More than half of all retracted papers are from China, analysis finds
Study examined rates and reasons for 46,000 retractions across 10 publishers in Retraction Watch Database
Textiles with ‘water shield’ nano-coating can be cleaned without detergent
Self-cleaning coating could cut water use and reduce release of microplastics
Scientists claim to have found the two types of water that explain the liquid’s oddness
Discovery could shed new light on anomalies such as why water is densest at 4°C
Modified nitrile rubber gets new lease of life as carbon capture material
Two teams are exploring scaling up processes that could tackle the 800,000 tonnes of glove waste created every year
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Fragmented forensics in England and Wales has led to ‘postcode lottery’ with no fix in sight
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Liquid metal nanoparticles enable ultrafast fire detection
Elusive ‘dark matter’ diazo compounds captured from a human lung pathogen
Discovery of unique modification to plant’s carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme could boost crops
Highlights
New treatments offer hope for neglected snakebite victims
Nina Notman meets the scientists developing recombinant antivenoms and small molecule inhibitors to save the lives and limbs of snakebite patients, who number in the their hundreds of thousands
Frustrated Lewis pairs mark 20 years of metal-free catalysis
James Mitchell Crow explains how an unexpected discovery in main group chemistry inspired two decades of chemical creativity, from carbon dioxide reduction to fluorocarbon recycling, offering sustainable alternatives to precious metal catalysis
Fritz Strassmann: the principled chemist who discovered nuclear fission
Analytical chemist Friedrich Strassmann played a crucial role in discovering nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, but his principled opposition to Nazi ideology nearly destroyed his career. His story of scientific rigour and moral courage deserves greater recognition
Cone snail venom peptides offer new hope for pain relief
Cone snails deploy sophisticated venom cocktails to paralyse prey. Anthony King talks to the researchers harnessing these peptides to develop new pain medications
Unravelling the chemistry behind the sea’s bioluminescent sparkle
Researchers are piecing together the unusual chemical reactions that enable dinoflagellates to create spectacular light displays in tropical bays. But the mechanism behind their bioluminescence remains one of nature’s most puzzling chemical mysteries
Topics
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Software simulates 370,000 steps in under 100 hours, potentially cutting demand for time on supercomputers by orders of magnitude
Molecules with largest dipole moments aren’t due to electronegativity differences
Computational analysis challenges Pauling’s idea of polarity
The quest to understand where atoms end
Atomic size measurements like van der Waals and covalent radii are central to chemistry, but are they grounded in reality?
Mapping tool delivers quantitative visualisations of steric interactions
Google’s AlphaGenome wants to do for DNA what AlphaFold did for proteins
AI tool dramatically reduces computing power needed to find protein-binding molecules
Purer silicon lets robust quantum computing get started on a new medium
Anomeric effect cannot be explained by hyperconjugation alone
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Rebecca Trager meets an organic chemist catalysing the search for BPA replacements by connecting synthetic chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and polymer chemists
Romans’ hot recipe for self-healing concrete unravelled in Pompeii
Discovery of building materials abandoned at construction site reveals secrets of ancient concrete that can set underwater
Roman-era ink reveals surprising chemical complexity
2000-year-old residue indicates the Romans wrote with iron-gall inks hundreds of years earlier than expected
The chemist using curry to understand indoor air pollution
Ashish Kumar’s research reveals how cooking shapes the air we breathe indoors
Modified nitrile rubber gets new lease of life as carbon capture material
Two teams are exploring scaling up processes that could tackle the 800,000 tonnes of glove waste created every year
Sunlight-driven process upcycles polystyrene waste and elemental sulfur into valuable organic compounds
Products could be used as building blocks for semiconductor materials
Green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing in India
Pathways, policies and the role of chemists in building a circular chemical economy
Unlocking the power of plasma for chemistry
Scientists are using non-thermal plasma to produce fertiliser and long-chain hydrocarbons. Mason Wakley talks to the chemists harnessing the fourth state of matter
Rethinking hydrogen peroxide production
Hydro-Oxy and Addible both aim to transform how industry produces and uses a ubiquitous oxidant.
Textiles in the age of sustainability: alternative methods for fabric dyeing and treatment
Learn about advances in sustainability of textile production
More than half of all retracted papers are from China, analysis finds
Study examined rates and reasons for 46,000 retractions across 10 publishers in Retraction Watch Database
As UK cuts airborne lab worries persist about future of funding following changes
Poor communication is being blamed by government ministers for concerns as research councils pause grants to revamp system
‘A philosophical attack on the nature of science’
Norine Noonan and Susan Coady Kemnitzer, who have retired from decades-long senior leadership roles at key science agencies and the White House, talk about the importance of collecting data at this historic moment
Ireland’s five-year plan for research aims to boost PhD numbers and spin-outs
Strategy wants 3800 PhDs and 2000 postdoctoral researchers trained to support economy
Chinese Academy of Sciences proposes capping pay-to-publish fees for high-profile journals
Journals charging article processing charges for open access in excess of $5000 are likely to be hit