Shape-shifting MOF works wonders for heating and cooling across climates
A pressurised system self-regulates to trigger temperature changes without external electrical inputs
Is this painting of a Roman emperor a lost Leonardo da Vinci?
Pigment analysis sheds light on Renaissance painting mystery
Updated Appel reaction finally fluorinates alcohols
Simple reaction allows access to wide range of fluorinated molecules, without using hazardous hydrogen fluoride
Covalent drugs just got a new ‘spring-loaded’ warhead
Sulfur(IV) reagent allows late-stage installation of bicyclobutanes to drug molecules, expanding a limited tool box
Chiral phenomenon previously thought impossible discovered in metal sulfide crystal
Re-engineered psychedelic drug retains therapeutic activity in mice, while limiting negative side effects
Ferric chloride steers lithium away from dendrites to improve safety of lithium-metal batteries
Polymer sponge could save stars of the silver screen from ‘vinegar syndrome’ destruction
Chemists reveal just how much angle – and proximity – matters for molecules to react when they collide
Chemical analysis of limpet shells reveals mechanism behind deep-sea migrations
Highlights
150 years of Gibbs’ phase rule
In 1876, Josiah Willard Gibbs published an equation that would transform chemistry – yet barely anyone noticed at the time. The story of his phase rule is one of delayed recognition, mathematical abstraction and enduring scientific legacy
How AI is transforming the world of analytical chemistry
Analytical chemists have been using machine learning long before ChatGPT made headlines. Now, as generative AI enters the laboratory, the discipline faces both opportunities and risks
Molecular ratchets: unlocking the chemistry of biological motion
Motor proteins power everything from muscle contraction to bacterial swimming. While replicating their chemically fuelled directional motion in the laboratory has proved difficult, researchers are making progress and developing molecular ratchets and motors that do useful work
Extremophiles are rewriting the rules of life on Earth
Creatures that survive extreme conditions like mind-boggling temperatures and toxicity challenge how we define life. Bárbara Pinho finds out how it will impact how we search for life beyond Earth
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.
Topics
One-electron bonds may be more common than chemists thought
Researchers identify one-electron behaviour in systems traditionally described as covalent, ionic and dative bonding
Protein wrappers designed by AI solve membrane proteins’ solubility problem
Protein sheaths encapsulate membrane proteins while preserving their structure and function making them easier to study
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?
New record set by quantum computing as it models its largest protein yet
Stripped down bacterium functions with one less amino acid than the rest of life on Earth
‘Human-in-the-loop’ approach could cut costs of robotic labs by 90%
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
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
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
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
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
Green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing in India
Pathways, policies and the role of chemists in building a circular chemical economy
61% of Germany’s chemistry PhD students consider quitting their degrees
Unhealthy supervisor–student relationships driving poor mental health outcomes among chemistry researchers
Is the US witnessing the start of a brain drain of chemists to China?
Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi is the latest prominent chemist to leave for China and his high-profile departure may signal growing unease
German research funder issues warning over threats to academic freedom
External influences – such as politics, funding and the media – are increasingly putting the autonomy of research under pressure
STFC’s £160 million cost-cutting plan prompts concern over future access to key UK research facilities
Major facilities like the Diamond Light Source will remain open but may reduce user support and some services, while smaller national labs face significant cuts
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