Covalent organic frameworks could clean up water pollution and generate ‘green’ ammonia
Supramolecular structures can break down nitrates to produce ammonia and close the fertiliser loop
Bacteria discovered to be synthesising metal–organic frameworks with ‘extraordinary conductivity’
Biosynthesis of MOFs observed for the first time and could inspire the design of sustainable electronic structures
Metal carbyne finally synthesised using f-block element
Bonding in uranium–carbon triple bond differs to transition metal equivalents
Controlling variability in biosynthesis: the role of high-purity solvents and reagents
From oligonucleotides to mRNA, precise workflows leave little room for deviation
40 years of patent data reveals an overreliance on hazardous solvents
Two-in-one reagent combines fluoroalkylation with being click ready
Rare N2 dimer could let scientists answer questions about global nitrogen cycle
Femtosecond x-rays solve contentious question of how azobenzene flips between isomers
Microsoft’s split-personality retrosynthetic AI is a fast learner
Skeletal editing step forward as carbon atoms swapped for nitrogen by embracing unreactive radical intermediate
Highlights
The race to decarbonise iron and steelmaking
Steel production accounts for up to 11% of global carbon dioxide emissions, yet it remains indispensable to modern life. A wave of new technologies to decarbonise steelmarking is emerging – but the economics remain daunting
The evolution of chemical notation
Chemical notation has come a long way since the cryptic symbols of the alchemists – but agreeing on how to represent molecules, bonds and reactions has never been straightforward, and the challenge is far from over
How asymmetric autocatalysis won the Nobel prize
Mason Wakley tells the full story of how Henri Kagan and Kensō Soai’s work on non-linear effects and asymmetric autocatalysis won the 2026 Nobel prize in chemistry
NMR spectroscopy from its origins to hyperpolarisation and beyond
From Richard Ernst’s Nobel prize-winning techniques to hyperpolarisation and in-situ battery analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy continues to reinvent itself
Twisting 2D nanomaterials unlocks exotic quantum phases of matter
From superconductivity to fractional charge, strange and exotic states emerge when 2D nanomaterial bilayers are twisted into moiré superlattice structures. Chemists are joining force with physicists to explore a strange twisted world
Topics
Microsoft’s split-personality retrosynthetic AI is a fast learner
Retrochimera combines two deep learning algorithms from different classes, outperforming their individual success rates on datasets from Novartis and GSK
AI helps chemists consider more options when it comes to picking the best reactants for an experiment
Algorithm can standardise substrate selection to improve performance and structural diversity
Tagging AI-generated proteins during design process will let scientists know who made them
Google DeepMind researchers who developed the method say that this will help uphold scientific integrity and prevent misuse of protein designs
Google DeepMind’s mutation Atlas shines a light on our dark DNA
Can we predict what happens in a molecular movie?
Molecular dyes outside of the sRGB colour gamut present a challenge for digital chemistry
Benchmark flaws may be distorting AI drug-discovery leaderboards
One-electron bonds may be more common than chemists thought
Is this painting of a Roman emperor a lost Leonardo da Vinci?
Pigment analysis sheds light on Renaissance painting mystery
Embodying polymer chemistry with a purpose by upcycling plastics and trapping PFAS
For Frank Leibfarth, focussing on reactivity and selectivity helps him bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research
Was the ‘Baghdad battery’ really two cells?
A new study suggests it had an ‘outer’ cell that reacted with air to supply a higher voltage. But was it a battery at all?
Prehistoric humans hunted with poisoned arrows thousands of years earlier than thought
Deadly plant alkaloids discovered on 60,000-year-old arrowheads
Green chemistry co-founder John Warner on tragedy, creativity and science
Warner shares how his passion for music transitioned into a love of chemistry and how life events have shaped his professional successes
Pfizer’s green chemistry team turns 25
What began as a grassroots initiative has become embedded across Pfizer’s research and manufacturing operations, helping reshape processes from Viagra to Paxlovid
Handbook of practical advice will help chemistry departments reduce environmental impact, save money
Collection of real-life examples aims to balance environmental and financial concerns
Stringent regulations on dichloromethane are forcing US labs to rethink use of common solvent
As broad ban on DCM is finalised, US labs have either abandoned the chemical or readied themselves for exposure monitoring in November
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
Researchers in Brazil welcome da Silva’s re-election
Scientists celebrate defeat of Jair Bolsonaro’s son in close-run election
Punitive student loans threaten the future of UK science
Science graduates face choice of leaving science sector for higher paid careers or becoming stuck in debt trap
‘They don’t see a sustainable future for research’: US science coming under increasing pressure
Chemistry World spoke to Wayne Jones, director-at-large of the American Chemical Society, about falling funding, graduates’ employment prospects and a need to rethink how chemistry is funded
Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences hit by Russian drone, killing two
Academy is now calling on the scientific community to ‘stand united’ against Russian attacks on science
El Agente: ask me anything! A live demonstration
Join us as we tackle your chemistry challenges live with the El Agente team on 24 November