Aisha Al-Janabi
I studied chemistry at The University of Manchester, finishing with a master's project focussing on graphene synthesis using electrochemical exfoliation of graphite. During my degree I became involved in journalism, particularly writing lifestyle articles and exploring different social issues. I loved learning about new topics when writing articles, and wanted to combine this experience with my science background leading me to science writing and communication. Outside of my work, I am an enthusiastic brass bander, having played tuba for many years, and given the choice would opt for a pair of hiking boots over a pair of heels.
CareersPublish in English or perish
The dominance of English in science does not reflect the scientists behind research articles
FeatureBetter skiing through chemistry
While elite sports have been improved by materials science, for disabled athletes the developments can be life-changing. Aisha Al-Janabi reports
CareersChemistry career options in sustainability
There’s a wide variety of jobs that place the environment at their core
CareersHow to run a sustainable chemistry lab
A lot of research focuses on sustainability and climate change – but how much thought is put into making research itself more sustainable?
ResearchUltraphosphates break decades-old anti-branching rule
Discovery of elusive branched phosphates’ unexpected stability means they could have played a role in prebiotic chemistry
PodcastDeep Sniff: A History of Poppers and Queer Futures by Adam Zmith – Book club
A history of a drug – and the queer community
ResearchEggshell-ent MOFs made from sustainable precursors
Green starting materials for calcium-based frameworks
ResearchElectrons in zinc’s filled 3d orbitals can participate in chemical reactions
Super electrophilic trianions accept three additional electrons to support zinc in a +3 oxidation state
ResearchHardest amorphous material can scratch even diamond
Compressing buckyballs at high temperatures makes ultra-hard and strong carbon materials
ResearchNo more worrying about nomenclature – AI will tell you what that chemical is called
Open-source online resource converts organic chemical structures to their Iupac names and vice versa
ResearchFirst crystal structure of bleach in its 200-year history
X-ray structure of chemistry staples hypochlorite and hypobromite recorded for the first time
ResearchThis smartwatch will self-destruct in 40 hours
Electronic waste recycling made easy with this dissolvable device
ResearchHeavy-atom quantum tunnelling catalysed with Lewis acids
Lewis acid–base interactions found to increase quantum tunnelling rates of rearrangement reaction
ResearchMachine-learning tool performs stereochemical assignments on SPM images
Identifying chiral centres on SPM images with machine-learning tools only takes a few hours and could save researchers time
ResearchChloride ion central to first synthesis of a siladodecahedrane
Three-step synthesis creates a platonic solid out of silicon
ResearchSnake extract used to speed up haemostasis in new bioadhesive
Hydrogel-based bioadhesive could be suitable for arterial injuries
ResearchFirst nanocluster that’s a superatom inside a superatom
Heterometal doping strategy used to make an unusual structure where one superatom is contained inside another
ResearchExperimental observations of bubbles containing multiple electrons
Bubbles in liquid helium containing multiple electrons could be used to develop quantum simulators