‘A materials breakthrough’: membranes to separate crude oil could slash energy costs
Separating crude oil into useful fractions take 1% of the world’s energy. These researchers have a plan to tackle this
Remediating PFAS pollution in Europe could cost €100 billion a year
Analysis highlights the enormous financial burden of remediating long- and short-chain PFAS contamination
How a chance discovery overturned one of photochemistry’s oldest dogmas
The first hints of what’s behind the seemingly illogical mismatch between photochemical reactivity and absorptivity could finally end a team’s 10-year struggle to get their results taken seriously
Watching unpaired electrons at work
From building the Centre for Pulse EPR at Imperial to probing electron transfer in real time, Maxie Rößler is pushing an overlooked technique into the spotlight
Metabolised antibiotics can drive antimicrobial resistance just as much as their parent compounds
Clever chemistry turns antibiotic-resistant bacteria’s own defences against them
Desert horned lizards that drink captured water from their skin inspire water-harvesting system
Halogen bonding makes its debut in a permanently porous framework
Microdroplet chemistry enables catalyst-free skeletal editing
Molecular labels streamline high throughput mass spec analysis by rapidly ranking reactions
Highlights
Seveso disaster at 50: how Italy’s dioxin catastrophe transformed chemical safety
On 10 July 1976, a chemical reactor near Milan released a cloud containing dioxin over residential areas. The Seveso disaster traumatised a community, sparked pan-European environmental campaigns and transformed industrial safety regulation across the continent.
Superatoms offer new dimension to materials chemistry palette
Could atomically precise nanoclusters mimic the chemistry of particular atoms without their toxic or cost drawbacks? James Mitchell Crow reports on the emerging third dimension of the periodic table
AI agents accelerate catalyst discovery from simulation to scale-up
Artificial intelligence tools are transforming catalyst research, with new AI agents capable of completing in minutes what once took computational chemists days. Andy Extance explores how all scientists can benefit, from small groups to those at tech giants like Meta, Google and Nvidia
Wool’s complex chemistry unlocks sustainable applications beyond textiles
Once the cornerstone of industrial wealth, wool has struggled against synthetic fibres for decades. Now, its versatile protein structure, featuring keratin helices and sulfur-rich crosslinks, is inspiring innovative applications beyond traditional textiles.
How depolymerisation could enable infinite reuse of plastics
Nina Notman discovers how a type of chemical recycling – depolymerisation – could increase recycling rates, reduce plastic waste and enable a more circular economy
Topics
AI model fills in the gaps in crystal structures by placing missing hydrogen atoms
Model may help fix existing structures in the database or better simulate new materials
Could AI research assistants speed up scientific discovery?
Google’s Co-Scientist and Futurehouse’s Robin can help scientists generate hypotheses, design experiments and analyse data
New record set by quantum computing as it models its largest protein yet
Two IBM quantum processors working in concert with two supercomputers simulate a protein–ligand system with 12,000 atoms
‘Human-in-the-loop’ approach could cut costs of robotic labs by 90%
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Molecules with largest dipole moments aren’t due to electronegativity differences
The quest to understand where atoms end
Mapping tool delivers quantitative visualisations of steric interactions
Watching unpaired electrons at work
From building the Centre for Pulse EPR at Imperial to probing electron transfer in real time, Maxie Rößler is pushing an overlooked technique into the spotlight
Prehistoric humans hunted with poisoned arrows thousands of years earlier than thought
Deadly plant alkaloids discovered on 60,000-year-old arrowheads
Shedding light on how photoactive crystals respond in real time
Lauren Hatcher discusses her work developing techniques for time-resolved crystallography
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
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
How depolymerisation could enable infinite reuse of plastics
Nina Notman discovers how a type of chemical recycling – depolymerisation – could increase recycling rates, reduce plastic waste and enable a more circular economy
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
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
AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry
In this episode, we discuss reflections from this year’s AAAS annual meeting, the latest advances in plasma chemistry, and hear the latest headlines.
Chemistry delivers £60.5 billion to the UK economy and makes local economies more resilient, says RSC report
Report reveals how chemical sciences contribute to key sectors and industries, and warns that university closures, rising energy costs and geopolitical instability threaten future growth
A warning for US science & wool’s chemical versatility
We discuss highlights from Marcia McNutt’s final address. Plus, what’s the chemistry behind the woolly sweaters keeping you warm?
Thousands protest across Austria and Poland calling for governments to back science
Proposed budget cuts and lack of funding have led to demonstrations throughout both countries
Australia forges closer research links to EU as it gets ready to join Horizon Europe by 2027
Becoming part of one of the world’s largest funding programmes will allow Australian researchers direct access to funding and to lead projects
Outgoing US National Academy of Sciences head warns of ‘turmoil’ in her final State of Science address
NAS president addresses research funding worries, the need to revamp the promotion and tenure system and how AI can help