Latest
Opinion
‘The truth is supremely valuable and we cannot lie our way to it’
As a scientist with family in Iran, Derek Lowe finds his own government’s approach to truth alarming
Feature
Frustrated Lewis pairs mark 20 years of metal-free catalysis
James Mitchell Crow explains how an unexpected discovery in main group chemistry inspired two decades of chemical creativity, from carbon dioxide reduction to fluorocarbon recycling, offering sustainable alternatives to precious metal catalysis
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
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
Scientists claim to have found the two types of water that explain the liquid’s oddness
Discovery could shed new light on anomalies such as why water is densest at 4°C
Modified nitrile rubber gets new lease of life as carbon capture material
Two teams are exploring scaling up processes that could tackle the 800,000 tonnes of glove waste created every year
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Fragmented forensics in England and Wales has led to ‘postcode lottery’ with no fix in sight
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Liquid metal nanoparticles enable ultrafast fire detection
Elusive ‘dark matter’ diazo compounds captured from a human lung pathogen
Discovery of unique modification to plant’s carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme could boost crops
Electrostatic decatalysis offers a new way to suppress parasitic side reactions
‘The truth is supremely valuable and we cannot lie our way to it’
As a scientist with family in Iran, Derek Lowe finds his own government’s approach to truth alarming
Boron plays a key role in new sleeping sickness drug
Acoziborole is the first single-dose treatment for both early and late stage sleeping sickness
Traffic jams in the chemical plant
Chemical recycling of plastics rises as oil crisis continues
Driving the future of compliance: digital reference materials transforming regulated analytical testing
US moves to roll back ethylene oxide exposure rules
Widening impact of conflict in Iran
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes
Syngenta to close UK paraquat herbicide factory
‘The truth is supremely valuable and we cannot lie our way to it’
As a scientist with family in Iran, Derek Lowe finds his own government’s approach to truth alarming
Steve Liddle: ‘Try and do something different to what everyone else is doing’
The organometallic chemist on working with the f-elements, following your instinct and remaining grounded
Traffic jams in the chemical plant
What happens between a big order coming in and going out?
Chemical recycling of plastics rises as oil crisis continues
Recovering feedstocks from hard-to-recycle plastic is potentially important in a more circular plastic economy
Sharpening chemical intuition
Chemists are moving beyond hand-waving explanations by quantifying factors like the anomeric effect and steric repulsion
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
Driving the future of compliance: digital reference materials transforming regulated analytical testing
Join us 21 April to explore how digital tools and frameworks are transforming regulated analytical testing, compliance and industry-wide adoption
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
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.
Opinion
Steve Liddle: ‘Try and do something different to what everyone else is doing’
The organometallic chemist on working with the f-elements, following your instinct and remaining grounded
Research
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Rebecca Trager meets an organic chemist catalysing the search for BPA replacements by connecting synthetic chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and polymer chemists
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
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
Steve Liddle: ‘Try and do something different to what everyone else is doing’
The organometallic chemist on working with the f-elements, following your instinct and remaining grounded
How to get into – and ace – a summer undergraduate research programme
Five tips to help you make the most of these opportunities
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Rebecca Trager meets an organic chemist catalysing the search for BPA replacements by connecting synthetic chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and polymer chemists
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’
How sketching and painting have enhanced my scientific practice
How Thuc-Quyen Nguyen’s dreams of capturing the sun led her to organic electronics
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