Chemistry in its element

Chemistry World

A weekly tour of the periodic table, from Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry. read less

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Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first step towards making them safer and increasing energy density, and unlocks new opportunities for reuse and recycling

Episodes

Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first step towards making them safer and increasing energy density, and unlocks new opportunities for reuse and recycling

Cinnamaldehyde: Chemistry in its element

Cinnamaldehyde: Chemistry in its element

How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its distinctive taste and aroma

Azidoazide azide: Chemistry in its element

Azidoazide azide: Chemistry in its element

A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.

Ochre: Chemistry in its element

Ochre: Chemistry in its element

How one of mankind's oldest pigments helped shepherds secure their sheep and inspired one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century

Maltodextrin: Chemistry in its element

Maltodextrin: Chemistry in its element

A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel

Ionic liquids: Chemistry in its element

Ionic liquids: Chemistry in its element

Liquid salts, ionic melts, fused salts, or ionic glasses – call them what you like, these much-hyped solvents show great promise. Katrina Krämer speaks to chemical engineer Jason Bara about ionic liquids.

Chlorhexidine: Chemistry in its element

Chlorhexidine: Chemistry in its element

An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions

Asparagusic acid: Chemistry in its element

Asparagusic acid: Chemistry in its element

Does asparagus give you foul-smelling urine? Helen Arney investigates asparagusic acid, and the lavatorial genetic lottery that controls whether or not you can smell its distinctive aroma

Glycyrrhizic acid: Chemistry in its element

Glycyrrhizic acid: Chemistry in its element

A sweet treat with a deadly trick for Halloween – glycyrrhizic acid, or glycyrrhizin, is found in black liquorice and sweeter than sucrose, but can cause heart problems and even prove fatal if consumed in excess

Propofol: Chemistry in its element

Propofol: Chemistry in its element

Also known as 'milk of amnesia', propofol helps to prevent perception of pain in surgery – just don't forget its dangerous side

Sofosbuvir: Chemistry in its element

Sofosbuvir: Chemistry in its element

Hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir made waves when first launched – quicker to work and with fewer side effects than existing drugs, but it came with a hefty price tag

Bedaquiline: Chemistry in its element

Bedaquiline: Chemistry in its element

Meera Senthilingam makes a welcome return to the podcast with a drug that gives hope to the many sufferers of drug-resistant TB – still one of the world's biggest killers

Oxybenzone: Chemistry in its element

Oxybenzone: Chemistry in its element

This summer's extreme weather prompts Katrina Krämer to investigate the history of sunblock and the ingredient blamed by some for bleaching coral reefs

Gypsum: Chemistry in its element

Gypsum: Chemistry in its element

From Lavoisier’s experiments with plaster of paris to the the ‘Sistine Chapel of crystals’ in Mexico, Mike Freemantle explores the history of gypsum

Favipiravir: Chemistry in its element

Favipiravir: Chemistry in its element

Originally developed to treat flu and marketed in Japan as Avigan, promising Covid-19 trial results have seen countries stockpiling this medication by the millions

Tannic acid: Chemistry in its element

Tannic acid: Chemistry in its element

Tannic acid in green acorns can kill wild animals and livestock, but in this podcast Mike Freemantle makes plain that you can prevent poisoning with pannage pigs.

Ractopamine: Chemistry in its element

Ractopamine: Chemistry in its element

Common in the US but banned in the EU, this animal feed additive makes for muscular pigs and beefy international trade disputes.

Hexasilabenzene: Chemistry in its element

Hexasilabenzene: Chemistry in its element

Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life

2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline): Chemistry in its element

2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline): Chemistry in its element

Frances Addison on the aromatic compound found in both buttered popcorn and the bearcat’s scent glands, and responsible for the distinctive smell of both

Dexamethasone: Chemistry in its element

Dexamethasone: Chemistry in its element

News that this cheap, ubiquitous steroid drug may reduce deaths in Covid-19 cases has been greeted with cautious optimism. Ben Valsler looks at the history of dexamethasone and the promising Recovery trial results.