40+ Chemistry Extended Essay Topics and Ideas for IB Students

We’ve put together a list of 20+ Chemistry extended essay topics to help you get started with brainstorming, research, and writing.

You’ll choose a topic you find fascinating enough to explore within the scope of the extended essay and use it to develop a clear, focused research question to explore further in your report.

It’s up to you to decide which topic to choose, as IB doesn’t have any restriction when it comes to topic selection.

The only caveat is you choose an interesting topic that allows you to write a report that clearly reflects an unwavering attention to the extended essay requirements.

40+ IB Chemistry Extended Essay Topics

You’re welcome to choose an extended essay topic in organic, inorganic, physical, environmental, analytical, theoretical, or material Chemistry.

Organic Chemistry

• The effect of temperature on the yield of biodiesel from different vegetable oils
• Efficiency of organic compounds as natural insect repellents
• The impact of alcohol chain length on esterification rates 
• Effect of pH on the stability of ascorbic acid in citrus fruits
• Stereochemistry of naturally occurring terpenes in essential oils
• Degradation of plastics made from polylactic acid under varying environmental conditions   
• Bioethanol production efficiency from different carbohydrate sources

Inorganic Chemistry

• The effect of ligand substitution on the stability of transition metal complexes
• Corrosion rates of iron in acidic, neutral, and alkaline environments
• The color changes in coordination complexes of cobalt with different ligands
• Vanadium in catalytic converters and its environmental implications
• Synthesis and characterization of metal-organic frameworks for gas storage
• The effectiveness of aluminum salts in water purification processes
• Effect of pH on the solubility of calcium carbonate in natural waters
• Flame colors of alkali metals and their salts

Physical Chemistry 

• Effect of temperature on the solubility of potassium nitrate in water
• The entropy change in the dissolution of salts in water
• Kinetics of iodine clock reactions under different conditions
• The impact of pressure on the viscosity of liquids
• Effect of surfactant concentration on surface tension
• Thermal conductivity of liquids and its relationship with molecular structure
• Measuring the specific heat capacity of different metals and its correlation with atomic mass
• The effect of temperature on the rate of catalyzed hydrogen peroxide decomposition

Environmental Chemistry

• Investigating the effect of soil pH on the bioavailability of heavy metals
• A study of nitrate levels in groundwater in agricultural versus non-agricultural areas
• The impact of acid rain on the corrosion rates of different building materials
• Evaluating the effectiveness of biochar in removing pollutants from water
• Investigating the degradation rates of biodegradable plastics under various environmental conditions
• Investigating the impact of CO2 levels on the pH of seawater
• Analyzing the effects of particulate matter on urban air quality 
• Examining the adsorption properties of activated carbon for removing dyes from wastewater

Analytical Chemistry

• The caffeine content in different brands of coffee and tea using UV-Vis spectroscopy
• Heavy metal concentrations in tap versus bottled water
• Quantitative determination of vitamin C in fruits using titration methods
• Sugar content in commercial soft drinks using refractometry
• A study of the purity of aspirin tablets using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
• Evaluating the fluoride content in toothpaste using ion-selective electrodes
• Antioxidant activity of various herbal extracts using DPPH assay 
• Analysis of food dyes in candy using paper chromatography

Theoretical Chemistry

• A computational study of hydrogen bonding strength in water clusters
• Investigating the effect of functional groups on the stability of organic molecules
• Modeling the reaction mechanisms of catalytic hydrogenation processes
• Theoretical analysis of molecular orbitals in conjugated systems
• Predicting the lattice energy of ionic compounds using computational methods
• Studying the potential energy surfaces of diatomic molecules
• Quantum mechanical modeling of transition states in chemical reactions
• A study of the electronic structures of metal complexes using density functional theory (DFT)

Materials Chemistry

• Investigating the effect of doping on the electrical properties of silicon semiconductors
• A study of the thermal conductivity of nanomaterials and their applications 
• Evaluating the corrosion resistance of alloys in marine environments
• Synthesis and characterization of hydrogels for drug delivery applications
• Investigating the self-healing properties of polymeric materials
• A study of the impact of nanoparticle size on the catalytic activity of gold 
• Analyzing the mechanical properties of composite materials reinforced with carbon fibers. 
• Investigating the effect of sintering temperature on the properties of ceramics 
• Development of phase-change materials for thermal energy storage

What is a Chemistry Extended Essay?

An extended essay in Chemistry requires you to study a specific area of an environmental component and write a 4,000-word report based on your findings. At its core, the essay highlights a particular chemical aspect within a broad set of research standards.

The results of your research should be a logical and organized report that tackles a clearly focused research question that reaches a specific, and ideally personal, conclusion. 

Can You Write My Chemistry Extended Essay? 

Yes, we have a Chemistry extended essay writing service intended to help you complete your EE on time. Whether you have a topic or you have no idea where to begin with brainstorming, we can assign you a writer to help you from start to finish.

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