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Wood chemistry is a broad, interdisciplinary field focusing on the chemical and biochemical aspects of trees and products such as pulp and paper that are derived from trees. Extensive use of analytical instrumentation is required to determine the chemical composition of forest products and processes.

The wood chemistry program at UMaine provides undergraduate and graduate students with a unique opportunity to study in a multidisciplinary field, which involves organic and medicinal chemistry, forestry, pulp and paper technology, chemical and environmental engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology. The Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative ^[2] (FBRI ^[2]) provides a multidisciplinary focus for related research at UMaine. The wood chemistry program is the only such program in a chemistry department in the United States. We are developing methods to separate the major components of wood so that it can be used more efficiently for high value products and energy production. We invite you to learn more about these projects from the faculty pages below.

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		Contact Information	Research
[4]	Barbara J. W. Cole [4]	241 Aubert Hall (207) 581-1188 cole@maine.edu [5]	Wood [6] Organic [7] Biological [9] [8] Environmental [9] Alt. Energy [10]
[11]	Raymond C. Fort, Jr. [11]	252 Aubert Hall (207) 581-1180 rcfort@maine.edu [12]	Organic [7] Wood [6] Biological Environmental [9] Alt. Energy [10]
[13]	Brian G. Frederick [13]	251 Aubert/151 ESRB (207)-581-2268 brian.frederick@umit.maine.edu [14]	Physical [15] Nano/Materials [16] Alt. Energy [10] Wood [6]