UNSW Chemistry

Welcome to the School of Chemistry

UNSW School of Chemistry

The School of Chemistry has a proud history, predating UNSW, beginning at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts in 1833 and now our School is a leading centre for both teaching and research excellence in Chemistry in Australia – developing cutting edge knowledge to solve real-world problems. Studying chemistry helps you understand the world from the ground up – from the sub-atomic, atomic, and molecular to the spectacular!

We are now a flourishing community of over 300 staff and research students. We are united by our love for chemistry, and embrace diversity in all of its forms. We take our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion seriously, and truly believe that chemistry should be a welcoming place for all.

Latest News

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The School of Chemistry 2019 Annual Report has been published

9 October 2020

Scientia Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow Kris Kilian has been awarded $1.5m grant for the treatment of malignant melanoma

18 September 2020

The School of Chemistry congratulates Kris who has just won a prestigious $1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. The grant will be used to investigate personalised treatment for malignant melanoma.

Scientia Professor Justin Gooding has been awarded the Jaroslav Heyrovsky Prize for Molecular Electrochemistry

4 September 2020

The School of Chemistry congratulates Justin who has just been awarded the Jaroslav Heyrovsky Prize for Molecular Electrochemistry from the International Society of Electrochemistry, which is affiliated with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

The Jaroslav Heyrovsky Prize for Molecular Electrochemistry, is awarded to a scientist who has made an important contribution to the field of molecular electrochemistry in the last 5 years.

Two School of Chemistry students receive the 2020 Dean's Award for Outstanding PhD Theses

28 August 2020

The School of Chemistry congratulates Dr’s Daniel Wenholz and Thomas Macdonald, they are two of the 2020 recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses, this award recognises high quality PhD theses produced at UNSW.

Head of Chemistry Prof Scott Kable has just had a paper published in the world-renowned Science journal

7 August 2020

The School of Chemistry congratulates Professor Scott Kable and members of his UNSW research group Dr Mitchell Quinn and Dr Klaas Nauta, along with co-authors from the University of Sydney, Emory University and Cornell University on this significant achievement.

Professor Kable, an atmospheric scientist, likens the study to lifting the hood on roaming reactions and seeing for the first time how the parts fit together. He says the study will give scientists new tools to understand the machinations of reactions in the atmosphere.

The paper, titled “Rotational resonances in the H2CO roaming reaction are revealed by detailed correlations” is published online by the journal Science and can be accessed here.

You can watch Professor Kable explain the discovery and its significance in this short video.