Environmental & Green Chemistry

Research

Perhaps it is no surprise that the Land of 10,000 Lakes would be home to a wide range of environmental and green chemistry research. Numerous faculty members in the Department of Chemistry have environmentally focused projects and incorporate green chemistry principles and sustainability goals into their research objectives. Particular strengths are in the areas of atmospheric particles, aquatic photochemistry, reactive surfaces, development of new green chemistry curriculum and outreach materials, renewable feedstocks, and analytical methods.

Part of a Community of Environmental Scholars

The University of Minnesota is committed to improving our knowledge of the environment, its health, and the impact on it of the chemical industry. As a signer of the Green Chemistry Commitment, the chemistry department has incorporated green chemistry laboratory experiments into its courses and developed an upper division green chemistry lecture course in order to educate future chemists in cutting-edge sustainable technologies. Campus wide, there are notable centers and research programs including the Center for Sustainable Polymers, the Water Resources Center program, the Large Lakes Observatory, the Limnological Research Center, the Environmental Engineering Program in Civil Engineering, and the Soil Sciences program.

Launched in 2008, the Institute on the Environment (IonE) discovers solutions to Earth's most pressing environmental problems by conducting transformative research, developing the next generation of global leaders and building world-changing partnerships. It creates a synergistic environment for addressing issues that transcend any single discipline, program or institution by bringing together thought leaders from private and public sectors and the University.