Research
Was the ‘Baghdad battery’ really two cells?
A new study suggests it had an ‘outer’ cell that reacted with air to supply a higher voltage. But was it a battery at all?
News
Public values scientists but fewer feel informed about science, UK survey finds
Survey will provide government with insights on how the public perception of science could be improved
Opinion
To PhD or not to PhD? That is the question
Undergraduate student Umaymah Ahmad finds out what it’s like to go into academic research
Opinion
Three centuries of Roman limescale reveals a dirty secret about Pompeii’s public baths
Carbon isotope ratios suggest that pre-aqueduct, the water was often contaminated with human waste
Feature
The toxic chemistry behind skin bleaching products
The global skin-lightening market is worth over $10 billion and growing, but the unregulated products driving it contain dangerous chemicals linked to serious health risks. Zahra Khan speaks to the scientists and advocates trying to fix the problem
News
Quantum dot pioneer and Nobel prize winner Louis Brus dies at 82
Brus shared the 2023 chemistry Nobel prize with Alexei Ekimov and Moungi Bawendi
Webinar
From bean to brew: the chemistry behind the perfect cup of coffee
Join us on 26 February to discover the chemistry behind the aromas and flavours of one of the world’s favourite beverages
Opinion
Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’
The nanogeoscientist on the importance of people to good science, the recent turnaround on diversity, equity and inclusion and why she will never be a professional artist
Highlights
The toxic chemistry behind skin bleaching products
The global skin-lightening market is worth over $10 billion and growing, but the unregulated products driving it contain dangerous chemicals linked to serious health risks. Zahra Khan speaks to the scientists and advocates trying to fix the problem
How the pioneers of metal-organic frameworks won the Nobel prize
From wooden models to thousands and thousands of structures, Julia Robinson tells the story of how Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry
Rethinking workplaces for neurodivergent staff
Neurodivergent people often excel in skills highly valued in chemistry. Nina Notman investigates how employers are breaking down barriers and harnessing these talents through workplace adjustments and recruitment reforms
From flying ointments to healing herbs: the forgotten chemistry behind historical witchcraft practices
The unusual concoctions of village witches have historically been dismissed as nonsense hocus pocus – but is this the whole story? Victoria Atkinson investigates the chemistry behind the myth and whether there was more to witchcraft than ritual and superstition
How stable isotope analysis reveals what ancient humans and Neanderthals ate
Analytical chemistry can tell us what our ancestors ate thousands – or even millions – of years ago. Rachel Brazil gets her teeth into the evidence
The toxic chemistry behind skin bleaching products
The global skin-lightening market is worth over $10 billion and growing, but the unregulated products driving it contain dangerous chemicals linked to serious health risks. Zahra Khan speaks to the scientists and advocates trying to fix the problem
Opinion
Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’
The nanogeoscientist on the importance of people to good science, the recent turnaround on diversity, equity and inclusion and why she will never be a professional artist
Careers
Statements alone don’t make labs inclusive for disabled chemists
Leaders need to provide proactive support to disabled employees making adjustment requests
News
Royal Society of Chemistry calls for labs to become more inclusive for disabled chemists
Innovative thinking could address many of the problems that makes labs inaccessible
Opinion
How the Royal Society of Chemistry is reshaping recognition in the chemical sciences
Changes over the past five years have enabled a wider variety of team and individual excellence to be celebrated
Opinion
Why an inclusive culture is the best way to unlock chemistry’s potential
Reasonable adjustments enable diverse teams that can grow, innovate and tackle global problems
Feature
Rethinking workplaces for neurodivergent staff
Neurodivergent people often excel in skills highly valued in chemistry. Nina Notman investigates how employers are breaking down barriers and harnessing these talents through workplace adjustments and recruitment reforms
Mary Sherman Morgan: The best kept secret in the space race
Anna Demming reveals the scientist who invented the fuel that powered the first US satellite into orbit, yet died with barely a trace on record of her achievements
Martin Gouterman: the gay man behind the four-orbital model
Abhik Ghosh tells the story of a porphyrin chemist who was a leading figure in Seattle’s gay rights movement of the 1960s
William Knox, the only Black supervisor in the Manhattan Project
The story of the Knox family is one of education overcoming adversity, finds Kit Chapman
Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’
The nanogeoscientist on the importance of people to good science, the recent turnaround on diversity, equity and inclusion and why she will never be a professional artist
Raj Shah: ‘A good laugh in the lab is often as important as a good reagent’
The award-winning chartered chemical engineer celebrates mentoring, curiosity and lubrication
Odile Eisenstein: ‘Some of the most important advice is to be persistent’
The pioneering theoretical chemist on teaching herself programming and the importance of freedom
Why failing my first chemistry test was the best thing that ever happened to me
Lost in reactions, but driven by curiosity – how a supportive teacher enabled me to find my way to a career in science
What can biochemists learn from drama?
How my acting background helps me build my scientific skills
A prize better than the Nobel
How a reality check, a little patience and a lot of polysaccharides shaped my scientific journey
Quick chemistry crossword #101
Indian and Danish physicists meet British astronomers and evolutionary biologists in this quick chemistry crossword
Cryptic chemistry crossword #117
Can you discover ‘Isaac Newton’s hidden condition (4)’?
Chemistry wordoku #126
Tease out the terpene hidden in this sudoku-style puzzle
Opinion
Archaeon’s lack of metabolism challenges definitions of life
A question that is not the same as asking whether something is alive
Opinion
Democratising science, one step at a time
Artifical intelligence is just the latest method to open up chemistry to more people
Opinion
What makes a scientific breakthrough truly chemical?
Why MOFs are a great choice for the Nobel prize in chemistry
Opinion
The conceptual challenge of consumer safety
Understanding causation can motivate product improvements
Opinion
What the smell of benzene tells us about the world
A philosophical discussion about how much we can trust our senses
Opinion
How feminist bioethics can improve women’s health
From correcting research imbalances to placing value on lived experiences
Opinion
In search of truth and rules
To codify and predict ever more complex phenomena is one of science’s great drivers
News
’Chemistry is incredibly complicated’: The interface between chemistry and art
Liverpool PhD student Emma Brass talks to Chemistry World about her AI-powered art installation
Opinion
Odile Eisenstein: ‘Some of the most important advice is to be persistent’
The pioneering theoretical chemist on teaching herself programming and the importance of freedom
Webinar
Nature’s amazing chemistry: reflections on its complexity and diversity
Take a walk on the wild side to discover the wacky and wonderful chemical mysteries of the natural world
Research
Was the ‘Baghdad battery’ really two cells?
A new study suggests it had an ‘outer’ cell that reacted with air to supply a higher voltage. But was it a battery at all?
Opinion
Three centuries of Roman limescale reveals a dirty secret about Pompeii’s public baths
Carbon isotope ratios suggest that pre-aqueduct, the water was often contaminated with human waste
Opinion
Democratising science, one step at a time
Artifical intelligence is just the latest method to open up chemistry to more people
News
Royal Society of Chemistry calls for labs to become more inclusive for disabled chemists
Innovative thinking could address many of the problems that makes labs inaccessible
Opinion
How the Royal Society of Chemistry is reshaping recognition in the chemical sciences
Changes over the past five years have enabled a wider variety of team and individual excellence to be celebrated
News
AI research tools benefit individual scientists but may slow scientific progress
There may be a conflict between personal and collective gain in the sciences
Careers
Building the future of separation science
Jennifer Kingston was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Technical Excellence Prize, which honours the vital role of technical staff in the chemical sciences community
News
One year on, Trump’s second term has upended US science
Fears that the president’s return to the White House would seriously damage science agencies and universities have been borne out
Careers
In times of strife, should you hold a work Christmas party?
Celebrations are important, even when redundancies and funding cuts mean many chemists aren’t in the festive mood
Opinion
Learning computational chemistry in a new role
A change of team brings new opportunities to build knowledge
News
Public values scientists but fewer feel informed about science, UK survey finds
Survey will provide government with insights on how the public perception of science could be improved
News
One year on, Trump’s second term has upended US science
Fears that the president’s return to the White House would seriously damage science agencies and universities have been borne out
News
Photo of coiling net-caster spider silk wins Royal Society competition
Stunning electron micrograph of silk structure among 10 scientific photos to win prizes
Opinion
Letraset’s transfers and placing precision back on the drawing board
Professional lettering with a few rubs of a ballpoint pen
Opinion
What can biochemists learn from drama?
How my acting background helps me build my scientific skills
News
Just 29% of the UK public have a personal interest in R&D
Survey results suggest ‘broad but shallow’ public support for research sector
Careers
The chemist who commemorates lab discoveries on his body
University of Nebraska’s drug design centre director is communicating his team’s scientific breakthroughs with tattoos and now has 29 on his arm