Highlights
C&EN: Metal complexes rip open benzene
17 July 2025Scandium and chromium compounds team up to convert iconic molecule into linear product at room temperature.
C&EN: Crystals defy their symmetry to discern chiral light
24 June 2025Centrosymmetric crystals have always absorbed equal amounts of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light—until now.
C&EN: Magnetic stirrers linked to issues with reproducing chemistry results
17 June 2025From the lab that found impurities on your stir bar—your flask’s placement on a stirrer plate can mess with your reaction too.
C&EN: ‘Perplexanes’ achieve mind-bending molecular topology
10 June 2025Zirconium helps to weave entangled nanocarbon cages in high yields.
C&EN: Atom-thin iodine film makes its debut
29 May 2025Iodinene is the first halogen analog of graphene and is expected to be unusually metallic.
TESTIMONIALS
“As an editor and reporter, Mark Peplow is fast, accurate, and versatile. He covers science policy and pure research with equal passion, and his writing combines a scientist’s precision with a journalist’s verve.” Tim Appenzeller
Former Chief Magazine Editor at Nature, now News Editor at Science
"Mark guided me through some of the most challenging stories I've written. These are pieces I might not have attempted were it not for his steady editorial hand." Linda Nordling
Freelance Journalist, South Africa
“Working with Mark is never anything other than a pleasure. He is the kind of editor that writers hope for: able to identify what needs fixing and what doesn’t, bringing to bear a wealth of knowledge, always clear, prompt and easy to talk with. Much of that comes from being a splendid writer himself.”
Philip Ball
Freelance Science Writer
Author Archives: Mark Peplow
C&EN: Biorefinery turns birch wood into renewable chemicals
Lignin breakdown produces phenol and propylene, offering a low-carbon alternative to fossil-fuel-based processes.
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C&EN: Zeolite membrane finds holey purpose in methanol synthesis
Porous sodium aluminosilicate separates water from gases in high-temperature reaction.
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C&EN: Boron makes quadruple bond with rhodium
RhB is the first diatomic molecule with a four-fold bond to boron.
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C&EN: Porphyrin wheel sets record as largest aromatic ring
With 162 delocalized electrons, giant ring has global aromaticity.
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C&EN: Rhodium photocatalyst does double duty to generate hydrogen
Air-stable complex uses light to catalyze production of solar fuel.
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C&EN: Mechanoacid polymer signals a smash hit
Stress-induced acid formation shows location and timing of damage.
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C&EN: Carbon capture drives metal purification
Amine teams up with carbon dioxide to isolate metals from mixtures, offering economic incentive to trap greenhouse gas emissions.
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C&EN: Northvolt is building a future for greener batteries
Swedish firm aims to feed a booming electric vehicle market with more-sustainable lithium-ion batteries.
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C&EN: Nickel catalyst fends off air attack
Air-stable complex offers a more convenient approach to coupling reactions.
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Nature Index: Brexit shadow hangs over EU partnerships
Uncertainty about the United Kingdom’s role in EU science is damaging research networks.
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