Kira Welter
Kira is a freelance science writer and editor based in Germany. She grew up in Venezuela, the UK and the USA and studied chemistry at the University of the Andes in Mérida. After working for two years at an energy company, she moved to Germany where she obtained her PhD in chemistry from the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in electrochemistry and physical chemistry. Kira started her science publishing career in 2004 and currently serves as an editor for Chemistry Europe. She has been writing for Chemistry World since 2007, covering exciting advances in many different areas, from energy to antibiotics, molecular machines to nanophotonics, and artificial intelligence to recyclable polymers.
ResearchNon-antibiotics with antibacterial activity could help in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
New analysis shows that non-antibiotic drugs kill bacteria through mechanisms that differ from those of conventional antibiotics
ResearchAnswer found for why like-charged particles sometimes attract each other
It’s not just opposites that always attract as new research confirms an observation that has puzzled scientists for over 80 years
ResearchWatching molecular ions transform in real time
A new method that combines ultrafast electron diffraction with multiphoton ionisation has captured the dynamics of a cation in the gas phase for the first time
ResearchFleeting phenomenon of water autoionisation pinned down by neural network simulations
Modelling sheds light on a process that has been known for over a century but was tricky to understand
ResearchChemical oscillator’s tick-tock action catalyses reaction regular as clockwork
Small molecule oscillator can catalyse Knoevenagel condensation periodically without affecting the oscillation
ResearchPhotophysical oxidation plays newly discovered role in atmospheric chemistry
Process is likely to be a general mechanism in tropospheric chemistry, especially at low altitudes
ResearchMetallic hydrogen and diamonds may have been made from plastics
A combination of x-ray diffraction experiments and simulations suggests that an intense laser can transform polystyrene
ResearchRecycling wind turbine blades by breaking them down into their constituent chemicals
Thermoset plastics that normally end up in landfill can be selectively depolymerised using a ruthenium catalyst
ResearchMechanochemically accelerated sublimations used to separate chiral molecules
New technique combines ball milling with NMR to monitor sublimations in real time
ResearchNew example of molecular chirality discovered
The first instance of a molecule in which an oxygen atom is the sole stereocentre has been reported
ResearchNew theory provides answers to why metals have the structures that they do
The simple concept shows that a metal’s structure results from chemical interactions between localised electrons, challenging the traditional free electron gas model
ResearchMolecular motor running on electricity mimics biological motors
The nanomachine is based on a [3]catenane and isn’t operated through a microscope tip, unlike others
ResearchFully automated synthesis robot sets new record in stereospecific carbon–carbon bond formation
The robotic platform can make six carbon–carbon bonds without human guidance
ResearchMystery of speedy proton hopping in water unravelled
X-ray spectroscopy helps scientists understand how protons move in water
ResearchBenzene’s bond lengths corrected
Sophisticated spectroscopic method shows that previously reported values were out by several milliangstroms
NewsGerman firms raided over dual use chemicals sent to Russia
Companies have reportedly been exporting substances that could be turned into chemical weapons for several years without a permit
ResearchMultitasking boron catalyses first aldol reaction from esters
Using esters instead of aldehydes offers chemists a completely new retrosynthetic disconnection
ResearchClever carbene synthesis replaces notoriously hazardous chemistry
Reactive carbon compounds can now be made from aldehydes instead of explosive or unstable reagents
ResearchRich chemistry revealed by tip microscopy pulses’ bond making and breaking
Using an STM, scientists have been able to precisely switch between three different molecules, opening the way to multiple selective transformations
ResearchElectrocatalytic hydrogen atom transfer could give industrial organic synthesis a boost
The new approach – inspired by decades of energy storage research – is selective, efficient and sustainable