Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London

Department of Chemistry,
Imperial College London

Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City
Former name	Royal College of Chemistry
Established	1845 (1845)
Head of Department	Professor Oscar Ces
Faculty	Imperial College Faculty of Natural Sciences
Staff	46
Students	861
Location	Imperial College Road, London, United Kingdom 51.497708°N 0.177475°W / 51.497708; -0.177475
Campus	South Kensington White City (research)
Website	www.imperial.ac.uk/chemistry
Map
Location in Albertopolis, South Kensington

The Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London is responsible for research and teaching in the field of chemistry. It traces its origins to the Royal College of Chemistry, founded in 1845 and later incorporated into the Royal College of Science. In 1907, the Royal College of Science became one of the founding institutions of Imperial College.

As of the 2016–2017 academic year, the department had approximately 63 academic staff, 10 teaching fellows, 95 postdoctoral research scientists and research fellows, and around 1,150 students (including 240 PhD students, 150 MRes students, and about 750 undergraduates). Over 45 administrative and support staff also worked in the department. It operates at two sites: the Chemistry Building at the South Kensington campus on Imperial College Road and the Molecular Sciences Research Hub (MSRH) at the White City Campus, located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

History

See also: Royal College of Chemistry and Royal College of Science

Founded in 1845 in Hanover Square, the Royal College of Chemistry moved to Oxford Street the following year. Its first professor was August Wilhelm von Hofmann, who arrived from the University of Giessen. The college was later integrated into the Normal School of Science and re-established as the Royal College of Science in 1890. In 1907, the Royal College of Science became one of the founding institutions of Imperial College, which joined the University of London, and later became independent in 2007.

In 2018, the Molecular Sciences Research Hub opened at White City, serving as the department’s primary research center. Undergraduate teaching continued at South Kensington, although students could carry out their final-year research projects at White City.

Rankings

• In the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, the department was ranked 11th globally, 4th in Europe, and 3rd in the UK.
• In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), the department was ranked 3rd overall in the UK (based on the proportion of research rated 4*). It was also among four UK chemistry departments achieving 100% 4* for research environment.
• The department received an Athena SWAN Gold award in 2019 for its commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, one of only two UK chemistry departments to hold Gold status at that time.
• All undergraduate courses are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
• The department was ranked 4th in the UK by the Times Good University Guide in 2024 and 5th by the Complete University Guide.
• It placed 3rd in the UK and 6th in Europe according to the "Academic Ranking of World Universities."

Research infrastructure

The Molecular Sciences Research Hub (MSRH) is a 24,000 m² facility made for up to 80 research groups and over 800 researchers. It won a 2019 S-Lab global laboratory design prize. The MSRH also hosts collaborative teams from other disciplines for the pupose of interdisciplinary research.

Imperial College’s White City campus co-locates academic and industry partners to encourage economic growth and local innovation. The Department of Chemistry co-established the Deep Tech Network in partnership with Upstream (a collaboration between Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Imperial College London) to facilitate connections among local stakeholders in science and technology.

Teaching

Undergraduate

The department offers three-year BSc and four-year MSc degree programs in Chemistry, with the option of a year in industry, management, or foreign languages. Some MSc courses allow study at partner institutions in Europe. All graduates of the department’s undergraduate programs also receive the Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS).

Postgraduate

The department hosts a large PhD community, aligned with core research themes. It is home to three EPSRC-funded doctoral training centers:

• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Biology (ICB CDT)
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Synthesis and Reaction Technology
• Leverhulme Centre for Doctoral Training in Cellular Bionics

It also partners in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging (with King’s College London) and offers several MRes and MSc courses in specialized fields, including:

• MSc in Digital Chemistry
• MRes in Advanced Molecular Synthesis
• MRes in Biological and Physical Chemistry
• MRes in Chemical Biology and Bio-Entrepreneurship
• MRes in Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering
• MRes in Drug Discovery and Development
• MRes in Green Chemistry: Energy and the Environment
• MRes in Nanomaterials
• MRes in Nanomedicine and Nano-diagnostics

Nobel Laureate Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson completed his bachelor's and doctor's degrees at the department

People

Notable figures associated with the Department of Chemistry include:

• August Wilhelm von Hofmann, first professor at the Royal College of Chemistry
• Martha Whiteley OBE, co-inventor of mustard gas and an alumna of the department
• Sue Gibson OBE
• Anthony Gerard Martin Barrett FRS, FMedSci (alumnus, BSc and PhD)
• Lord George Porter OM PRS, winner of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Alumni

Among the department’s notable alumni are several Nobel Prize winners:

• Frances Micklethwait MBE ARCS, an early researcher into mustard gas
• Sir Derek Barton (BSc ARCS, PhD), Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1969)
• Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson (BSc ARCS, PhD), Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1973)