Highlights
C&EN: Silicon insertion methods join skeletal-editing toolbox
06 May 2026Two teams take different approaches to squeeze silicon atoms into molecular scaffolds.
ACS Central Science: Pharm to Table Podcast Duo Bridges the Academia–Industry Divide
29 April 2026The Merck colleagues and cohosts advocate closer collaboration between academic and industry chemists.
New Scientist: We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste?
22 April 2026The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That’s why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste.
Science: Whistleblower alleges Finnish startup’s vaunted solid-state battery isn’t what it claims
22 April 2026Donut Lab’s assertions of lightning-fast charging and high energy storage have led to a criminal complaint.
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.
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Freelance Journalist, South Africa
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Category Archives: Highlights
Hormone disruptors rise from the dead
Broken-down pollutants reform in the dark, casting doubt on environmental risk assessments.
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Missing methane gas mystifies Mars scientists
Curiosity rover fails to detect previously recorded chemical in Martian atmosphere.
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Graphene makes light work of optical signals
Ability to convert light to electrical signals efficiently holds potential for high-speed computing.
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Engineered bacterium hunts down pathogens
E. coli microbe seeks out and destroys invaders without harming helpful bacteria.
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Misconduct: on the blog and in the open
When formal investigations of research misconduct are opaque and sluggish, it is inevitable that chemists will take to the blogs to debate suspicious papers, says Mark Peplow.
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Easy route to stable silver nanoparticles
Cheap synthesis offers edge over gold particles for biomedicine and solar cells.
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Iron catalyst offers nitrogenase clues
Complex can reduce dinitrogen to ammonia in solution, and may help to explain how bacteria fix the gas.
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Bursting with life
Synthetic biology is shifting into high gear. To truly thrive, it needs chemists, says Mark Peplow.
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Chemistry’s grand challenges
What are the big problems for the next generation of chemists to work on? Mark Peplow takes up the gauntlet. (subscription required)
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Self-assembling yarn shows its strength
Chinese chemists have pulled a thread as strong as polypropylene from a simple mix of monomers.
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