Latest
Research
Engineered enzymes could boost amide bond-forming efficiency for drug synthesis
Approach offers greener route to amide-containing drugs via aldehydes
Feature
New separation methods aim to improve global rare earth supply
Rare earth elements are essential for modern technology, but their similar chemistry makes separation difficult and expensive. Now researchers are exploring new technologies to streamline processing and bring down costs.
Feature
How RNA reveals clues to life’s origins on Earth
The discovery of catalytic RNA transformed our understanding of life’s beginnings. Clare Sansom explores how the RNA world hypothesis bridges the gap between non-living chemistry and the first cells
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?
Research
Atomic physics gets its own ‘periodic table’ that covers highly charged ions
New table could help with the redefinition of the second and creation of the next generation of atomic clocks
Opinion
To PhD or not to PhD? That is the question
Undergraduate student Umaymah Ahmad finds out what it’s like to go into academic research
Engineered enzymes could boost amide bond-forming efficiency for drug synthesis
Approach offers greener route to amide-containing drugs via aldehydes
Gluten-based vegan leather gains strength with heat and UV treatment
Process triggers protein denaturation and crosslinking to create material that gets close to imitating the strength, pliability and texture of natural leather
‘Almost impossible to destroy’: material captures CO2 and frees it at the flick of a photoswitch
Covid pandemic’s disruption of industrial activity drove surge in methane in early 2020s
World first for clinical trial of skin patch to monitor therapeutic drugs in real time
Embodying polymer chemistry with a purpose by upcycling plastics and trapping PFAS
Mapping tool delivers quantitative visualisations of steric interactions
‘Inverted metallocenes’ turn organometallic definition on its head
‘Living biosensor’ lights up to detect wine spoilage in real time
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
Controversial weedkiller dicamba reapproved in the US
Regulator says new label restrictions will prevent damage of nearby crops
Dow to cut 4500 jobs in productivity drive
Probing PFAS policies in the UK and EU
India–EU trade deal will cut tariffs and enable economic migration
World first for clinical trial of skin patch to monitor therapeutic drugs in real time
Rethinking hydrogen peroxide production
Congress rescues industry watchdog earmarked for closure by Trump administration
Is it cold in here?
(+)-Melicolone K
Sequential C–H activations open up the opportunity for an unusual transformation
The chemist anthropologist
What new species remain to be discovered in the lab?
Why everyone wants to ramp up rare earths production
Rare earth elements have become instruments of geopolitical power
How bird photography made me a better chemist
Payal Joshi draws inspiration for organic mechanisms from graceful avian poses
Probing PFAS policies in the UK and EU
The UK has set out its approach to regulating fluorochemicals, and the EU has projected the savings from a proposed ban
The chemistry of mentorship
Making connections from the small scientific community of Costa Rica to a global network of peers
The summer I became a science journalist
Mason Wakley on being a science writer intern at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Is it cold in here?
Labs in Delhi, Aberdeen and Arizona will have different ideas of ‘room temperature’
Textiles in the age of sustainability: alternative methods for fabric dying and treatment
Learn about advances in sustainability of textile production – join us on 31 March
From bean to brew: the chemistry behind the perfect cup of coffee
Join us on 26 February to discover the chemistry behind the aromas and flavours of one of the world’s favourite beverages
Walter Kohn: from kindertransport and internment to DFT and the Nobel prize
Explore the legacy of Walter Kohn, the 1998 joint winner of the Nobel prize in chemistry
Restoring integrity: tackling fraud and data manipulation in scientific research
Learn how you can fight back against fraudulent research and paper mills
Podcast
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
Opinion
How bird photography made me a better chemist
Payal Joshi draws inspiration for organic mechanisms from graceful avian poses
Business
Dow to cut 4500 jobs in productivity drive
Firm claims AI and automation will help revive growth during sustained industrial downturn
News
Collaborating with a Nobel laureate may actually hinder chances of winning a Nobel prize
Research suggest that those who work alongside laureates may not be seen as original thinkers
Sponsored
Biphenyl: 20 years of Restek innovation
How Restek’s Biphenyl column changed chromatography
Explainer: the Welch Award in Chemistry
Many people have never heard about one of the biggest awards in chemistry. Chemistry World sets the record straight.
Optimising method transfer in regulated environments
Learn how to minimise risk and promote data quality with data-driven approaches and digital tools
SYNTHIA for chemists: faster route design
Discover how SYNTHIA accelerates retrosynthesis by helping chemists design, compare and refine routes with customisable filters and commercial building blocks
Developing a CITK protein degrader using the QuicTPD™ platform
Learn about the latest technology to accelerate the design of cancer treatments
Lab Innovations 2025 returns to shape the future of laboratories
Scientists, researchers, engineers, industry leaders and innovators gather for UK’s must-attend industry event
X-Pulse 90: expanding the capabilities of benchtop NMR spectroscopy
Learn how X-Pulse 90 is delivering a step change in benchtop NMR by providing flexibility without compromising performance
Why understanding our foraging instinct is the key to using statistical tools
Your inner hunter-gatherer is stopping you solving problems
How bird photography made me a better chemist
Payal Joshi draws inspiration for organic mechanisms from graceful avian poses
Dow to cut 4500 jobs in productivity drive
Firm claims AI and automation will help revive growth during sustained industrial downturn
The chemistry of mentorship
Making connections from the small scientific community of Costa Rica to a global network of peers
The summer I became a science journalist
Mason Wakley on being a science writer intern at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Abigail Mortimer’s career in glassblowing
AI research tools benefit individual scientists but may slow scientific progress
To PhD or not to PhD? That is the question
Alexandra Navrotsky: ‘I don’t think you attract people to science by big initiatives’
How to make academic service activities count
Deaths of municipal technicians in Zimbabwe from noxious gases linked to lack of chemistry expertise