CHU RESEARCH LAB

Welcome to our research lab!

We are a team of researchers at Saint Mary's College of California that are passionate about bringing positive changes to the world using the power of Chemistry. The group is led by Dr. Amy Chu (Assistant Professor) and welcomes all Saint Mary's students pursuing degrees in any areas of the natural science.

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Our research

We aspire to enable the production of sustainable consumer products made from carbon dioxide. Our research focuses on synthesizing metal-containing molecular catalysts using designs inspired by biological enzymes. We are particularly interested in elucidating the mechanisms of catalytic reactions to design catalysts that can chemically transform carbon dioxide.

Latest news

3/23/2025

Lucia, Jennifer, and John presented their research at the ACS Spring National Meeting in San Diego at the Undergraduate Research at the Frontiers of Inorganic Chemistry symposium. Great job team!

1/5/2025

This January term we welcome Eddie Marriottherzog to join our team.

9/1/2024

This semester, our group welcomes Anna Solis-Rodriguez, Cole Carnahan, Jennifer Thommes, and Lucia Ruble to join our team!

9/1/2024

Our group was awarded an NSF Grant CHE-2419018, “LEAPS-MPS: Synthesis and binding thermodynamics of three-fold symmetric organometallic receptors for inorganic phosphates". We are so grateful to the NSF! This grant will support undergraduate students to conduct important research in phosphate recovery from aqueous solutions.

6/7/2024

This summer, we welcome new team members John Fraijo and Sami Young through the Summer Research Program!

3/17/2024

Team member Sadie Ugoretz presented at the American Chemical Society 2024 Spring National Conference in New Orleans. Well done Sadie!

2/9/2024

This semester we welcome research student Leo Romo to join our team. Welcome Leo!

10/7/2023

Team members Olivia Eukel and Sadie Ugoretz presented at the Saint Mary's College School of Science Summer Research Program symposium.

3/17/2023

Our team has been awarded the Provost Research Grant at SMC! Congratulations team!

2/9/2023

This semester we welcome the first team of SMC undergraduate researchers to the Chu research group. Olivia Eukel, Sara-Meilin Noehren, and Sadie Uegoretz will be working on the synthesis of cobalt complexes. Welcome!

7/1/2022

Our group has made a big move! The Chu research lab is now located at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga CA. We are thrilled to join the Chemistry family @ SMC and looking forward to working with the undergraduate students here.

News prior to Saint Mary's College

6/17/2022

Our group was awarded a grant by the ACSPRF UNI program! Congratulations group!

3/23/2022

Marisol, Lijin, Patricia, and Steff all received funding from the Mills College UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) for Spring 2022! Congratulations!

3/21/2022

Patricia delivered an impressive oral presentation at the ACS National Meeting Spring 2022 Undergraduate Research at the Frontiers of Inorganic Chemistry Symposium. Great job Patricia!

3/20/2022

Lijin, Patricia, and Marisol's ACS poster was one of the eight undergraduate winners of the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Poster Awards Competition! We are so proud!

The winners of the ACS DIC Poster Awards Competition Spring 2022. Congratulations to all the winners!

List of winners of the ACS DIC Poster Awards Competition, Spring 2022.

3/16/2022

Lijin, Patricia, and Marisol's ACS poster was nominated as a finalist for the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Poster Awards Competition! Come check out the poster (ID 3654321) on Sunday at 12:00 pm in Exhibit Hall C at the San Diego Convention Center.

2/25/2022

Our team is grateful for the instrumental support provided by our neighboring institutions. Below is a picture of Lijin collecting NMR spectra on the 400 MHz instrument at Cal State East Bay!

1/28/2022

This semester we welcome four Russell Scholars into the team. In addition to our returning team members Lijin, Patricia, and Marisol, we are super excited to have Steff Hernandez (second year Mills undergraduate student) join us for 2022. Welcome Steff!

9/24/2021

Our group presented at the Russell Woman in Science Leadership Program symposium. Great job team on a beautiful poster!

7/14/2021

We successfully collected single crystal data on a ligand and an organometallic molecule today with the assistance of the UC Berkeley X-ray lab. Congratulations team on our first structures!

Single crystals of a Co organometallic compound seen under a microscope.

5/27/2021

This Summer we welcome the newest member of our team, Patricia Cornejo!

4/9/2021

The Chu lab was awarded a Mills College Faculty Development Committee mini research grant for Spring 2021!

3/22/2021

Marisol and Lijin have both been awarded the Mills UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program) grant for Spring 2021! Congratulations!

2/12/2021

Our website is live!

1/20/2021

This semester we welcome the inaugural members of the Chu research group, Marisol Emerson and Lijin Zeng! Marisol and Lijin are also part of the inaugural class of Russell Scholars. They will be working on the syntheses of cobalt complexes containing macrocyclic ligands and investigating their reactivities with carbon dioxide.