Chemistry in Its Element

Kat Arney reveals how high temperature bacteria provide us with the molecule that speeds up DNA sequencing

Kiki Sanford examines the molecule that holds the balance between life and death

Michael Freemantle awakens us to the history of diethyl ether

Brian Clegg paints a picture of a compound found in ancient cave paintings and top-of-the-range electronics: Manganese...

Michael Freemantle examines the explosive history and chemistry of mercury fulminate

Generally, things get bigger as they get hotter. Neil Withers examines one of the exceptions – zirconium tungstate

There's more to toluene than TNT, as Brian Clegg reveals

From an apron aflame to a popular propellant, Michael Freemantle tracks the history of guncotton

Brian Clegg introduces an essential nutrient, and the first to hold the name 'vitamin': Thiamine or vitamin B

A story which starts knee-deep in sewage and ends with the spread of drug resistant infections like MRSA

Wouldn't it be great to have a molecule named after you? But perhaps not this week's compound, the chemical...

Hayley Birch discovers the compound that opened up a wing of the periodic table for reactions: Xenon hexafluoroplatinate

Raychelle Burks finds out how Potbelly's patrons became poisoning patients, in the mystery of the sodium azide-...

In this week's podcast, Matt Gunther reveals the toxic history of gelsemine

In this week's podcast, Raychelle Burks tells us of the cool but warming effects of methyl salicylate, better...

It's at the heart of the first chemical equation, and makes Hayley Birch think of quiche. This week's...

Why do the Blue Ridged Mountains inspire so many songs? Maybe it's because of the Isoprene that gives them their...

Emilie Steinmark tells us about gluten and gluten intolerance

Simon Cotton explains the explosive history and the dangers to health of the weight-loss drug, 2,4-dinitrophenol

Brian Clegg introduces an exotic chemical dynasty: the Vanadium oxides

Simon Cotton on the compound that turns a shrinking violet into a hero: Adrenaline

Brian Clegg tells us about a silicone gel, which can sometimes be a bit silly

Raychelle Burks introduces a red dye with a prickly history.

If life hands you lemons, make lemonade – or you could make citric acid, a very useful commodity chemical according to...