Life’s handedness could have arisen spontaneously on Earth
New insight into the origins of homochirality point to adaptation to energy sources as driver
Atmospheric helium increasing at a measurable rate
Air samples revealed a rate of increase beyond expected natural variations
Photosynthesis used to power a microprocessor for over six months
System represents a breakthrough in the real-life applicability of biophotovoltaic devices
Bottleable but reactive carbocations are powerful hydride abstractors
Fluorinated trityl cations outperform trityl for hydride abstraction reactions
Lunar soil shows promise as a catalyst for extraterrestrial photosynthesis
Moon rock could one day be used to accelerate water splitting and carbon dioxide conversion in space to support crewed missions
AI-engineered enzyme eats entire plastic containers
Enzyme with only five amino acid alterations depolymerises 51 different PET products faster and at lower temperature than other proteins
Magnetic fields generate intricate periodic trends
By including magnetic fields in conceptual DFT, scientists have been able to use it to predict chemical behaviour under extreme conditions
Catalytic alchemy sees device transform one metal so that it behaves like another
Electric charge enables the catalytic ‘speed limit’ for many important reactions to be bypassed
First examples of odd-electron σ bonds for aluminium and gallium
Two new complexes with unusual two-centre/one-electron σ bonds are added to the group 13 family
Rydberg atoms can form molecular bonds with charged species
Researchers observe unusual bond, which is substantially longer than classical covalent interactions
Public perception of nanotechnology can quickly turn sour
Policymakers and scientists should consider the risks of uninformed twitterstorms
Sunscreen’s coral-killing mechanism uncovered
Sea anemones and corals convert oxybenzone into phototoxic compounds
Yeast engineered to convert methanol into heparin
Production levels are currently low, but researchers hope the method could one day mean pharma doesn’t have to rely on animals for this essential medicine
Wastewater from battery recycling plants mined for water-splitting catalysts
Electrocatalysts derived from metal pollutants used to generate hydrogen
Freeze–thaw cycles could explain how ancient RNA replicated without enzymes
Discovery solves puzzle of RNA world hypothesis
Controlling chemistry of chocolate making could speed up process without compromising taste
Non-microbial way to make chocolate that might supplant fermentation
EU auditors call for strengthened IP protection and action on fees
Disparities in enforcement between countries partly to blame
AI tool finds green ways to turn chemical waste into drugs
Circular approach for industry by-products considers environmental, economic and geographic aspects to rank predicted routes for real-world applications
Cooling effect discovered in breathing MOFs
Materials with breathing-caloric effect could replace fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerants
Strange new bonds found hiding in plain sight in common organometallics
Collective interactions are proof that there’s more to bonds than just connecting neighbouring atoms
Organometallic boost pushes perovskite solar cells to record efficiency, stability
Device survives 1000 hours of solar illumination with minimal power loss bringing commercialisation of cheaper cells closer
All of life’s nucleic acids could have extraterrestrial origins
All five nucleobases of RNA and DNA found in three meteorites
Edible, fluorescent silk tags could help stem tide of counterfeit medicines
Marker could be a simple answer to ensuring provenance of drugs
High school students design a bottle that turns seawater into drinking water
Mangrove trees inspire thermal and membrane-based desalination system
Pepto-Bismol compound’s structure unveiled after 120 years
Electron microscopy triumphed over x-ray crystallography as century-old structural puzzle around bismuth subsalicylate is finally solved
Spotlight shone on sped up photochemical reactions in droplets
Light can produce ‘hot spots’ in aerosols that supercharge reaction rates
Automated carbon-13 NMR structure validation program highlights errors atom-by-atom
Introducing a new measure to quantify molecular structural uncertainty
Discovery of microplastics in people raises difficult questions about health implications
Scientists keep finding tiny polymer particles in lungs, blood and placentas – but what does that mean means for people’s health?