A new AI tool reduces the computing power required to virtually screen for small molecule–protein interactions.

Quantum computing has excited scientists as it should be able to solve problems beyond those a conventional computer can handle. Purer silicon has now allowed the creation of an 11-qubit device that should scale well.

What is life? As Philip Ball explores, it's surprisingly hard to define.

With next generation batteries set to enter electric vehicles next year, researchers are still getting to grips with the new chemistries in them.

The anomeric effect is well known to chemistry students. But do we need to be more subtle when we think about what causes it?

Wolffish teeth have a material with a highly unusual property that helps them crack crabs and break open mollusc shells.

With alternative organometallics becoming increasingly sought after, this straightforward mechanochemical procedure avoids the need for problematic solvents and offers potential.

Chiral control through halogen bonding could be the next frontier for organocatalysis – allow Victoria Atkinson to guide you through the hisory, complexities and exciting new prospects on the horizon.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research have partnered with the centre – the end goal is to reduce clinical trial duration, with patients being rewarded with new treatments that arrive far sooner.

Chemists have been trying to synthesise natural products in the lab for around two centuries. Nina Notman looks at what the future holds – and what the field is up against in terms of a variety of obstacles.

A former trustee of the Royal Society of Chemistry is among those who were recognised – see the full list and read about their contributions, as compiled by Julia Robinson.

Julia Robinson looks at the rise of a number of AI-powered platforms shaking up the world of computational chemistry, and what sets the new era of AI agents apart from what has come before.

What does 'democratising science' really mean? Vanessa Seifert looks at the many meanings of democratisation and reveals the insight in a lesser-known history.

Raychelle Burks hunts the clues and tracks the cause.

Find out what interested Mark Symes about his new role at Aria, how being a chemist influences his work and more in this interview by CW's Jamie Durrani.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say that while 1,3-butadiene could pose health risks to industrial workers, it's not a problem for the environment or those in close proximity to facilities using the chemical. Rebecca Trager reports.

Iupac starts 2026 with a new president, as Mary Garson takes the helm at chemistry's international body.

Unable to answer any questions, 14-year-old Christina Rappl tried to copy from a friend’s chemistry test out of desperation. Her teacher’s response fostered a love and understanding for the subject that has led her to a master’s degree and dreams of a career in chemistry.

The journal Environmental Health Perspectives has been saved by the American Chemical Society after the Trump administration cut its funding.

Jennifer Kingston normally takes satisfaction from her team's successes. Now it's time to celebrate her, as her work developing techniques for drug discovery and an apprenticeship programme has won her the RSC's Technical Excellence Prize.

Plastic recyclers in Europe and the US are facing a perfect storm – cheap virgin polymers and low penalties mean there is low demand for recyclates, while high costs encourage export of waste to less stringently regulated countries.

It's been 1 year since Donald Trump returned as US president. Many of the worst fears that scientists had about his government have been borne out with science agencies cut, universities targeted and grants cancelled.

Why do those closest to Trump's science policies have nothing to say about them? That's the question @rebeccatrager99 asks after a year of following what's happening to the nation's research base.

Applications close on 12 January (that's next Monday) – don't miss the chance to further your sci-comm career by working with our team.

As the cost of lithium rises, chemists have developed a simple mechanochemical way to make organosodium reagents – alternatives to ubiquitous organolithium ones.

Towards the end of 2025, we reported that seven years after Dawn Sturgess died from exposure to a Novichok nerve agent, the inquiry into her death had reported back.

Just as chemists harness hydrogen bonds when designing organocatalysts, researchers have started using halogen bonds to promote a variety of reactions.

The UK's Medical Research Centre is hoping to speed up clinical trials with a £50m investment in a centre that will employ 'multi-arm multi-stage' trials.

Chemists have been trying to synthesise natural products in the lab for around two centuries. Nina Notman looks at what the future holds – and what the field is up against in terms of a variety of obstacles.

Several chemists were recognised in the UK's New Year's Honours list for 2026.

Last year, several preprints were released showcasing new agentic frameworks for doing computational and quantum chemistry. Julia Robinson speaks to the researchers behind Aitomia and others to understand how computational chemistry is entering a new era.

Democratising science has many different meanings, and AI is the latest in a long line of tools, methods and technologies claimed to do so, explains Vanessa Seifert.

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry has shown that aristolochic acids can be transmitted by air, through the pollen of Aristolochia plants.

Meet the electrochemist heading up Aria's geoengineering programme.

You probably know more about the Maillard reaction than you realise. Want to double-down before you get the oven one? Enter this article from November 2018, to the rescue.

The question of how to cook a turkey properly has been a debate for as long as turkeys have been wandering around with dangly bits (on their faces – known as a 'snood'). Enter Chris Loss with all the essential info!

January gave us the hunt for the male contraceptive pill, while in June we looked at how magnetic stirrers affect results. Back in November, we explored the chemistry of port. All this and more in our 2025 review!

Low-cost gelling agents improve the performance of aircraft anti-icing fluids.

Back in 2019, Raychelle Burks served up her signature take on a Christmas crime...along with a healthy dose of physics.

A new analysis of international scientific collaborations suggests that US dominance in the global research ecosystem is waning. www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-infl...

An environmental health journal published by the NIH has disappeared, but it should soon be brought back online under the management of a new publisher.

This time of year, who doesn't love a good chemistree? This pre-Christmas 2023 story from Patrick Walter sheds some light – and plenty of welcome colour! – on a very special chemistry tradition.

Back in June, Stefanie Walter, Samuel Kyeremateng and Irene Bechis walked us through modelling amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) release mechanisms. The full, hour-long recording is still available to view. In partnership with Schrödinger. #SponsoredPost

Applications close on 12 January 2026. Could you be Chemistry World's digital content assistant...?

January gave us the hunt for the male contraceptive pill, while in June we looked at how magnetic stirrers affect results. Back in November, we explored the chemistry of port. All this and more in our 2025 review. www.chemistryworld.com/collections/...

Eggnog season is upon us! Ray Burks has everything you could ever want to know on the subject.

Missed our webinar with JMP from back in October? Well, you're in luck, because all you have to do is sign up on the page to watch the full recording. #SponsoredContent

Looking for an exciting sci-comm gig? Digital content assistant at the RSC's Chemistry World magazine could be it. Position closes on January 12, 2026 – new positions at the magazine don't come very often, so this could be a great opportunity.

2025 has been another fascinating year in the chemical sciences. Here's the best of our content throughout the last 12 months.

The freedom that the General Electric Research Laboratory gave researchers to pursue their interests led Irving Langmuir to make discoveries that improved the designs of lightbulbs, vacuum pumps and much more.