Hu Research Lab @ Colgate

We are a group of molecular architects designing molecules for catalysis. We don't just build effective catalysts — we work to understand why they behave the way they do, learning from both successes and surprises as we refine our strategies and try to "think like molecules."

Our chemistry centers on bismuth, the heaviest stable element — yet low-cost and low-toxicity. We both synthesize new molecular bismuth complexes and use bismuth as a donor ligand to transition metals. We ask how a heavy element like bismuth differs from lighter elements — in reactivity, electronic structure, and catalytic performance — and how those differences can reshape catalytic cycles.

Students in the lab gain experience across inorganic and organic chemistry, catalysis, synthesis, and renewable-energy sciences — from air-free chemical synthesis to molecular structure determination, electrochemical and photochemical methods, and catalytic analysis.

We are always looking for motivated undergraduate researchers excited by these directions. Please don't hesitate to reach out about research opportunities. We can't wait to see what we'll discover together.

See the Team page for current and past group members, and Research for what we are working on now.