Trichloroanisole – Wine cork taint: Chemistry in its element
If you've ever been unlucky enough to experience 'corked' wine, then 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA was likely the chemical culprit
22 Mars 20195min
Vinblastine and vincristine – Vinca alkaloids: Chemistry in its element
Kat Arney unearths the story of a truly international effort to develop new drugs for cancer, and the female researcher whose key role went overlooked
15 Mars 20197min
Polyethylene glycol or PEG: Chemistry in its element
Kit Chapman on the simple polymer that preserves and protects ancient artifacts, and saved a historical Swedish shipwreck from complete collapse
8 Mars 20194min
Ferrous sulfate, or iron(II) sulfate: Chemistry in its element
Mike Freemantle on the iron compound that has been turning oak gall extract into indelible ink for centuries, but is now eating though our ancient manuscripts and musical scores
1 Mars 20196min
Nitrogenase: Chemistry in its element
The mysterious enzyme that can beat the world's biggest chemical process when it comes to breaking the dinitrogen triple bond
22 Feb 20197min
Lazurite: Chemistry in its element
A brilliant rich blue rock, prized in antiquity as a gemstone and a prominent pigment, lazurite is the basis of lapis lazuli, the original ultramarine paint and – as Brian Clegg finds – it even adorns...
15 Feb 20196min
Melarsoprol: Chemistry in its element
Cases of sleeping sickness – human African trypanosomiasis – are in decline, dropping 86% in Africa between 2000 and 2014. Gege Li explores the role that this toxic, arsenic-based medication has to pl...
8 Feb 20195min
Omega-3 fatty acids: Chemistry in its element
Many consume cod liver oil due to 'a vague sense we should be taking them for something' – but what to the omega-3 fatty acids actually do?
1 Feb 20195min
