Highlights
Nature: Fresh claim of making elusive ‘hexagonal’ diamond is the strongest yet
04 March 2026After decades of debate, researchers say that they have found the clearest evidence yet for this rare form of carbon.
C&EN: Copper finally joins the metallocene club
17 February 2026More than 70 years after ferrocene’s discovery, cuprocene fills a long-standing gap in the sandwich menu.
C&EN: Lighting a better path for biobased furans
16 January 2026Photocatalytic hydrolysis offers a shortcut for renewable chemicals.
C&EN: Gas looping boosts efficiency of carbon nanotube production
22 December 2025Methane pyrolysis reactor recycles process gases to improve output of nanotubes and hydrogen.
C&EN: Enhanced rock weathering shows little climate benefit in large trial
18 December 20253-year Swiss study underscores the importance of site selection to maximize CO2 sequestration.
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
Category Archives: Highlights
Special delivery
Drug formulations that use nanoparticles to target and dispense therapeutic agents are making an impact in the clinic.
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Ethanol fuels ozone pollution
Shifts in use between petrol and ethanol in São Paulo’s cars creates unique atmospheric chemistry experiment.
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Frack and blue
Shale gas will do little to improve the competitiveness of Europe’s chemical industry, argues Mark Peplow.
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The sultan of synthesis
Phil Baran is spurring organic chemists to rethink how they make complex compounds, as Mark Peplow discovers.
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London Mayor Seeks to Form Biomedical ‘Golden Triangle’
Stronger links sought with Oxford and Cambridge to draw in venture capital and big pharma.
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Skin scan offers new insight into drug transport
A technique that can follow the progress of topical drugs as they penetrate skin could help to improve formulations, avoid drug wastage and reduce the risk of overdoses.
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EU guideline aims to deliver child-friendly formulations
But will industry find requirements easy to swallow?
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Bespoke polymers carry cancer drugs to the clinic
Designer polymers that boost the effectiveness of their pharmaceutical cargo are poised for wider clinical use in the next few years.
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Pharmaceutical industry fights back against counterfeit medicines
Pharmaceutical companies are rolling out a variety of innovations to combat a rising tide of counterfeit medicines.
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A war on smog
Chemistry can be a force for good in tackling China’s pollution, says Mark Peplow.
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