Research
in the UK for Research Intensity in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
*(Complete University Guide 2021)Wolrd-Leading Research Impact
*(REF 2021)in the UK for Graduate Prospects
*(Complete University Guide 2025)In the UK for Research Impact
*(REF 2021)We bring together fundamental and applied research, generating real-world impact, evidenced by vibrant spin-out activity and high-profile industrial collaborations.
Healthcare, sustainability and fundamental studies
Our research falls under three themes: Health, Sustainability and Fundamental Science. Our work on Sustainability spans five focus areas: CO2 capture and utilisation, clean water, hydrogen and bioenergy, sustainable manufacturing and circular economy. Research on Health covers clean synthesis, antimicrobials and sensors. Our fundamental work, particularly focused on supramolecular chemistry and frontiers of the liquid phase, is the foundation on which we build our more applied projects.
Research Centres
QUILL – Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories CO2@QUB – Carbon Capture and Utilisation Research Lab CASE – Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy
Research Centres
Working together
We are continuously working to nurture a friendly, creative and collaborative research environment. The School is proud of its Silver Athena SWAN Award, a vibrant program of seminars and a strong outreach profile, all of which are described in this section. Visit to learn more about our Early Career Forum, Postgraduate Researchers Forum and research technicians.
Research Environment
Making a difference
Research impact comes in many flavours: impactful papers, growing spin-out companies, technologies developed and implemented with industrial partners, as well as policies and roadmaps. Our School was ranked #3 (joint) in the UK for Research Impact in Research Excellence Framework 2021; browse this section to learn more.
Research ImpactLatest Publications
Enhanced hydrogen production via in-situ chemical looping reforming of fast pyrolysis volatiles from microalgae
- Huili Huang
- Zhongshun Sun
- Chunyu Cheng
- Gen Liu
- Liyuan Fan
- Bolun Yang
- Chen Song
- Zhiqiang Wu
Access to α-functionalized amines via calcium-catalyzed deacetylations
23 March 2026Modulation of TSIL-based ciprofloxacin structures with pH for the selective extraction of rare earth metals, uranium, thorium, titanium, and zinc
- David Lledó
- Guillermo Grindlay
- Nimal Gunaratne
- Abel de Cózar
- Ana Sirvent
- José M. Sansano
First principles identification of active sites in heterogeneous catalysis: a case study on Zn x Cr y O z for syngas conversion
- Yulan Han
- Jiayan Xu
- Jiawei Wu
- Chenyu Wu
- Xiran Cheng
- Wenbo Xie
- Xiulian Pan
- Xinhe Bao
- P. Hu