Paul James Chirik (born June 13, 1973) is an American chemist known for his work in sustainable chemistry using Earth-abundant metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel to surpass the performance of more exotic elements traditionally used in catalysis.

Chirik’s multidisciplinary research seeks to transform traditional catalysis, which relies on exotic metals like platinum and rhodium to drive chemical reactions.

Another major focus of Chirik’s lab is improving the process surrounding iron- and cobalt-based catalysis cross-coupling for carbon-carbon bond formation,[6] an essential technology used by the pharmaceutical industry to develop new therapies.

Chirik publishes regularly on this technology, with recent papers on cobalt-catalyzed cross-coupling[7] and the addition of halides to a reduced-iron pincer complex to create an improved pathway for a desired end product.

[8] In 2022, Chirik was among the first chemists in the nation[9] to receive a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation exploration-phase grant in green chemistry based on his proposal for iron catalysts for a biorenewable hydrocarbon future.