Chemistry

People cross Mass. Ave intersection, with a view of the steps and columns of Lobby 7, on a sunny day.

QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2023-24

Ranking at the top for the 12th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 11 subject areas.

June 27, 2023

Two sets of squiggly lines in blob formation with blue beads interwoven are shown, both with a distinct red line near center pointed by a black bracket. The blob on left resembles a horizontal rectangle with a black arrow pointing to the right blob, which resembles a vertical rectangle and has red arrows indicating directional flow.

Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger

By adding weak linkers to a polymer network, chemists dramatically enhanced the material’s resistance to tearing.

June 22, 2023

2 microscopic images show green perovskite nanocrystals. On left, at 200nm, are thousands of the nanocrsystals scattered about. On right, at 5nm, is a closeup of one nanocrystal that is shaped like a square with a grid-like surface.

Researchers develop a new source of quantum light

The device emits a stream of single photons and could provide a basis for optical quantum computers.

June 22, 2023

Farquhar wears a blue lab coat, black gloves, and safety goggles inside the lab. Their hand rests on a counter with lots of supplies, including vials and a calculator.

Charlie Farquhar: Forger of chemical and social bonds

While developing targeted drug-delivery methods, the PhD student advocates for inclusion, belonging, and collaboration.

June 21, 2023

Next to a penny are 4 very tiny devices that are a similar shape to one another. One is rectangular, 2 are rod-like with a cube at one end, and the last is a rod with red ends.

Tiny diamond rotor could improve protein studies

A new way of machining microscale rotors from diamond crystal can enable ultrasensitive NMR devices for probing proteins and other materials.

May 24, 2023

Three by five grid of headshots of seed grant recipients

J-WAFS announces 2023 seed grant recipients

Fifteen principal investigators from across MIT will conduct early work to solve issues ranging from water contamination to aquaculture monitoring and management.

May 17, 2023

Portrait photos of Lillian Chin, Neil Dalvie, Suong Nguyen, and Yirui Zhang, arranged in a 2x2 grid

Four researchers with MIT ties earn 2023 Schmidt Science Fellowships

The illustrious prize supports early-career scientists and engineers as they pursue interdisciplinary work.

May 12, 2023

2 square grey mirrors are on the left and right, and a laser beam’s wave passes through them. In between are two glossy spherical quasiparticles, one grey and one red, connected by 2 curved lines, and the laser beam passes through them.

Study reveals new ways for exotic quasiparticles to “relax”

A perovskite-based device that combines aspects of electronics and photonics may open doors to new kinds of computer chips or quantum qubits.

May 12, 2023

Headshots of the five newly elected NAS members in a photo collage, with three in an upper row and two in a lower row

Five MIT faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2023

Joshua Angrist, Gang Chen, Catherine Drennan, Dina Katabi, Gregory Stephanopoulos, and seven additional alumni are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research.

May 11, 2023

Two by four grid of headshots of the researchers on the 2023 J-WAFS Grand Challenge team.

Inaugural J-WAFS Grand Challenge aims to develop enhanced crop variants and move them from lab to land

Matt Shoulders will lead an interdisciplinary team to improve RuBisCO — the photosynthesis enzyme thought to be the holy grail for improving agricultural yield.

May 10, 2023