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Your extended essay in chemistry must have a clear emphasis on a chemical issue. It needs to be based on chemical principles, the study of matter and its chemical changes; that is, how and why substances combine or decompose to form new substances or the study of the interaction between matter and energy. You can base your essay on any of the five major branches of chemistry: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry.
Suitability of topics
Broad or complex literature-based topics do not allow the student to discuss conflicting ideas and theories, nor to produce an in-depth personal analysis within the word limit. Students should therefore avoid these topics (eg investigations into health problems caused by water pollution, chemotherapy for cancer treatment or the use of spectroscopy in chemical analysis).
Some topics may be unsuitable for investigation because of safety issues. Experiments involving toxic or dangerous chemicals, carcinogenic substances or radioactive materials should be avoided unless adequate safety apparatus and qualified supervision are available and evaluation of the level of risk has been positively determined. Teachers are responsible for following national or local guidelines, which may differ from country to country.
Other topics may be unsuitable because the outcome is already well known and documented in standard textbooks.
However, some care does need to be exercised in deciding whether a topic is suitable or not; for example, previously, the study of the allotropes of carbon might have been thought to be trivial, but this would not be the case today.
Treatment of the topic
Treatment of the topic
An EE in chemistry may be based on:
literature
theoretical models
experimental data.
Whichever approach is chosen, the student must ensure that they have access to sufficient data to research the topic effectively.
Students who choose to write a literature- or survey-based essay should ensure that it clearly shows its chemical basis. Essays written at the level of a newspaper or news magazine article are unlikely to achieve a high mark.
Since chemistry is an experimental science, students are strongly encouraged to undertake experimental work as part of their research, although this is not compulsory.
In order to place their research into the appropriate context, students should research the area of the investigation before commencing any experimental work. Where possible, they should consult original research using:
scientific journals
personal communications
online sources
textbooks.
The internet should never be the sole source of information.
All essays involving experimental work undertaken by the student should include a clear and concise description of the experimental work. Students should indicate clearly whether they have personally designed the experiment or used an existing method. If they use an existing method, they must give its source and state how they have adapted and improved upon it.
For more topic examples, topics to avoid and advice on approaches to research, turn to page 51 of the Subject-specific guidance
EE subject-specific guidance (March 2026).pdfAll information from International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)
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