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Department of Chemistry

Frontier research, innovation, and education in the molecular sciences.

Study with us

Our courses in chemistry provide the opportunity for you to study the structure and reactivity of molecular systems as you explore new and impactful research.

You'll become a versatile chemist, ready to collaborate in various areas of science and technology.

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Research

Our research applies internationally leading expertise to find solutions to the key challenges faced by society.

A vibrant and collaborative research environment with themes and expertise spanning across many areas.  These include chemical and structural biology, atmospheric science, catalysis, materials, sustainable and green chemistry, molecular measurement technologies and digital chemistry.

Explore our research

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We recognise the importance of equal participation, progression and success for all.

The Department of Chemistry strives to provide a working, learning, social and living environment that will enable all our staff and students to contribute fully, to flourish and to excel.

We were the first department in the UK to receive the Athena Swan Gold award for our commitment to gender equality in higher education, making us the longest-held recipient of the Gold award on record.

Find out about our culture

We pride ourselves on being a department that achieves excellence in our research and our teaching, through outstanding people and great facilities. There is a strong sense of community among the staff and students, and we work hard to be inclusive and welcoming, ensuring that everyone can achieve their full potential.

Dr Derek Wann, Head of Department

We stand against bullying and discrimination. We’re dedicated to maintaining a safe, inclusive and respectful community, free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. It’s a core value of our Department, and key to the way we work and support each other.

in the Complete University Guide 2026.
with the majority of our research and impact rated as world leading - according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (2021).
demonstrating our strong and longstanding commitment to gender equality.
in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026.

News

News

11 May 2026

Research led by the Department of Archaeology, with crucial input from the Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry in the Department of Chemistry, reveals two infants buried in Roman York were laid to rest in costly purple cloth normally reserved for emperors and members of the aristocracy.

News

11 May 2026

A collaboration between the University of York, the University of Leeds, and AstraZeneca has bridged chemistry and engineering to streamline drug synthesis using continuous flow technology, offering a faster, safer, and more scalable future for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

News

1 May 2026

The annual poster competition for our Yr 3 PhD students has taken place, with kind sponsorship once again by Johnson Matthey. This year we were joined by Dr Paul O’Shaughnessy from JM who took time to view posters, chat with participants about their work, and give a talk on recycling platinum group metals.

News

28 April 2026

The findings from a RSC Sustainable Laboratories grant funded project at the University of York have recently been highlighted in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemistry World Magazine.

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