The research activity carried out at the Department regards the fundamental subjects of the chemistry area. More precisely the activity of the Department can be divided in the following competence areas: Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry.

Within each of these areas, the work is articulated in more topics, carried out by the Research Units.

The most important are:

• Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Spectroscopic Characterisation of Bioinorganic, Organic Systems and of Materials.
•  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Spectroscopic Characterisation of Bioinorganic Systems.
•  Electrochemistry and Spectroelettrochemistry Characterisation of Bioinorganic Systems.
•  Computational and Theoretical Chemistry
•  Synthesis of Organic compounds and materials, and their characterisation.
•  Photochemistry of Organic compounds and materials.
•  Metals in medicine and in foods: synthesis and characterization of potential metal based drugs
•  Metals in medicine and in foods: analysis of metals in beverages
•  X-ray Spectrometry of enzymatic systems.
•  Studies on Energy and Environment. 9) Studies on Complex Biosystems.

All the research activities performed are conducted with the help of two relevant Interdepartmental Centres, whose Directors belong to the Department (NMR Center and CIADS) and through collaborations with the most important international centres.

The Department has been furthermore crucial in the constitution of the Centre of Complex Systems (CSC).