Materials
The latest chemistry news and research on materials, including polymers, electronic materials, soft matter and porous materials, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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OpinionStructure as a strategy
Progress in materials chemistry has often come from changing what things are made of, yet today we understand that how those components are arranged is just as important
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OpinionReprieve for Grangemouth ethylene
UK government agrees £150 million deal to support the country’s last ethylene production plant
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ResearchShedding light on how photoactive crystals respond in real time
Lauren Hatcher discusses her work developing techniques for time-resolved crystallography
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BusinessChemicals industry roundup 2025
Europe hit hard by China’s independence push, but India is growing
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ResearchInsulating window material prevents heat loss while allowing more light through than glass
Easy to make polymer could be used for energy efficient buildings
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ResearchExquisite stereochemical control will allow creation of millions of unique polymers
New method take inspiration from established techniques like those used to synthesise DNA
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OpinionChanging the rules of global chemicals trade
Chemical dumping claims reflect US and China’s focus on national interests ahead of global markets
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BusinessTaking aerogel insulation from spacecraft to living space
Nanoplume’s bio-based materials are super-insulating but also cheap and scalable
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ResearchNew MOF binds two gas molecules at each metal site
Rare co-operative adsorption mechanism enables metal–organic framework to bind two carbon monoxide molecules at each metal centre
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BusinessIneos asks EU to intervene over ‘unfair’ chemical imports
Group says 10 key chemicals are being dumped cheaply, harming domestic industry
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ResearchMechanoluminescence goes crystal-free
Bending, twisting and contact separation cause pure amorphous solids made from heteroleptic copper(I) complexes to emit light
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ResearchNew evidence sheds light on mystery of ‘magic-angle’ graphene’s superconductivity
Best evidence yet points to unconventional superconductivity in twisted layer material
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ResearchCharge-switching polymer could hold the key to needle-free insulin gel
Animal tests reveal zwitterionic polymer can transport insulin through skin and regulate blood glucose
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News‘AI will have a very large impact on chemistry’: £100 million AI materials hub to be built in Liverpool
Aim-Hi project to speed use of AI in materials science and accelerate discovery science
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Research2D polymer films approach exceptional impermeability of pristine graphene
Spin-coated polyaramids could protect food and solar cells from air
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BusinessSouth African Lawsuit challenges Sasol’s ethylene monopoly
Plastics producer Safripol says high prices mean it can’t compete with imported materials
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ResearchBeer yeast leftovers spun into a promising sustainable yarn 50% stronger than wool
Brewery waste can be turned into a cheap, environmentally-friendly textile
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BusinessHow a weak rubber supply chain threatens US national security
Irene Yurovska raises the alarm on US reliance on Chinese imports for critical chemical additives
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BusinessUK firm reaches tonne scale MOF manufacturing
Promethean Particles’s continuous flow process can produce carbon-capturing material at 100kg/hr
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OpinionA brief intro to altermagnetism
Experiments only directly confirmed the existence of this type of magnetic material last year but it’s already making waves