the Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize, explores transformative improvements and dystopian risks of neural technology.

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“The fact that ozone depletion would have happened as early as the late 1950s, which is much earlier than I would have thought, just absolutely blew my mind,” says Susan Solomon.

Scientists find ozone depletion began decades before discovery of ozone hole

Researchers determined that carbon tetrachloride, used as a dry-cleaning and degreasing agent as early as the 1930s, was at the root of early ozone loss.

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Nina Greeley smiles in an outdoor setting.

Graduate Student Spotlight: Nina Greeley

Chemistry Graduate Student Nina Greeley describes her research and answers 20 random questions as part of the Graduate Student Spotlight series.

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Mengyao Li smiles in front of an ivy-covered trellis.

Mengyao Li Honored as 2026 Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Li is one of thirty-two outstanding postdoctoral fellows selected as awardees to this distinguished fellowship program in biomedical research.

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Brittany Balocca smiles in an outdoor setting.

Department of Chemistry Welcomes Brittany Balocca to its Staff

Brittany joins the Department of Chemistry as its Human Resources Administrator.

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Kathleen Downey stands in front of a power point presentation.

MIT Chemistry Hosts 9th Annual Denmark Organic Retreat, Sponsored by Scott Denmark (SB ’75)

The 9th Annual Denmark Organic Retreat, sponsored by Scott Denmark (SB '75), was held on June 12, 2026.

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QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27

Ranking at the top for the 15th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.

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Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Professor of Environmental Studies at MIT, has been named the 2026 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development laureate, in recognition of her research and leadership in atmospheric and climate sciences that has helped shaped global policy.

Susan Solomon named 2026 Tang Prize laureate

Solomon’s research has helped lay steps towards recovery of the ozone layer and demonstrated the lasting impacts of carbon emissions on Earth’s climate.

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