Research
Silicon-based ‘ladder molecules’ take a step up in complexity
New compounds are ‘among the most complex organosilanes ever synthesised’
Microwaves make sustainable sticky adhesive easy to recycle
Seventy-year search for simpler route to valuable reactive intermediate ends
Less than 1% of 300,000 environmentally relevant chemicals in the US have monitoring data
DNA barcodes can make drug discovery screens miss potential medicines
Chemistry for the visually impaired that can be felt, heard and smelt
In depth
‘Deeply concerned’: Are chemistry departments across the US at real risk of closure?
Chemistry chairs warn that they face the same problems afflicting the UK with the Trump administration adding to their woes
Military demand strains metal supply chains
Conflict and trade disputes have disrupted global supplies of specialist metals like hafnium, antimony and rare earths
Explainer: Why is the UK banning disposable vapes?
Prior to the ban, almost seventy million single-use e-cigarettes were being discarded each year in the UK – containing enough lithium for a thousand electric vehicle batteries
Why does asparagus make my urine smell?
The chemistry of the organosulfur compounds that result in a fragrant toilet
Why are public health experts calling for new warnings on sugar-free slushies?
Reports of children falling ill have led to calls for public health advice to be updated
What on earth is going on with research funding in the US?
Untangling what the Trump administration’s directives and executive orders mean for federally funded science
AI predicts transition states with exceptional precision
Model can complete tasks in under a second that take conventional methods hours
Robot ramps up accuracy of AI salt stain identifier
Database with three times as many images as before boosts accuracy of technique to almost 99%
AI inspired by AlphaFold can predict chromatin structures found in chromosomes
System could help unravel how genome folding influences genes
Publishers need to provide guidelines on use of AI in research, says Wiley
Feedback from almost 5000 researchers helped inform publishing giant’s report
‘Chemistry will no longer be an exclusive club’: how AI is changing Omar Yaghi’s work
UC Berkeley’s reticular chemistry pioneer tells us about his new institute using AI to tackle climate change
Worldwide
Fatal explosion and fire at Indian pharmaceutical ingredients plant
At least 42 dead and 25 injured at Sigachi Industries near Hyderabad
Congo’s cobalt conundrum
DRC government is intervening to revive prices and stabilise supply chains
Working towards an Australian First Nations periodic table
Zahra Khan finds out how a team of scholars is working with the Gadigal to develop a chart that celebrates Indigenous knowledge of the chemical elements
Researcher severely injured in 2016 Hawaii lab explosion receives £5 million settlement
Thea Ekins-Coward lost an arm in an experiment with unsafe apparatus
Aria seeks new chief as Ilan Gur steps down
After three years at the helm, Gur to step down from blue-skies research funder
Royal Society of Chemistry changes direction on open access rollout following community feedback
In place of open access across the board, the society will adopt regional publishing models
Two more European crackers to close
Sabic will not reopen UK plant and Dow will close another in Germany
Shake-up for unpopular procurement system that left Indian scientists with substandard supplies
Changes will see researchers, departments and universities able to buy equipment without going through government’s online portal
UK industrial strategy prioritises advanced manufacturing and life sciences
Government will subsidise electricity-intensive industries as part of support for eight key sectors
Military demand strains metal supply chains
If the UK wants growth fuelled by R&D, universities need relief now
Spending review will see R&D funding rise to £22.6 billion by 2029–2030
US plans to close Chemical Safety Board by October
US government to ‘aggressively revoke’ Chinese students’ visas
UK government announces 10-year budgets for R&D
Trade deals stave off Trump’s tariffs temporarily
UK funding agency to support controversial climate cooling research
Critics warn against shifting focus from emissions reduction towards ‘speculative’ cooling technologies
Chemistry for the visually impaired that can be felt, heard and smelt
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, recently brought chemistry alive for students with sight loss
First-generation graduate chemists face challenges throughout their entire academic lifetime
Study highlights need for mentorship and more inclusive networks
Under legal pressure American Chemical Society ends diversity programme
The society is replacing its 30-year-old Scholars Program for minorities with a larger one that does not consider race
Analysis reveals ethnic minority applicants’ grant success rates still lower
Engineering and physical sciences’ review panels in UK more likely to award white researchers
American Chemical Society diversity programme comes under attack
New year honours recognise chemists’ services to inclusion and diversity
Nobel prize winners far more likely to come from wealthy families highlighting inequality in the sciences
Women stay in science far longer than thought, study of OECD countries suggests