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News
Socioeconomic background still holding back students in chemistry, RSC report finds
Access is only the first step to making the chemical sciences inclusive
Feature
AI agents accelerate catalyst discovery from simulation to scale-up
Artificial intelligence tools are transforming catalyst research, with new AI agents capable of completing in minutes what once took computational chemists days. Andy Extance explores how all scientists can benefit, from small groups to those at tech giants like Meta, Google and Nvidia
Feature
Wool’s complex chemistry unlocks sustainable applications beyond textiles
Once the cornerstone of industrial wealth, wool has struggled against synthetic fibres for decades. Now, its versatile protein structure, featuring keratin helices and sulfur-rich crosslinks, is inspiring innovative applications beyond traditional textiles.
Research
Vanadium’s promise in medicine and the researchers who refuse to give up
It mimics phosphate, kills cancer cells in the lab and almost changed how we treat diabetes. So why has a vanadium compound never made it to the clinic?
Careers
How chemists are making laboratories more sustainable
A collection of articles sharing tips from researchers who reduced their environmental impact with support from the RSC’s Sustainable Laboratories grants
PEGylated ligands boost speed and selectivity in mechanochemical arylations
Study highlights the power of tailoring ligands to mechanochemical conditions
Extreme weather likely to increase methane emissions from landfills
Observations and models reveal precipitation and temperature linked to 13% of emissions from these sites
Warming seas impact cell structures that deliver oxygen to coral
Could AI research assistants speed up scientific discovery?
Pigeons navigate with ‘gut feeling’ powered by paramagnetic liver cells, study suggests
Scattering technique probes actinide orbitals to present experimental evidence of covalency trend
Repurposed anticancer agent becomes sound-activated antibacterial drug candidate
Boron equivalent of buckminsterfullerene finally observed after decades of research
Small experimental choices undermine flow battery comparisons
How far will EU push for fairer trade with China?
Strengthening rules on pharmaceutical and chemical trade could protect critical industries
Ukraine war sanctions straining Russia’s chemistry sector
Domestic producers are adapting to fill gaps in supply chains
EU looks to boost protective trade policy against Chinese imports
Australia sues 3M over firefighting foam PFAS contamination
AkzoNobel rejected attempts to cut in on Axalta merger
11 presumed dead in US paper mill implosion
UK government promises £350 million support for the chemicals sector
US officially moves to dismantle drinking water PFAS regulations
Detecting airborne pathogens by DNA sequencing
Why setting up a café is a good idea for chemistry students
Where support benefits both mentors and mentees
How far will EU push for fairer trade with China?
Strengthening rules on pharmaceutical and chemical trade could protect critical industries
What do university chemistry practicals really test?
In Nitheeshan Gunanantham’s experience, stamina can become a stand-in for skill
Celebrating click chemistry’s 25th birthday
The field ‘is nowhere near mature – if not in its infancy, then perhaps enjoying a highly active childhood’, says one of click chemistry’s orignators
Why I think it’s time to change how we teach the inductive effect
New evidence challenges the idea of long‑range inductive transmission, highlighting that some textbook explanations of inductive effects are oversimplified and, in key cases, completely wrong
(±)-Conidiogenone B
A beautiful synthesis that measures up to an ideal
Lessons from a community effort to fix flow battery testing
First-hand account of an international collaboration to make flow battery testing more reliable and reproducible
Ben Zhong Tang: ‘If you have to do something, try to do it well’
The polymer chemist on finding love for a subject, working with others and staying optimistic
Pushing the limits of capacity: the future of battery performance and design
Learn about the most promising up-and-coming technologies in battery design
Marine chemistry in a warming world: preserving Earth’s largest natural buffer
Join us on 15 July to learn how climate change is affecting the ocean’s biogeochemical cycles
One small step for microorganisms: what extremophiles on Earth can teach us about life on other planets
Learn how some of the tiniest organisms thrive in the harshest environments – join us on 30 July
Discovering the elements: no simple stories
Discover the true nature of scientific discovery
Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides
Click chemistry: it’s in the name. How has this unique discipline made its mark over the last quarter decade? And, we discuss new experimental evidence of how covalent bonding works in the actinides.
Quantum computing & a mysterious microplastic contaminant
How close are we to using quantum computers in our own labs? Plus, an unexpected source of contamination affecting microplastics research results.
Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling photocatalysts
Who will win the EV cathode race, manganese cobalt or iron phosphate? Plus, how a new photocatalyst could change the way we recycle batteries.
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
News
Socioeconomic background still holding back students in chemistry, RSC report finds
Access is only the first step to making the chemical sciences inclusive
Opinion
Why setting up a café is a good idea for chemistry students
Where support benefits both mentors and mentees
Careers
What to do if you’re facing dismissal
What a disciplinary process feels like, and the practical steps to take early
Webinar
Marine chemistry in a warming world: preserving Earth’s largest natural buffer
Join us on 15 July to learn how climate change is affecting the ocean’s biogeochemical cycles
Opinion
Ben Zhong Tang: ‘If you have to do something, try to do it well’
The polymer chemist on finding love for a subject, working with others and staying optimistic
Sponsored
The scientists who will power our future
Calling in the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds to address the energy crisis and build the next generation of batteries.
Advantages of monodisperse PEG in drug development
Precision matters: why monodisperse PEG is transforming drug development.
Karl Fischer titration for moisture analysis: applications in batteries, fuels and food
Accurate moisture analysis has consequences that extend well beyond the laboratory. Karl Fischer titration is what keeps them in check. The question is whether the reagent is up to the task.
Why data visualisation is so important in the age of AI
Machines don’t need to draw charts and plots to work with data, but humans will still need datavis skills to work with machines.
Pittcon 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.
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
Socioeconomic background still holding back students in chemistry, RSC report finds
Access is only the first step to making the chemical sciences inclusive
Why setting up a café is a good idea for chemistry students
Where support benefits both mentors and mentees
What do university chemistry practicals really test?
In Nitheeshan Gunanantham’s experience, stamina can become a stand-in for skill
What to do if you’re facing dismissal
What a disciplinary process feels like, and the practical steps to take early
Ben Zhong Tang: ‘If you have to do something, try to do it well’
Supporting pregnant chemists
University of Sheffield planning to cut jobs in chemistry and materials science
A career journey where nothing is lost and everything is transformed
Nottingham’s chemistry department faces loss of 30% of faculty amid university-wide staff cuts
Africa should treat entrepreneurial science as a lifeline, not a luxury