Category: 6. Chemistry

The US state of New Jersey has agreed a settlement deal valued at more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion) with DuPont and its spin-offs Chemours and Corteva to resolve per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination across the state.

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Solid gold samples have been superheated to more than 14 times the material’s melting point without losing their crystalline structure. The researchers behind the work say that the experiments suggest that, as long as a material is heated fast…

Just a few years ago, predicting how a string of amino acids assembled into a functional protein was one of biology’s most formidable puzzles. That was until artificial intelligence (AI) cracked the problem wide open, earning global acclaim and…

The application of Green by Design (GbD) in UV spectroscopy has proven effective in developing environmentally friendly spectrophotometric methods^6,7. In this study, we conducted extensive molecular mechanical, photochemical quantum and…

The United Nations’ newly formed intergovernmental panel advising on policy around chemicals, waste and pollution faces a gargantuan and complex task. Given the complexity of negotiations so far, even the preliminary agreement to form the…

A new large language model (LLM) named Chemma could redefine AI’s contributions to organic chemistry, offering a faster, smarter approach to reaction prediction and synthesis planning. However, some chemists remain wary, warning that scientists…

A team of researchers in the US and China has calculated that extreme pressure could theoretically allow stable covalent helium–fluorine bonds to form, challenging the idea that helium is a chemically inert element.

Noble gases get their…

A whistleblower group has claimed that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) helped Norfolk Southern Railway manipulate soil testing data after the catastrophic 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, to hide the scale of the…

The exact crystal structure of the stable form of a widely used semiclathrate hydrate has finally been elucidated – 80 years after the material was first discovered. The work provides deeper understanding for researchers aiming to use these…

Studying or working abroad is often cited as an important experience for early-career researchers. But this mobility is easier for some people to access than others. There are various barriers such as financial costs, family ties and health…