Cop26: together for our planet
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, better known as Cop26, held in Glasgow, UK, is a crucial opportunity for world leaders to gather and agree how nations will work together to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change. There is much at stake, and many political, economic and societal factors are involved in overcoming this global challenge. One thing of which we can be certain is that chemical science will make a significant contribution to the innovations and technologies needed for a greener future.
Last of UK’s nuclear reprocessing plants to close
Sellafield’s Magnox plant will enter a new era of clean-up and decommissioning in July
Photosynthesis used to power a microprocessor for over six months
System represents a breakthrough in the real-life applicability of biophotovoltaic devices
Wastewater from battery recycling plants mined for water-splitting catalysts
Electrocatalysts derived from metal pollutants used to generate hydrogen
The RSC’s climate challenge
The Royal Society of Chemistry aims to use Cop26 as a springboard to a more sustainable future. Rachel Brazil reports
Susan Solomon: ‘We had to literally stand out on the roof’
The atmospheric chemist on battling the elements in Antarctica and preserving the integrity of science
Organometallic boost pushes perovskite solar cells to record efficiency, stability
Device survives 1000 hours of solar illumination with minimal power loss bringing commercialisation of cheaper cells closer
Breaking efficiency records with tandem solar cells
Oxford PV layers perovskite over silicon to capture a wider wavelength range
How a circular economy and nanotech save us from a clean energy bottleneck
A carbon-neutral future depends on smarter materials and circular thinking
Not just batteries: The chemistry of electric cars
The materials required in battery-powered cars are providing new challenges to chemists and the chemical industry. Clare Sansom reports
Light-driven molecular motor made from entirely renewable resources
Green synthetic strategy leads to first light-driven molecular motor from wood biomass
Climate must come first as Europe reduces reliance on Russian fuels
Experts warn that UK and EU proposals don’t do enough to protect the environment
Arlene Blum: ‘Our summit is reduced toxics’
The biophysical chemist on the link between climbing and reducing the use of toxic chemicals
Polymers designed to degrade upon exposure to gamma rays
Phenyl imine conjugated N–N bonds mean materials are ready for recycling
Supawan Tantayanon: ‘I designed my own portable lab’
The green chemistry pioneer on making labs safer, designing a portable lab and her unusual way of cooking
Methane in mind
From conflict-affected domestic supply concerns to global warming worries
Measuring methane emissions is crucial to cutting them
Atmospheric monitoring highlights large under-estimates in reported methane emissions
Methane – the other greenhouse gas
Bárbara Pinho looks at the problem of methane emissions and how scientists are trying to prevent them
Solar cells kept clean of dust and dirt with electrostatic wipe down
Electrode adaptation repels dust and could save billions of litres of water and millions in maintenance costs
Russian actions around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant flirt with catastrophe
An incident at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya plant could have disastrous consequences, nuclear safety expert warns
Massive Australian wildfires caused new damage to the ozone layer
Smoke particles caused a drop in chlorine-binding chemicals that set back the ozone layer’s recovery by 10 years
Climate change puts nearly a third of US facilities storing dangerous chemicals at risk
Congressional watchdog urges action after discovering over 3200 hazardous chemical facilities are in areas vulnerable to global warming
Podcasts
Oxybenzone
This summer’s extreme weather prompts Katrina Krämer to investigate the history of sunblock and the ingredient blamed by some for bleaching coral reefs
Source: © Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images
