Chemistry involves such large and small numbers that it’s often hard to take in just how fast some processes occur. Dethreading a ring off the open end of a chain when there are no binding interactions present, or passing the end of one strand past another, are incredibly fast processes...

We just published a photoswitchable amphiphile that abruptly assembles into ellipsoids over 1h after the light is switched off! #ozchem #ChemSky chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Information ratchets drive many molecular motors, but we can also use them for other nonequilibrium processes like performing error correction in a molecular recognition process to increase selectivity. Published today in @natnano.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

'Ullo @jacs.acspublications.org, Hua-Kui, Axel, @benjaminoacid.bsky.social & @stefanborsley.bsky.social have gotta new motor! doi.org/10.1021/jacs...

Can you work out how fast a molecular motor rotates from in situ measurments? Turns out that yes, you can, as we show today in @jacs.acspublications.org pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... @profdaveleigh.bsky.social @stefanborsley.bsky.social

People didn’t “used to be fine” without air conditioning during heat waves in the U.S. - a lot more people *just died*. According to this study, air conditioning has cut heat deaths in the U.S. by around 80% since 1960. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Project Here.

(1/4)🚨 Ecstatic to share that Max’s work on #photoswitchable #metallo-supramolecular helicates, with #self-sorting, a #MolecularRatchet and #out-of-equilibrium structures, is now out in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social 👀 doi.org/10.1002/anie... #ProudPI #SupramolecularChemistry #ChemSky #WomenInSTEM

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on a project funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation on dynamic peptide self-assembly. 📄 Full position ad: bit.ly/4jAIrmg 📅 Application deadline: May 31, 2025 #Postdoc #ChemistryJobs #SystemsChemistry #AcademicJobs #Freiburg #livMatS

Supramolecular chemistry has officially "grown up" in Germany. On behalf of the 10-person Founding Team👇, I am happy to announce the creation of section SupraChem within the German Chemical Society! 🍾 GDCh members please consider joining asap via www.gdch.de/suprachem @gdch.bsky.social

French researcher, going to a conference in Houston, was forbidden entry to US; his work and personal electronics were both confiscated. Why? Because a “random search” of his cell phone revealed a negative personal opinion on Trump and the Trump administration. www.lemonde.fr/internationa...

NEW By me Thinking about a revolution Some things are changing rather fundamentally and the way we think should perhaps change too Includes Monty Python, Yeats, and C.S.Lewis Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/thinking-a... Personal blog: davidallengreen.com/2025/03/thin...

There is a PhD position available in my group at TU Delft (Dep. of Chemical Engineering) in (photo)electrochemical synthesis using supramolecular materials. 🧪 ☀️ 🔗 More information on the position can be found here: careers.tudelft.nl/job/Delft-Ph... ⏰ Deadline: 11 March 2025.

⏰Only 1 more week left to apply for the PhD position (Photo)electrochemical synthesis within my group at TU Delft, Chemical Engineering! 🧪🔅

Check out how we made a minuscule motor rotate 24 times in one direction on its own! Huge thanks to all involved, especially @profdaveleigh.bsky.social for making this work possible @pubs.acs.org Huakui, Axel, @stefanborsley.bsky.social @benjaminoacid.bsky.social & Alex pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

I’m excited to share that I will be moving to the University of Ulm as a junior group leader and I have a fully-funded open PhD position co-supervised by me and Max von Delius @mvdelius.bsky.social . Apply at [email protected], any shares would be appreciated! www.bmwrlab.com/work-with-us

I have run out of patience with the apparent silence of most US science institutions (and not just US) in the face of Trump & Musk's rampage. There are of so many facets of that, but in this column for @chemistryworld.com I talk about the assaults on inclusion. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/scie...

Wikipedia is a great achievement of our era, and (of course) it’s under attack by the far right. If you use it frequently like I do, consider donating: donate.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?...

A really fun project, delivered on the back of Peng-Lai’s fantastic efforts, ably assisted by Martin and of course our collaborators in Strasbourg, Alessandro and @giusepponelab.bsky.social, who taught us lots of polymer and materials chemistry. Thanks all!

Come and join my new group! We have two funded PhD positions available in the areas of supramolecular chemistry and polymer nanotechnology. See fieldengroup.net for more details! Reposts much appreciated!

Nature research paper: Transducing chemical energy through catalysis by an artificial molecular motor https://go.nature.com/4gSOxxC

Peng-Lai, @stefanborsley.bsky.social, Martin & our collaborators Alessandro and @giusepponelab.bsky.social demonstrate how a catalyst transduces chemical energy to perform mechanical work in www.nature.com/articles/s41... in @nature.com. tinyurl.com/jny7nen5. Animation @scicommstudios.bsky.social😀

Philosopher John Searle's Chinese Room thought experiment challenges the notion that AI can truly understand language, highlighting the difference between processing symbols and grasping meaning. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/ther...

From the other place and the amazing Journal of Immaterial Science An absolute must read for #ChemSky Link in comment below

It’s Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Day…. It is Chri hi hi hi hi stmas Day!

Geeeeettttt…. DRESSED, you merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay! For it is Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Day!

*ahem*

If you've ever read about molecular motors, you've probably wondered about "power strokes." We looked into that by simulating a catalysis-driven molecular motor explicitly 🧐 I am super happy to share my latest work with Alex, Geyao, and Todd @nuchemistry.bsky.social pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

An interesting finding that some types of HPV infection might be preventing cancer (as opposed to the ones that can cause it). Also features G.K. Chesterton and a brief cameo by RFK Jr.

I am going to try to start again with my thread on the history of pH; I had something of a thread on the other site but forgot to save it before I deleted my account. The thread will spread in time over weeks/months, so bear with me. #chemsky #histstm

We have an opening for a new PhD student in my group at University of Warwick for a Autumn 2025 start. Join us and help make cool mechanically interlocked molecules with healthcare applications ⛓🧪🔬🥼. Please RT and spread to any interested candidates😁. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKT107/p...

Very happy to share the first article from my postdoc with Leonard prins, "A Minimalistic Covalent Bond-Forming Chemical Reaction Cycle that Consumes Adenosine Diphosphate". Thanks to our coauthors Tommaso Marchetti and Diego Frezzato doi.org/10.1002/anie...