Carbon–boron triple bond formed for the first time in a neutral novel molecule
Synthesis could help chemists better understand bonding
Berkelium snared in organometallic trap
Organometallic sandwich is one of the heaviest structures of its type ever created
Last year a top Syrian chemist was murdered. The problem is he never existed
Fake news about assassinated scientists was ‘disturbing and distressing’ for targets
Centre of the Earth could hold large reservoir of iron–helium compounds
Compounds containing helium and iron can be stable at ambient pressures
Study challenges notion that solution-phase organic reactions are unfeasible at high temperatures
Unusual radical reaction powered by strained substrates
Ferrihydrite in Martian dust may explain red planet’s colour – and hint at water-rich past
Five-membered bismuth ring opens up ‘a new era for aromatic compounds’
Forbidden electrocyclic reactions can be more allowed than previously thought
Could ‘woolly’ mice put mammoths on the path to de-extinction?
Highlights
COFs head for the big time
Two decades on from the first reported covalent organic frameworks, Nina Notman investigates what their future holds
Melanie Sanford’s route from college gymnast to groundbreaking researcher
One-time gymnast Melanie Sanford has made a name for herself in catalysis and organometallic chemistry. Rebecca Trager charts her path to success, from her mentors to her mentoring
Studying materials in action
Experiments on battery electrodes and fuel cell catalysts while they’re being used – operando spectroscopy – can revolutionise our understanding of these crucial materials. Clare Sansom reports
Putting the F in pharma
Adding fluorine to drug molecules can be tricky, but is often worthwhile. Rachel Brazil talks to the chemists trying to tame the ninth element
Low concentration chemicals spur toxicological debate
Improved analytical techniques mean tiny amounts of endocrine disrupting compounds or PFAS can be found in many places. But is it a problem? Anthony King talks to the scientists on both sides of the fence
Topics
AI inspired by AlphaFold can predict chromatin structures found in chromosomes
System could help unravel how genome folding influences genes
Computational study says nucleophile finds σ-holes more attractive than π-holes
A σ-hole leads to a stronger bond with NH3 than a π-hole on the same atom
Computer simulations shed light on how material can shrink when heated
New theory offers insights into the origin of the very low and negative thermal expansion observed in cordierite
Simulations suggest why highly unsaturated molecules are so abundant in the interstellar medium
Computer simulation of carbonless DNA prompt researchers to consider alternative biochemistries
Chemists use AI to uncover pigments used on Berlin Wall murals
GPT-based AI tool predicts inorganic crystal structures
AI tool learns to build molecules fragment by fragment
Ancient Vesuvius victim’s brain contains first natural organic glass ever seen
Extreme heating followed by rapid cooling formed unique material in a Herculaneum man
Teaching enzymes new reactions through genetic code expansion and directed evolution
Anthony Green’s research group at the University of Manchester, UK, reengineers enzymes to have catalytic functions beyond those found in nature
Reading into the dangers of poison paint in Victorian-era books
Brightly coloured fabric covers hide poisonous dye legacy
Stonehenge Altar stone likely came from Scotland, not Wales
Mineral analysis matches sandstones from over 750km away
Seed oil-based polymer should survive a day in the rain but degrade within years in the sea
Researchers create polyesteramides from brassylic acid and explore their potential as a replacement for polyethylene
Paul Anastas: ‘I’m proudest of being part of a global green chemistry community’
The father of green chemistry on his love of the environment, striving for unattainable perfection and breathing life into an old town library
Science needs to get its house in order when it comes to energy use and waste
Labs have an outsized environmental footprint but solutions are within reach
Biomass, plastic waste and carbon dioxide feedstocks key to cutting chemical industry’s emissions
Royal Society report warns that without intervention defossilisation of the chemicals sector will take many decades
Chemists funded to cut the environmental footprint of their labs
The Royal Society of Chemistry to support 33 projects in 11 countries aiming to make chemistry research greener
Analysis of three French chemistry labs shows how they could halve their carbon footprint by 2030
Open-source tool helps researchers evaluate a series of carbon mitigation strategies
Analysis reveals ethnic minority applicants’ grant success rates still lower
Engineering and physical sciences’ review panels in UK more likely to award white researchers
‘A mix of amazement, pure joy and relief’: chemists reflect on their Eureka moments
Cultivating your surroundings and work practices can make your own Eureka moment more likely
Putting research on the chopping block risks mortgaging countries’ futures
Many countries in the global north are taking a short-sighted approach to their science budgets
Forming bonds through Covid-19
How studying chemistry helped ward off loneliness during the pandemic
1.2GHz NMR magnet arrives at University of Warwick
New instrument is 20% more powerful than the UK’s current largest NMR spectrometer