Katrina Krämer
By day, I’m the associate editor for Nature Briefing; by night, I’m a freelance journalist for all things chemistry. Once upon a time I was a chemistry researcher, before working for many years as Chemistry World’s science correspondent. My favourite CAS number is 102-54-5.
ResearchHow a new carbon allotrope could change the definition of aromaticity
New experiments are uncovering the secrets of cyclocarbons – molecular forms of pure carbon that had eluded chemists for decades
ResearchFlip-flopping aromaticity breaks fluorescence rule
Azulene switches between anti-aromaticity and aromaticity in its excited states, offering an explanation for why it doesn’t follow Kasha’s rule
ResearchVacuum-field catalysis could change chemistry – but reproducibility concerns linger
Excitement about light–matter coupling results, tempered by lack of agreed-upon mechanism and difficulties reproducing results
OpinionSteven Chu: ‘I’m in the process of learning chemistry’
The Nobel-winning physicist on learning chemistry, staying informed and speaking out
OpinionJean-Marie Lehn: ‘Science or music really can take up all your life’
The supramolecular innovator on the importance of different cultures in research, working like a pianist, and being shocked by an opera
ResearchNanoparticles poison single-atom cross coupling catalyst
In a classic heterogeneous palladium catalyst, less than 1% of metal does 99% of catalytic work
OpinionKonstantin Novoselov: ‘I don't really know where my Nobel medal is’
The Nobel Prize-winning physicist on the importance of enthusiasm and moving on from graphene
ResearchAI identifies molecules from their featureless visible spectrum
Forget about trying to interpret peaks and let machine learning identify organic compounds from their entirely smooth visible spectrum
OpinionDan Shechtman: ‘Cyrus Smith was my idol’
The Israeli Nobel prizewinner shares how his career was inspired by Jules Verne and the unexpected fortune of failing to find a job
OpinionRichard Schrock: ‘It’s not my catalyst, it’s nature’s’
The Nobel laureate discusses the art of woodwork and what it feels like to have a catalyst named after him
OpinionDonna Strickland: ‘My career goal was to get a PhD’
The Nobel prize-winning physicist on the joys of doing nothing, meeting the Pope and how her PhD completed her life’s goals
ResearchMystery surrounding metalation reaction’s reagent excess solved
Multiple ‘base-eating’ aggregates discovered in classic directed ortho lithiation
ResearchUnprecedented simultaneous quantum tunnelling reaction discovered
Isomers of the same molecule undergo different tunnelling rearrangement at the same time – a process that ‘is completely breaking the classic transition state rules’
NewsSI units get new prefixes for huge and tiny numbers
Ronna, quetta, ronto and quecto are the first new prefixes for the metric system in 30 years
NewsUK government upholds £20 billion commitment to research and development
But a longer-term pledge of £22 billion has quietly disappeared in Jeremy Hunt’s first autumn statement as chancellor
ResearchA recipe for biodegradable mushroom batteries
Mycelium skin from wood fungus makes sustainable material for flexible electronics
NewsExplainer: why are curly arrows used in organic chemistry?
How organic chemists became arrow pushers and what quantum chemists have to say about this
News9 out of 10 scientists hate their lab coat
Genius Lab Gear wants to replace the boxy garment with tailored apparel that fits different body shapes and sizes
NewsMaterials science journal withdraws 500 papers from fake conferences
Off-topic and nonsense articles in Materials Today: Proceedings may have come from conferences that never happened, created by paper mills to ‘launder’ publications
ResearchAI discovers the best general conditions yet for cross couplings, doubling yields
Algorithm works with robotic experimenter on tricky Suzuki–Miyaura reactions