Cooperative gallium bonds unlock zero-valent titanium and zirconium
Strategy could make low-valent metal chemistry a lot more accessible
Low-cost, energy-efficient process shows potential for electrochemical propene production
Reaction makes use of specially designed metal oxide–ionic liquid catalyst
Inside-out peptides are part of a new class of isomerism
Could an overlooked conformational contortion invalidate existing drug patents?
Water-based membrane waves through carbon dioxide, blocks other gases
Technology could be simpler, greener way to capture carbon dioxide or separate biogas
More than half of all retracted papers are from China, analysis finds
Textiles with ‘water shield’ nano-coating can be cleaned without detergent
Scientists claim to have found the two types of water that explain the liquid’s oddness
Modified nitrile rubber gets new lease of life as carbon capture material
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Highlights
The curious case of disappearing polymorphs
From crystallographers’ beards to billion-dollar lawsuits, the phenomenon of disappearing polymorphs has puzzled chemists for decades. Now researchers are finally unravelling the science behind why stable crystal forms suddenly vanish – and discovering how to bring them back
New treatments offer hope for neglected snakebite victims
Nina Notman meets the scientists developing recombinant antivenoms and small molecule inhibitors to save the lives and limbs of snakebite patients, who number in the their hundreds of thousands
Frustrated Lewis pairs mark 20 years of metal-free catalysis
James Mitchell Crow explains how an unexpected discovery in main group chemistry inspired two decades of chemical creativity, from carbon dioxide reduction to fluorocarbon recycling, offering sustainable alternatives to precious metal catalysis
Fritz Strassmann: the principled chemist who discovered nuclear fission
Analytical chemist Friedrich Strassmann played a crucial role in discovering nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, but his principled opposition to Nazi ideology nearly destroyed his career. His story of scientific rigour and moral courage deserves greater recognition
Cone snail venom peptides offer new hope for pain relief
Cone snails deploy sophisticated venom cocktails to paralyse prey. Anthony King talks to the researchers harnessing these peptides to develop new pain medications
Topics
Machine learning cuts complexity of computational calculations in catalysis
Software simulates 370,000 steps in under 100 hours, potentially cutting demand for time on supercomputers by orders of magnitude
Molecules with largest dipole moments aren’t due to electronegativity differences
Computational analysis challenges Pauling’s idea of polarity
The quest to understand where atoms end
Atomic size measurements like van der Waals and covalent radii are central to chemistry, but are they grounded in reality?
Mapping tool delivers quantitative visualisations of steric interactions
Google’s AlphaGenome wants to do for DNA what AlphaFold did for proteins
AI tool dramatically reduces computing power needed to find protein-binding molecules
Purer silicon lets robust quantum computing get started on a new medium
Anomeric effect cannot be explained by hyperconjugation alone
Breaking bonds and bringing disciplines together to replace one of chemistry’s most controversial molecules
Rebecca Trager meets an organic chemist catalysing the search for BPA replacements by connecting synthetic chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and polymer chemists
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
Roman-era ink reveals surprising chemical complexity
2000-year-old residue indicates the Romans wrote with iron-gall inks hundreds of years earlier than expected
The chemist using curry to understand indoor air pollution
Ashish Kumar’s research reveals how cooking shapes the air we breathe indoors
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
Unlocking the power of plasma for chemistry
Scientists are using non-thermal plasma to produce fertiliser and long-chain hydrocarbons. Mason Wakley talks to the chemists harnessing the fourth state of matter
Rethinking hydrogen peroxide production
Hydro-Oxy and Addible both aim to transform how industry produces and uses a ubiquitous oxidant.
Textiles in the age of sustainability: alternative methods for fabric dyeing and treatment
Learn about advances in sustainability of textile production
Optimism rises for Hungarian research after seismic election result
Victorious opposition leader Péter Magyar has promised to reverse restrictions on academic freedom put in place by Viktor Orbán’s government
China dominates the discovery of new chemicals and reactions
The country’s contribution to known chemical space has grown exponentially in recent decades, driven by strong domestic R&D investment
UK government nominates Leszek Borysiewicz as next UKRI chair
Immunologist has held numerous roles in scientific administration, including at the University of Cambridge, MRC and CRUK
More than half of all retracted papers are from China, analysis finds
Study examined rates and reasons for 46,000 retractions across 10 publishers in Retraction Watch Database
As UK cuts airborne lab worries persist about future of funding following changes
Poor communication is being blamed by government ministers for concerns as research councils pause grants to revamp system