Join us on Thursday, April 23 for a special chemistry department seminar by Dr. Mark Nutt, Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and chairperson of the Iowa Nuclear Energy Taskforce. The Taskforce was established by Governor Kim Reynolds in January 2026 to advise state leadership on the development and advancement of nuclear energy technologies and infrastructure in Iowa. Dr. Nutt, an Iowa native, holds bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in nuclear...

On April 24, MATFab is hosting the Materials Frontier Symposium from 1:00-5:00 p.m. in the Chemistry Building. There will be two workshops (Laser Ablation/LIBS techniques, and Industry-Academic Partnerships Forum), an undergraduate/graduate poster session, and a plenary speaker. Additional Information and registration information is on our website: https://matfab.research.uiowa.edu/matfab-materials-frontier-symposium

This will be held via zoom. If you'd like a link, please email chem-admin@uiowa.edu

Title: "Educating the next generation of adjacent lanthanide separation and radiopharmaceutical scientists at the University of Wisconsin"

Abstract: Radionuclides of the rare earth elements, including the lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium are useful for a wide range of nuclear medicine applications. This includes both diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals due to the wide variety of radioactive decay...

"Nuclear Waste Materials at the Extremes of Oxidation: Rethinking the Stability and Structure of Neptunium (VII)"

Title: "Gaining orbital control in f-element chemistry: informed design of new quantum systems"

Abstract: The chemistry of f-element based system is fundamentally distinct from that of metals in other regions of the Periodic table. Defined by valence electrons in f-orbitals—often considered core-like—f-elements have long been described within an ionic bonding framework. Recent advances in the synthesis of novel f-element compounds challenge this paradigm, revealing new opportunities for precise...

"Exploring the Synthesis and Characterization of Hetero- and Homometallic Clusters"

Abstract: Understanding how metals communicate is critical for a fundamental understanding of the elements, as well as pioneering new materials and catalysts. The use of metal clusters also enables the in-depth study of the reduction-oxidation chemistry of these metals. Here, I will focus on the synthesis of hetero- and homometallic non-aqueous clusters featuring f-elements. Through the reaction of a piano stool...

"Photocatalytic Alkylation of Diamondoids via Direct Oxidation/Deprotonation"