Chemistry
Oxford is one of the leading chemistry research departments in the world, with around 80 academic staff carrying out international level research and an annual research income of around £15 million. In the most recent national assessment of research (REF 2021) 66% of our research output was judged world-leading, and 32% was judged internationally excellent.
The department has a number of research themes, including:
- catalysis
- synthesis
- chemistry at the interface with biology and medicine
- sustainable energy chemistry
- kinetics, dynamics and mechanism
- advanced functional materials and interfaces
- innovative measurement and photon science
- theory and modelling of complex systems.
The facilities at Oxford for research and teaching are among the best available in the UK, with a wide range of the latest instrumentation and a huge computational resource networked throughout the University and beyond to national computing centres. Among the facilities available are the latest in automated X-ray diffractometers, electron microscopes, scanning tunnelling microscopes, mass spectrometers, high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers and specialised instruments for the study of solids.
Graduate courses are offered in four areas of chemistry: physical and theoretical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and chemical biology. Courses are also offered in the form of several four-year Doctoral Training Programmes, offering a range of specialised training and collaboration opportunities. Two of these programmes are hosted by the department: the Inorganic Chemistry for Future Manufacturing EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training, and the Synthesis for Biology and Medicine Centre for Doctoral Training.