College of Chemistry

UC Berkeley Chemists and the Periodic Table

January 9, 2019

Seaborg, Ghiorso and other 104 discovery colleagues.

Photo: The Rutherfordium (element 104) discovery team in 1969: (l to r) Matti Nurmia, Jim Harris, Kari Eskola, Glen Seaborg, Pirkko Eskola and Albert Ghiorso.

Dimitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who in 1869 wrote out the known...

College History

150th Anniversary Celebration Video

For our 150th Anniversary, check out our video below as we celebrate the past, present, and future of UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry:

Chemistry Nobelist Carolyn Bertozzi’s years at UC Berkeley

October 5, 2022

Professor Bertozzi standing at whiteboard.

Carolyn Bertozzi as a young professor at UC Berkeley. (Photo: courtesy of College of Chemistry)

Carolyn Bertozzi, a professor at Stanford University who today shared the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, spent her formative and most creative years at UC Berkeley.

After graduating from Harvard University in 1988, she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry...

Bruce H. Mahan, 1930 - 1982

February 18, 2021

Bruce Mahan posing on a tree log

Bruce Mahan was born in New Britain, Connecticut, in 1930. He attended Harvard University both as an undergraduate and as a graduate Ph.D. student. After completing his bachelor's degree in the chemistry department, he decided to carry out his doctoral studies with George Kistiakowsky in physical chemistry...

The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic

April 22, 2021
A study that shows what can be accomplished if manufacturers began using PDKs on a large scale. The bottom line? PDK-based plastic could quickly become commercially competitive with conventional plastics, and the products will get less expensive and more sustainable as time goes on.

A big step toward ‘green’ ammonia and a ‘greener’ fertilizer

January 17, 2023
University of California, Berkeley, chemists have taken a big step toward making ammonia production more environmentally friendly: a “greener” ammonia for “greener” fertilizer.

Peidong Yang and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners announce research partnership

August 19, 2022
In a new partnership, The Peidong Yang research group will work with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) to develop technology that will convert air into sugar.

Omar Yaghi awarded 2024 Balzan Prize

September 9, 2024
Professor Omar M. Yaghi was awarded the 2024 Balzan Prize by the International Balzan Prize Foundation.

Meet our alumni: David Liu

March 29, 2023
Alumnus David Liu

Photo of David Liu via wikipedia. Uncredited.

"We can correct the vast majority of DNA errors that cause genetic diseases"

The Harvard University magazine published almost a couple of decades ago that one of its professors, the chemist...