Analytical chemistry
The latest chemistry news and research on analytical chemistry, including spectroscopy, crystallography, forensics and imaging and microscopy, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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ResearchAnalysis of Roman shipwreck’s coatings tells story of its time on the seas
Ship was recoated several times as it sailed along Italy’s Adriatic coast
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ResearchIn-situ electron microscopy probes how atoms adsorb on surfaces at solid–liquid interfaces
Technique could offer new insight into materials like catalysts, batteries and fuel cells
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PodcastInert materials & the Mary Celeste
In this episode, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert, chemistry’s answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, and hear the latest headlines.
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FeatureThe curious case of disappearing polymorphs
From crystallographers’ beards to billion-dollar lawsuits, the phenomenon of disappearing polymorphs has puzzled chemists for decades. Now researchers are finally unravelling the science behind why stable crystal forms suddenly vanish – and discovering how to bring them back
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ResearchInside-out peptides are part of a new class of isomerism
Could an overlooked conformational contortion invalidate existing drug patents?
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BusinessHow to choose reactor materials and test for compatibility
Merck & Co team describes simple testing strategies and criteria for decision-making
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NewsExpect the unexpected: why the chemistry community should pay more attention to ‘inert’ materials
A Japanese team’s discovery that stainless steel ball mills can activate nickel catalysts adds to a growing list of examples where supposedly inert lab equipment plays an unexpected role in chemical reactions
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NewsFragmented forensics in England and Wales has led to ‘postcode lottery’ with no fix in sight
Proposed forensics service would take over from individual police forces but is still likely years away
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ResearchLiquid metal nanoparticles enable ultrafast fire detection
MXenes and liquid metal nanoparticles create fireproof system that can sound the alarm in seconds
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WebinarDriving the future of compliance: digital reference materials transforming regulated analytical testing
Explore how digital tools and frameworks are transforming regulated analytical testing, compliance and industry-wide adoption
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ResearchNear-Earth asteroid samples contain all five nucleobases key to life
Meteorites rich in chemicals used to build nucleic acids may have helped kick-start life on early Earth
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WebinarVisualising data for scientific discovery
Turn complex data into clear insight through hands-on learning and expert guidance
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FeatureFritz 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
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ResearchFirst half-Möbius molecule made
Twisted structure is an unprecedented case of a compound that becomes aromatic by breaking its own symmetry
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OpinionExperimenting with murder
A criminal mastermind made sure their unusual poison attack would be fatal
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NewsExplainer: What is epibatidine?
The science behind the dart frog toxin that was allegedly used to kill the Russian politician Alexei Navalny
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NewsQuestions over microplastics findings don’t mean we are safe, scientists say
Researchers seek to overcome measurement issues arising from field’s youth, while some criticism has turned into harassment
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ResearchFluids used to preserve Charles Darwin’s Galápagos Island specimens probed by Raman spectroscopy
Non-invasive technique enables better care of historic samples
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ResearchPrehistoric humans hunted with poisoned arrows thousands of years earlier than thought
Deadly plant alkaloids discovered on 60,000-year-old arrowheads
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BusinessPittcon 2026 heads to San Antonio for analytical chemistry showcase
The world’s largest laboratory science conference returns to San Antonio in March 2026, featuring Nobel laureate Frances Arnold as keynote speaker and showcasing cutting-edge analytical instrumentation across five days of technical sessions and networking events.