This week, we discuss new butyllithium formulations and ancient limescale chemistry with Emma Pewsey and Phillip Broadwith.

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Most synthetic chemists will recognize tert- and n-butyllithium, they have been called the ‘bread and butter’ reagents of the synthetic world. As such, many will also be familiar with their fiery, pyrophoric nature, making them notoriously difficult to work with. But Merck KGaA may have found a way to moderate this characteristic, making them easier to handle and less prone to degradation without compromising performance.

And, if you’ve ever had the chance to visit Pompeii, you’ll know it was a city that loved a spa. The public baths were integral to society, not just as a space for bathing but for socializing and exercising, and thus a good place to look for hints of what life was like in the ancient city. A team from Germany did exactly this, taking a closer look at the very thing we are constantly scrubbing away at in our own homes today: limescale.

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Mariana joined Chemistry World in early 2025 as Science Media Producer. She spent the previous five years as a freelance producer in television filming science documentaries across North America, Asia, Africa and Australia.View full profile

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Emma Pewsey is Chemistry World's comment and careers editor. She previously worked on the features team at eLife and has a PhD in corrosion science.View full profile

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As Business editor, Phillip's aim is to highlight to readers the exciting and innovative chemistry going on in the commercial sector, as well as keeping them abreast of trends and developments in the world of chemistry businesses.View full profile

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