Chemistry in its Element: Compounds

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  • Film x-ray of human foot and arthritis at first metatarsophalangeal Joint . 2 position ( front and side view )
    Podcast

    Indometacin

    10 August 2017

    A popular prescription pill that helps to keep gout and other arthritic conditions under control

  • Red-bellied Piranha, mouth open to show the teeth
    Podcast

    Piranha solution

    4 August 2017

    When you need to get your glassware extremely clean, you need a cleaning solution with real ‘bite’

  • Wooden floorboards
    Podcast

    Lignin

    27 July 2017

    Wood has been vital in the development of human civilisation. Brian Clegg looks at the compound at its heart

  • Soldiers wearing WW1 gas masks. L-R: American, British. French, German. 1917-18.
    Podcast

    Diphenylchlorarsine

    21 July 2017

    One of the few technical mistakes the Germans made in the first world war

  • Gold crown with gemstones
    Podcast

    Aqua regia

    13 July 2017

    Capable of dissolving gold and platinum to help make 99.999% pure metals, aqua regia deserves its royal status

  • A rustic cheeseboard
    Podcast

    Chymosin

    6 July 2017

    The enzyme that helps us turn milk into cheese is also responsible for the biggest commercial success story of any genetically modified organism

  • Young black and white cat with bottles of milk
    Podcast

    Casein

    28 June 2017

    One of the most popular plastics of the early 20th century was accidentally invented by a cat, as Kat Arney finds out.

  • Blue domestic LED light bulbs
    Podcast

    Gallium nitride

    22 June 2017

    Despite early setbacks, this conducting crystal shows great promise across a wide range of electronics

  • An image of a powder with a faint blue glow
    Podcast

    Caesium chloride

    14 June 2017

    A compound found in mineral water that is also used in medical treatments and solar cells

  • Fabrication of hierarchical biomimetic polymeric nanostructured surfaces - nanosphere monolayer film on the surface of a liquid covering
    Podcast

    Rotaxanes

    7 June 2017

    A group of compounds that resemble machine parts could pave the way for molecular robots