UCF Department of Chemistry

We are thrilled to share that the University of Central Florida has entered into a new educational partnership with the United States Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC)!

With a national shortage of trained radiochemists, this official partnership places UCF at the forefront of nuclear chemistry research and national security mission-driven innovation ⚛️

UCF is one of the selected few academic partners that trains students in this field by providing them with high-level training in nuclear forensics, hands-on access to federal laboratory instrumentation, and direct career paths in national security.

“The fact that we were invited by AFTAC to be one of their official academic partners says a lot about the recognition of our program and the important role chemistry and radiochemistry play in the national security landscape,” says Dr. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, who led the partnership agreement effort. 🌍🔬

Full story: https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-air-force-partnership-expands-opportunities-in-national-security-research-student-training/
Special thanks UCF College of Sciences for the photographic material.

Inspirational work coming out of the Department of Chemistry! 🧪

Professor Dmitry Kolpashchikov and his team are rethinking biosensing by looking to nature for solutions. By designing DNA nanostructures that act like "tentacles," they have created a system that actively captures target molecules rather than waiting for them to diffuse.

This "DNA cephalopod" approach could be a game-changer for healthcare, environmental monitoring, and biosecurity, allowing for faster and more sensitive detection of pathogens and biomarkers.

Read more about this exciting advancement in DNA biosensing: https://www.ucf.edu/news/tentacles-in-solution-ucf-research-speeds-up-dna-biosensing/

Tentacles in Solution: UCF Research Speeds Up DNA Biosensing A new nanostructure approach actively captures targets instead of waiting for them — enabling faster, more accurate detection for healthcare, environmental monitoring and biosecurity.

Exploring the Future of Catalytic Interfaces

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Tom Hopper has received an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) grant to push the boundaries of catalytic research! 🔬

This award will support Dr. Hopper’s groundbreaking research project: "All-Optical Field Modulation Spectroscopy of Energized Catalytic Interfaces." This funding will play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of catalytic processes over the next two years.

Congratulations, Dr. Hopper, on securing this award for your innovative work!

Brittany Stieferman, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida, received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2026 Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research & Development University Program Review in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her award-winning poster, "Evaluation of Electronic Structure Methods to Model Binding Preferences of Transition Metal Activation Products," was recognized for its original research contributions to the field of nuclear forensics.

Brittany works with the guidance of Dr. Deborah Penchoff through the for Forensics. Her research focuses on predicting structure, energetics, and speciation in chemically complex systems containing lanthanides, and transition metals relevant to nuclear separations and post-detonation nuclear forensics.

Congratulations, Brittany!!

Recent research from the UCF Department of Chemistry is advancing the development of nanozymes—engineered nanomaterials designed to replicate and surpass the function of natural enzymes!

Associate Professor Xiaohu Xia and his team, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of New South Wales, recently published a review in Nature Reviews Materials detailing how these materials are poised to transform applications in disease detection, targeted therapy, and performance in extreme environments.

Unlike natural enzymes, which can be susceptible to degradation, nanozymes offer enhanced durability and stability. By fine-tuning their size, shape, and composition, the team is working toward creating catalysts that enable more precise medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery systems, potentially reducing side effects in therapeutic treatments.

The ongoing work at UCF continues to explore the integration of AI-driven design to further unlock the potential of these materials for both medical and industrial applications.

Read the full story: https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researcher-helps-define-the-future-of-nanozymes-in-healthcare-and-technology/

UCF Researcher Helps Define the Future of Nanozymes in Healthcare and Technology - College of Sciences News A new study co-led by a UCF researcher highlights how nanozymes — engineered nanomaterials that mimic enzymes — could improve disease detection, targeted therapies and technologies designed for harsh for real-world environments. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: June 1, 2026 Associate Pro...

Breakthrough in Science ⚛️

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Shengli Zou for his contribution to a landmark study recently published in the prestigious journal Science !

The paper, "Stabilizing in-transition phases of superlattices through shape control of silver nanocrystals," reveals a major advancement in materials science.
By using silver nanoparticles to stabilize elusive crystal structures, the team has achieved room-temperature stability for materials previously only theorized—a discovery with significant potential for the future of quantum computing and sensing.

Dr. Zou’s collaboration on this international project highlights the caliber of research being driven here at the UCF Chemistry Department. Congratulations to Dr. Zou and the entire research team on this outstanding publication!

🔗 Read the full paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady6472

Stabilizing in-transition phases of superlattices through shape control of silver nanocrystals In nanoscale assemblies, observations of structures in the transition pathways between high-symmetry lattices are rare because of the inherent instability of the intermediate phases. We report that silver nanocrystals with shapes similar to truncated ...

🌌 From UCF Chemistry to the Frontiers of Space Exploration! 🚀

We are incredibly proud to see our alumni leading the way in NASA's Kennedy Space Center!

Drs. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, Matthieu Baudelet, Andres Campiglia, Anthony Altomare and Mr. Patrick Maloney recently visited KSC, where they were hosted by Charles Richardson-Gongora and a fantastic group of talented alumni: Olivia Feild, M.Sc., Joshua Bass, Mateo Londoño, and Saha Setayesh.

From analytical chemistry and materials characterization to critical mission-support operations, these exceptional scientists are playing a major role in supporting ground operations, the landmark ARTEMIS program, and ongoing space missions. Seeing the direct impact of UCF-trained scientists on the nation's space enterprise is a testament to the strength and rigor of our program.

Looking ahead, we are excited to expand on this momentum by establishing new educational, training, and collaborative pathways connecting UCF Chemistry students directly with NASA and KSC partners! 🧪✨ UCF College of Sciences UCF Office of Research

New research from Dr. Jonathan Caranto's Nox Nation research group reveals how bacteria act as "natural chemical factories," building rare nitrogen-rich molecules similar to those found in explosives. This discovery uncovers a previously unknown biosynthetic pathway with potential applications in safer, more sustainable chemistry and healthcare.

The study includes contributions from postdocs and students: Gabe Padilla, Dr. Ben Rathman, and Brenda Martinez Rodriguez.

Read more:
https://www.ucf.edu/news/natural-chemical-factories-ucf-study-reveals-how-bacteria-build-explosive-like-molecules/

Source: https://journals.asm.org/eprint/A5T5MEDQIDVVUWYCT4YK/full
(Applied Environmental and Microbiology)

To our graduating Knights of UCF Chemistry — congratulations on this incredible achievement! 🎓⚛️

Today we celebrate your hard work, resilience, curiosity, and countless hours spent in classrooms, laboratories, research groups, and study sessions. Whether your next chapter leads to graduate school, medicine, industry, research, education, or new adventures beyond the lab, you leave UCF with the skills and determination to make an impact!

We are proud of all that you have accomplished and excited to see where your journey takes you next.

Congratulations, Class of 2026 —
THE CATALYST IS YOU!
Charge On and Go Knights! ⚔️ 🖤💛