Katharine Sanderson
Before turning freelance Katharine was a news editor and reporter for Nature, covering the physical sciences. She started her journalism career at Chemistry World. Katharine's stories cover a broad sweep of subjects, taking in batteries, alien life, sports science and policy, amongst others. Katharine has degrees in chemistry from Imperial College and a PhD from Cambridge University.
ResearchUnique phenomenon discovered as gel shifts to a liquid, then back to a gel and back again
Discovery could offer insight into unusual natural events
ResearchForgotten research leads to nickel catalyst that turns CO2 into longer hydrocarbons
Discovery shows that there is life beyond copper for carbon dioxide reduction
ResearchStabilisation of rare allotrope could be key to making lithium-sulfur batteries work
Gamma sulfur allows batteries to operate in conventional electrolyte without cell-killing side reactions
ResearchThe diamond family welcomes its newest member – paracrystalline diamond
Amorphous diamond with pockets of natural diamond makes theoretical paracrystals a reality
ResearchCooking up sustainable battery materials in the microwave
Improved sodium-ion battery anodes synthesised while avoiding conventional solvents
FeatureThe long road to sustainable lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries could save the planet from petrol-driven cars, but do the batteries themselves live up to their sustainable reputation? Katharine Sanderson investigates efforts to make batteries better
OpinionMabel FitzGerald and the mystery of oxygen sensing
Katharine Sanderson celebrates the tenacious and brilliant researcher who came tantalizingly close to describing oxygen sensing, a concept that earned the Nobel prize over 100 years later
NewsThirty years on new home sought for Kroto’s Nobel-winning samples
Piece of chemistry history at Sussex could form heart of outreach centre
OpinionJulia Lermontova: an early pioneer
Katharine Sanderson tells the story of a 19th century Russian chemist who made contributions across a range of chemistry
OpinionStefanie Horovitz – the woman behind the isotope
Overlooked by history, murdered by the Nazis: the forgotten story of a talented chemist who helped prove the existence of isotopes
FeatureChemical life support
Keeping astronauts alive requires some clever chemistry, as Katharine Sanderson discovers
FeatureWhat are you afraid of?
The public’s mistrust of ‘chemicals’ will take great efforts to repair. Katharine Sanderson looks at the ‘c’-word
FeaturePress P to print
The use of 3D printers to create lab equipment, deliver reagents and even build biomaterials is on the rise. Katharine Sanderson installs drivers and prints away
FeatureScience's spiritual side?
Some view science and religion as mutually exclusive. Most feel there is some conflict between them. But this has not always been the case, Katharine Sanderson discovers
- Feature
Solvents reveal their ionic powers
Katharine Sanderson unveils the proof that finally showed quite how special the green solvents ionic liquids really are
- News
Copper mines and chemistry
Extracting pure copper metal from low-grade metal ores will benefit from the latest coordination chemistry research, thanks to a molecule that can hold negative and positive ions in place, UK chemists claim.
- News
Small businesses face heavy burden
Europe's small to medium-sized businesses will be hit hard by costs planned for the European Chemicals Agency, industry representatives have warned.
- Feature
Higher than the sun
Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, head of the UK fusion programme, would like to see viable fusion power a reality in his lifetime. To this end, he is strongly backing Iter, an international fusion project, as Katharine Sanderson finds out
- Careers
Representing post-doc concerns
The UK National Research Staff Association hopes to smooth the academic path. Katharine Sanderson reports.
- News
Fuel cell future in miniature
Forget Lego and Meccano, the latest techie toy for surreptitiously educating unsuspecting children has arrived - a mini hydrogen fuel-cell-powered car.