Chemistry Professor Honored with Prestigious American Chemical Society Award

By Erin Frick 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 25, 2025) — University at Albany’s Marina A. Petrukhina, Distinguished Professor and Carla Rizzo Delray Professor of Chemistry, has been named as the recipient of the 2026 George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry — awarded by the American Chemical Society to recognize, encourage and stimulate outstanding research achievements in hydrocarbon or petroleum chemistry.

Named after the Nobel prize winner whose research in the development of carbocation chemistry laid the groundwork for advancements like cleaner-burning fuels and new methods for synthesizing materials and pharmaceuticals, the award is internationally recognized as a pinnacle achievement in chemistry. 

Among other accolades, the American Chemical Society recognizes Petrukhina “for her pioneering research on the stepwise, multi-electron, alkali metal reduction of aromatic and antiaromatic hydrocarbons and crystallographic characterization of the resulting hydrocarbon anions.”

“Every card-carrying chemist is a member of the American Chemical Society, and winning one of their national awards is our profession’s equivalent of winning an Oscar or a Tony,” said UAlbany’s Alan Chen, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry. “The process for even being considered is incredibly rigorous. You have to be nominated by a critical mass of your peers, then vetted by an expert committee and receive strong letters of support from luminaries in your field. They also consider past trainees, because they want to highlight chemists who are also strong mentors. 

“This is one of the reasons why it is so fitting that Professor Petrukhina has won this award. Not only was her work with nanocarbon organometallic chemistry academically impressive, her mentorship also spawned a whole generation of thought leaders across a wide range of chemical industries. Her former mentees have gone on to work at companies like BASF, GE Global Research, Plug Power, Knoll Atomic Power Lab, even L’Oreal and Impossible Foods — all because these companies value their ability to think and tackle complex problems using scientific skills they honed under Professor Petrukhina’s mentorship.”

‘The Best Girl in Chemistry’

Petrukhina's scientific career began in a small town in the southeastern part of what was then the Soviet Union, where her mother, a chemistry teacher, sparked her passion for the field and served as her first scientific mentor. In eighth grade, Petrukhina began competing in Chemistry Olympiads, working her way from the regional to the national stage and ultimately earning what she calls her greatest title until this award: The Best Girl in Chemistry in Siberia and Far East.

“Fast forward to the moment when I was on my way to ETEC from teaching and I received the call from the president of the American Chemistry Society to tell me that I’d won the 2026 Olah Award,” Petrukhina said. “It was the happiest day of my life. Never in my dreams as a high school kid who loved chemistry would I have imagined being honored at this level someday.”

Petrukhina's talent led her to Moscow State University, the premier institution for fundamental science in Russia, where she graduated summa cum laude and completed her PhD in inorganic chemistry in just three years. After a postdoctoral fellowship in Germany with the Max Planck Society, she joined the laboratory of legendary chemist F. Albert Cotton at Texas A&M University.

“Al Cotton is a huge figure in inorganic chemistry,” said Petrukhina. “In fact, I studied his textbook, which has been translated into multiple languages, as a first-year student at Moscow State. It was a huge honor, almost surreal, to join his lab. Not only did I have the opportunity to advance my research, he was also extremely supportive of female scientists and helped introduce me to the chemistry community in the U.S.”

Pioneering Nanographene Chemistry Research 

Petrukhina joined UAlbany in 2001, where she has spent over 25 years developing groundbreaking research in the chemistry of unconventional or nanosized hydrocarbons. 

Her work focuses on molecular nanographenes — fragments of graphene layers with defined compositions and structures that can be tuned to form new materials with new properties based on their ability to accept multiple electrons.

The research has important implications for energy storage technology, especially lithium-ion batteries which rely on graphitic anode materials to function. 

“We all use cell phones which run on lithium-ion batteries, where electrons shuffle between cathode and anode,” Petrukhina said. “The efficiency of that electron transfer is very important for the long-term safety of our batteries. We like our cell phones to be small, efficient, durable and safe. Research into how we develop cathodes or anodes for these lithium batteries is increasingly critical because we have so many devices which depend on them. Developing new materials for use in these batteries can make our electronics safer and more efficient.”

Petrukhina’s lab explores gradual electron addition through chemical methods including “supercharging” nanographene fragments with multiple electrons, which could lead to materials better than graphite for energy storage applications.

Her lab counts among its accomplishments the discovery that certain novel nanographenes with in-built curvature are more effective in reversible electron and lithium-ion storage, compared to conventional planar graphite. 

Growing a Global Network

Petrukhina's laboratory is internationally renowned as a hub for testing novel nanographene materials. Her lab collaborates with over 30 different research groups spanning Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, Spain, Canada and across the U.S., who send in samples of their newly-synthesized materials to undergo extensive studies in Petrukhina’s lab.

Her group is able to provide answers about how well these materials function as electron receptors and whether they can compete with or surpass graphite for energy storage applications. The laboratory has become so respected that international graduate students often travel to UAlbany for training in these techniques.

Commitment to Mentorship

Crediting much of her success to having strong mentors throughout her career, beyond research achievements, Petrukhina is known for her dedication to mentoring, with an emphasis on individual attention. 

“One-on-one talks are the best,” Petrukhina said. “This approach is more time consuming than group sessions, but it makes for a more meaningful interaction with each student, and with this personal connection, I can be a better mentor to them.”

Petrukhina currently leads a group of six researchers — five PhD students and one postdoc. 

Cristina Dubceac '17 trained with Petrukhina starting in her sophomore year, until completing her PhD. After graduating, Dubceac joined the research and innovation department at L’Oreal as a senior chemist working on formulating new color cosmetics. She then moved to Impossible Foods, where she is now senior manager in research and development, working to advance food technologies. 

“Professor Petrukhina has without a doubt had the most influence on my career — preparing me for success as a scientist since the day I joined her research laboratory,” said Dubceac. “Over the years, I learned from her extensive expertise and greatly benefited from her insightful advice on how to succeed as a woman in the field of science. Her passion and enthusiasm constantly inspired and motivated me. 

“All of my career accomplishments are due to the strong technical expertise and immaculate work ethic modeled by Professor Petrukhina, which I have strived to emulate. I will always be grateful for the many growth opportunities I was afforded while working in her research laboratory and for always reminding me that with hard work and perseverance nothing is impossible.”

Petrukhina will officially accept the George A. Olah Award at the Spring 2026 National American Chemical Society meeting in Atlanta, where a designated award symposium will be held in her honor.

“I am so grateful to UAlbany for over two decades of dedicated support that has allowed me to develop a research program that is nationally and internationally recognized by the chemistry community,” Petrukhina said. “I feel very fortunate to have UAlbany as my professional home.”