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California finds no significant risk to human health from synthetic turf fields
After years of conflicting safety findings, the head of the state’s environmental hazard assessment office says this new study should ‘ease concerns’
Feature
Fritz Strassmann: the principled chemist who discovered nuclear fission
Analytical chemist Friedrich Strassmann played a crucial role in discovering nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, but his principled opposition to Nazi ideology nearly destroyed his career. His story of scientific rigour and moral courage deserves greater recognition
Feature
Cone snail venom peptides offer new hope for pain relief
Cone snails deploy sophisticated venom cocktails to paralyse prey. Anthony King talks to the researchers harnessing these peptides to develop new pain medications
Research
The quest to understand where atoms end
Atomic size measurements like van der Waals and covalent radii are central to chemistry, but are they grounded in reality?
Opinion
How to grow an enormous single crystal
Top tips from David Boyce and his class, who have cultivated a 3kg single copper sulfate crystal
Research
Lithium-free battery breaks voltage barrier for ultra-cheap energy storage
New chemistry overcomes drawbacks that have hampered this promising class of battery
Photocatalytic skeletal editing technique migrates substituents to challenging meta-position
Meta-substituted aromatic rings are key structures in many drug molecules
Sunlight-driven process upcycles polystyrene waste and elemental sulfur into valuable organic compounds
Products could be used as building blocks for semiconductor materials
Polytope formalism offers a new way to chart chemical space
First half-Möbius molecule made
Unconventional catalyst support promotes record green methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide
New computer file could standardise how chemists report MOF syntheses
Quantum tunnelling harnessed to radically improve efficiency of separation of deuterium from water
Stable copper sandwich complexes complete the 3d transition-metal metallocene series
Citric acid cycle a ‘garbage compactor’ as well as an energy powerhouse
Widening impact of conflict in Iran
Deyond hydrocarbons, helium and sulfur – byproducts of petroleum extraction – have also been critically affected by Iran’s blockade of Gulf exports
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes
In this episode, we discuss the where the true limits of an atom lie, the US’s plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes, and hear the latest headlines
Syngenta to close UK paraquat herbicide factory
Hydrogen bubble’s squeaky pop
In conversation with Clare Grey
Closing the loop: sustainable battery recycling from research to reality
Pushing the limits of capacity: the future of battery performance and design
Iran conflict cuts off gulf oil and chemicals trade
At least 41 dead in two industrial explosions in India
Widening impact of conflict in Iran
Deyond hydrocarbons, helium and sulfur – byproducts of petroleum extraction – have also been critically affected by Iran’s blockade of Gulf exports
Hydrogen bubble’s squeaky pop
Were cancelled hydrogen production projects overly optimistic or commitments of convenience?
How sketching and painting have enhanced my scientific practice
A visual approach to chemistry aids discovery and communication
Maxwell’s demon might lurk in enzyme behaviour
The controversial process of enhanced enzyme diffusion could enable living systems to resist local equilibrium
Are food colour clashes worth the worry?
Calling artificial colours ‘petroleum-based poisons’ plays to popular fears, not necessarily evidence
Experimenting with murder
A criminal mastermind made sure their unusual poison attack would be fatal
Letters: March 2026
Readers discuss the long-lasting effects of sabotage, a mix-up of Maxes, and how PFAS regulations might affect inhalers
Harrison’s bimetallic strip and the problems with temperature control
Making thermostats possible – now we need to learn how to use them correctly
Visualising data for scientific discovery
Turn complex data into clear insight through hands-on learning and expert guidance
In conversation with Clare Grey
Hear from the pioneering British chemist redefining how we think of battery science – live on 15 May
Closing the loop: sustainable battery recycling from research to reality
Join us on 13 May to discover the latest advances in battery recycling for cleaner sustainable energy
Pushing the limits of capacity: the future of battery performance and design
Join us on 11 May to learn about the most promising up-and-coming technologies in battery design
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes
In this episode, we discuss the where the true limits of an atom lie, the US’s plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes, and hear the latest headlines
AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry
In this episode, we discuss reflections from this year’s AAAS annual meeting, the latest advances in plasma chemistry, and hear the latest headlines.
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
Bench-stable butyllithium & secrets of Pompeii’s limescale
In this episode, we discuss the latest formulations designed to make a set of fiery reagents safer, explore what limescale can tell us about ancient civilizations and hear the latest headlines.
Feature
Fritz Strassmann: the principled chemist who discovered nuclear fission
Analytical chemist Friedrich Strassmann played a crucial role in discovering nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, but his principled opposition to Nazi ideology nearly destroyed his career. His story of scientific rigour and moral courage deserves greater recognition
News
Physicist's piezoelectric pirouettes claims top spot at this year’s Dance your PhD competition
Contemporary dance explains why some materials generate electricity under stress
News
Ig Nobel prize ceremony set to move from ‘unsafe’ US to Europe indefinitely
Issues with visas for attendees has led to the satirical award moving from its home at Harvard University
Opinion
How sketching and painting have enhanced my scientific practice
A visual approach to chemistry aids discovery and communication
Careers
How Thuc-Quyen Nguyen’s dreams of capturing the sun led her to organic electronics
Organic solar cell windows will enable the buildings of the future to be energy-neutral, she says
Sponsored
Biphenyl: 20 years of Restek innovation
How Restek’s Biphenyl column changed chromatography
Explainer: the Welch Award in Chemistry
Many people have never heard about one of the biggest awards in chemistry. Chemistry World sets the record straight.
Optimising method transfer in regulated environments
Learn how to minimise risk and promote data quality with data-driven approaches and digital tools
SYNTHIA for chemists: faster route design
Discover how SYNTHIA accelerates retrosynthesis by helping chemists design, compare and refine routes with customisable filters and commercial building blocks
Developing a CITK protein degrader using the QuicTPD™ platform
Learn about the latest technology to accelerate the design of cancer treatments
Lab Innovations 2025 returns to shape the future of laboratories
Scientists, researchers, engineers, industry leaders and innovators gather for UK’s must-attend industry event
X-Pulse 90: expanding the capabilities of benchtop NMR spectroscopy
Learn how X-Pulse 90 is delivering a step change in benchtop NMR by providing flexibility without compromising performance
Why understanding our foraging instinct is the key to using statistical tools
Your inner hunter-gatherer is stopping you solving problems
US researchers are advising students not to enter academia
A survey of NIH-grantees in Massachusetts reveals delayed hiring in labs, layoffs, careers being pursued abroad and research scope reductions
‘A philosophical attack on the nature of science’
Norine Noonan and Susan Coady Kemnitzer, who have retired from decades-long senior leadership roles at key science agencies and the White House, talk about the importance of collecting data at this historic moment
How sketching and painting have enhanced my scientific practice
A visual approach to chemistry aids discovery and communication
How Thuc-Quyen Nguyen’s dreams of capturing the sun led her to organic electronics
Organic solar cell windows will enable the buildings of the future to be energy-neutral, she says
Finding a home in the workshop
National scientific organisations consistently underrepresent women within their membership
As a first-generation student, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing
The need for science diplomacy in a fragmenting world
Veronica Vaida: ‘Some Harvard faculty expressed puzzlement at having a woman colleague’
Is work polygamy a new trend or the daily norm for researchers?