Chris Graves

Chris Graves is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Swarthmore College, where he also serves as Program Coordinator for Environmental Studies. His research specializes in synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry with a focus on developing novel aluminum complexes for catalytic applications.

Research in the Graves Lab centers on the synthesis of aluminum complexes with redox-active ligands across multiple oxidation states. These complexes are studied for their fundamental reactivity patterns and catalytic potential, guided by electronic structure analysis and theoretical modeling. Key applications include catalytic reduction processes and small molecule activation.

Dr. Graves teaches courses in General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, and Environmental Studies. He mentors undergraduate research students in synthetic chemistry techniques and catalyst characterization methods.

His work has been published in leading inorganic chemistry journals including Inorganic Chemistry, Organometallics, and Polyhedron, often featuring undergraduate co-authors.