College of Chemistry

Long-sought carbon structure joins graphene, fullerene family

August 13, 2018
by Bob Sanders | UC Berkeley

three-dimensional cage structure of a schwarziteThe discovery of buckyballs surprised and delighted chemists in the 1980s, nanotubes jazzed physicists in the 1990s, and graphene charged up materials scientists in the 2000s, but one nanoscale carbon structure – a negatively curved surface called a schwarzite – has eluded everyone. Until now....

The search for a nonflammable lithium battery technology

April 26, 2023
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release
In a new study recently published in Nature Materials, an international research team, led by Professor of Chemistry Michael Zuerch, focuses on studying Lithium Lanthanum Titanium Oxide (LLTO), which is a promising candidate material for solid-state electrolytes.

CNRS 2019 Innovation Medal awarded to alum Vance Bergeron

September 26, 2019
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Vance Bergeron

Alum Vance Bergeron (Ph.D. '93, ChemE) is a specialist in the physico-chemical properties of soft matter and passionate about cycling. After a traffic accident in 2013, Bergeron had to face becoming a quadriplegic. Now, he is working in the field of neuro-rehabilitation where he has launched a research program that brings together researchers, doctors and people affected by disabilities to expand on people's recovery.

Dan Nomura receives ASPIRE Award for cancer research

February 23, 2023
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

A man standing in a lab.

Dan Nomura in his lab. Photo by Elena Zhukova.

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research has announced twelve outstanding research projects to receive its latest round of ASPIRE awards. Grantees from top academic institutions in Germany,...

Shop supervisor Eric Granlund retires

June 25, 2018
by Marge d'Wylde


Shop supervisor Eric Granlund retiresThe College is saying farewell to Eric Granlund, Shop Supervisor. Eric has been at the College since July 1985, concluding 33 years of service with his retirement this month.

UC funds new California Interfacial Science Institute

January 30, 2023
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

clean water

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce the founding of the California Interfacial Science Institute (CISI), recently funded through the UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI), a program administered by the UC Office of the President. The CISI started as an “Initiative,” and after a successful two-year pilot, has been continued as an “Institute” consisting of 11 investigators across...

Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to Christopher Chang

April 10, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Chris Chang

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Christopher Chang, Class of 1942 Chair Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, is among this year’s 184 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellows. The prestigious award recognizes scholars with impressive achievements in fields ranging from the...

ExxonMobil and Mosaic Materials explore new carbon capture technology

August 27, 2019
by ExxonMobil

ExxonMobile announces deal with Mosaic Materials

Sometimes solutions to complex, wide-ranging challenges can fit in the palm of your hand. That is certainly true with a developing technology that could help bring carbon capture to scale around the world. Invented at the University of California, Berkeley and supported by a group of entrepreneurial scientists at Cyclotron Road, these breath-mint sized pellets efficiently adsorb carbon dioxide from emission sources.

Is the cure for Alzheimer’s hiding inside us?

August 8, 2018
Molly Fosco, OZY.com

A woman walking next to a rail.Alumna Annelise Barron (Ph.D. ChemE '95) thinks so. Alzheimer’s is the root cause of 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and the complexity of the disease has troubled neurology researchers for decades. But Barron, an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford, has uncovered a way for our own immune system to fight off a...

Alumna Vicky Benzing pursues second career as an air racer

August 21, 2018
by Marge d'Wylde


Richmond Sarpong research teamVicky Benzing (Ph.D. Chem ’86) always wanted to fly. While pursuing her first passion for Math and Chemistry, she earned her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at UC Berkeley. At the same time she also earned her private pilot certificate. Benzing went on to fly as a hobby while she built her successful career in the tech industry working for Tektronix, Sharp and Novellus Systems (which was bought by Lam in 2012.). Her passion for flying took over as a second career when she retired from Novellus Systems in 2012.