The members of the department have links with industry as well as international universities and research networks. These links help sustain their research. Members of the Department of Chemistry engage in the following research fields:
Prof. Claude Farrugia | Prof. David Magri
Main research activities in this area are the development of analytical techniques for pharmaceutical products, natural product analysis, chemoinformatics (Farrugia) and preparation of indicators and molecular logic gate sensors (Magri).
The Department has quite a reputation in this area which focuses on the modelling of auxetic materials and other materials with negative properties such as negative thermal expansion.
Prof. Alfred Vella | Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra | Prof. Noel Aquilina
The research involves studies both in the Maltese context as well as the global environment. These involve analysis for chlorates, pharmaceutical residues, persistent organic pollutants and also heavy metals in the local environment and atmospheric modelling.
Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra | Dr. Godwin Sammut | Ms. Sarah Schembri
The research interest within the Forensic Analysis Laboratory is related solely to Forensic Science. Research is focused on forensic drug analysis and forensic toxicology. The laboratory also engages in other research activities with other departments at the University of Malta, namely the Department of Criminology and the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and also with other departments outside the University of Malta, namely the Malta Police Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). The Forensic Analysis Laboratory also provides services to the Malta Police Force and Customs Malta amongst other agencies.
There are a number of areas of interest in this cornerstone discipline of chemistry. Research is focused on organometallics, lanthanide chemistry and the chemistry of air-sensitive compounds.
Prof. Giovanna Bosica | Prof. David Magri
The research interests in organic chemistry are organic synthesis, with a particular interest in green organic synthesis (Bosica), and molecular engineering of molecules for supramolecular chemistry as well as novel sensors (Magri).
Departmental research in this area includes studies in physical chemistry of proteins in solution, interactions of proteins with surfactants, nanoparticle dispersions, powders and surfactants. Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra | Prof. Claude Farrugia
Research ranges from elucidating the structure of materials used in the cultural heritage as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients using both single crystal and powder crystallography to crystal engineering of various materials.
Besides the above fields of research, the academic staff of the Department also engages in other research activities through collaborative relationships with other departments at the University of Malta, notably the Department of Geosciences, Department of Physiology & Biochemistry, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Metamaterials Unit and the Department of Metallurgy & Materials Engineering.
