The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element
The chemical breakdown is a biweekly podcast that covers the latest chemistry news, with discussions by Chemistry World writers on exciting announcements and innovations in the field. It also includes the full archive of Chemistry in its element, an audio tour of the periodic table and beyond. The podcast is produced by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Episodes
Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we look back at how far click chemistry has come in the last 25 years and discuss the strange bonding behaviour of some of the largest elements on the periodic table with Mason Wakley and Frances Briggs. It started as a review paper in 2001 that has since been cited almost 20,000 times, becoming one of the most influential chemistry papers ever written. Click chemistry has revolutionise
Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in microplastics research | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the latest milestone in quantum computational modelling and reveal the common laboratory item causing strange readings in microplastics research with Frankie Macpherson and Patrick Walter. A new hybrid workflow involving two IBM quantum computers and two powerful supercomputers has allowed researchers to model a protein–ligand system containing up to a record 12,635 atoms. Wh
Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we are celebrating Chemistry World's Battery Week with a special battery-themed episode! We discuss the race between cathode materials for electric vehicles and a new photocatalyst capable of turning plastic waste into hydrogen and value-added chemicals, with Neil Withers and Patrick Walter. A race between competing battery cathode materials is heating up, the winner of which will shape
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss vanadium's potential in the medical field and the changes you can make in our lab to reduce your carbon footprint, with Jennifer Newton and Emma Pewsey. Many are familiar with vanadium's role in metal production, but did you know that it has a history of research as a potential medicine? We explore the little-known story of vanadium's medical potential. And, how can your lab
Inert materials & the Mary Celeste | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert and chemistry's answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, with Phillip Broadwith and Mason Wakley. A new study has demonstrated how unexpected results can arise from experiments using seemingly inert materials. How do we avoid the effects of these accidental reagents? And, scientists may have found the answer behind what ha
The two states of water & science sleuths | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the peculiarities of water's behaviour and how science sleuths are fighting disinformation with Philip Robinson and Emma Pewsey. A recent study from researchers at Stockholm University has found the existence of a critical point in supercooled water, which could prove the existence of two types of water. How did they do it, and what does this mean for our understanding of thi
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. The atomic radius of an atom is a concept we are taught from early in our chemistry careers, but for such an important value its definition remains ambiguous. Why is there no single answer to the size of an atom? And, US Health Secr
AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss reflections from this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and the latest advances in plasma chemistry with Rebecca Trager and Mason Wakley. The annual meeting of the AAAS kicked off in Phoenix, on the heels of the recent minibus spending package announcement, as well as the rescinding of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Findin
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical breakdown podcast
Welcome to our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World, providing insight into the facts, why you should care, and what it means for the chemistry community. We also give you that week's headlines to keep you up to date with what's happening in the chemistry community. And finally, we'll end each episode with a
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
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
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
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
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
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
An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life
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
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.
Porcelain: Chemistry in its element
Mike Freemantle on the art, history and science of this delicate, translucent ceramic material
Feldspar: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg introduces the humble mineral that delights both astronomers and archaeologists
Cimetidine: Chemistry in its element
Mike Freemantle introduces the peptic ulcer treatment cimetidine, which – as Tagamet – became the first 'blockbuster' drug
Fexinidazole: Chemistry in its element
The World Health Organisation hope to eradicate human African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness, within our lifetimes. Jamie Durrani looks at a drug that may make it possible.
DMT – Dimethyltryptamine: Chemistry in its element
Georgia Mills investigates the psychoactive found in ayahuasca that may mirror near-death experiences
Chlorine dioxide: Chemistry in its element
Katrina Krämer investigates how industrial-strength bleach became promoted as 'miracle mineral supplement' – a supposed 'cure' for autism, cancer and even Covid-19.
Oleic acid: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg discovers the link between olive oil, dandruff and stained glass windows.
Interferon beta: Chemistry in its element
An immune-modulating compound used to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and now showing potential against coronaviruses, interferon beta is the last of the WHO's Covid-19 Solidarity trial candidates to get the Chemistry in its element treatment.
Ritonavir: Chemistry in its element
The unexplained appearance and dramatic spread of a new form of HIV drug ritonavir hurt patients and cost its makers almost $250 million. Alexander Whiteside on the chemical phenomenon that links Irving Langmuir, H G Wells and Kurt Vonnegut.
Lopinavir: Chemistry in its element
Ben Valsler explains how a drug that prevents HIV from donning its protective 'coat' now makes up one arm of the World Health Organisation's Covid-19 trial
Remdesivir: Chemistry in its element
Will new clinical trials for Covid-19 give remdesivir a second chance?Ben Valsler introduces the broad-spectrum antiviral that didn't quite make it as the Ebola drug it was originally planned to be.
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: Chemistry in its element
Old drugs sometimes find their way back into the news. The Covid-19 pandemic – and some very high profile backing – has led to malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine hitting the headlines worldwide. Ben Valsler explores both the history and the hype.
Ibuprofen: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg on the popular over-the-counter painkiller, developed by a high-street pharmacy chain
Minoxidil and finasteride: Chemistry in its element
Catherine Hodges explores the chemical solutions to thinning hair and patchy beards, examining the popularity of minoxidil and the cautionary tale of finasteride
Fipronil: Chemistry in its element
The pesticide that keeps pets free of pests, but may have also been responsible for the devastating collapse of bee colonies. With Harriet Brewerton.
Leptin: Chemistry in its element
Rotund rodents revolutionised our understanding of the biological role of fat. Now, as Katrina Krämer discovers, the hormones created by fats could redefine obesity.
Vitamin K: Chemistry in its element
Ben Valsler on vitamin K – the blood clotting factor that is likely to be the first supplement you ever receive
Amylase: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg on the enzymes make life a little sweeter by breaking down starch into sugars, helping to make bread and beer
Hydroquinone: Chemistry in its element
Georgia Mills on a compound that explodes from a beetle's bum, and has a controversial role in skin depigmentation
Sodium cyanide: Chemistry in its element
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Baia Mare disaster, when toxic sodium cyanide spilled from a gold processing plant led to ecological damage on a huge scale. Mike Freemantle tells the tragic tale and explores the poison's place in precious metal processing.
Terephthalic acid: Chemistry in its element
Once thought of as an interesting – but useless – turpentine derivative, this oddly-named acid became the precursor to one of the world's most widely used plastics
Cobalt oxide: Chemistry in its Element
From ancient Egyptian pottery to distinctive blue bottles, cobalt oxide has been providing 'chemically and artistically perfect' pigments for centuries
Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin
If you're trying out a vegan diet, you're likely to be told to make sure you get enough vitamin B12. Ben Valsler asks what B12 does, where we get it from, and how can we be sure we're getting enough?
The Elements Song 2019: Chemistry in its Element
To celebrate 2019 – the International Year of the Periodic Table – we're joined by Helen Arney and the Waterbeach Brass Band with an updated version of Tom Lehrer's elements song. See the video, featuring contributions from chemists around the world, here: https://www.chemistryworld.com/IYPT Happy New Year!
Iminosugars: Chemistry in its element
After promising results treating ill pets, some researchers think iminosugars could become treatments for infection and even cancer. Mike Freemantle explores the buzz about iminohoney.
Oxycodone and hydrocodone: Chemistry in its element
Frances Addison examines how our quest to control and manage pain has led to a modern medical crisis, as opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone are among the most abused prescription medications in the US
Tryptophan: Chemistry in its element
Ben Valsler tackles 'zombie facts' and the tenuous connection between tryptophan in turkey and your post-Thanksgiving dinner doze
Zeolites: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg introduces the class of materials where the holes are more important than the whole – the super-porous zeolites
Allicin: Chemistry in its Element
It helps prevent garlic plants from marauding insects and should have prevented the Hindenburg disaster – Mike Freemantle on allicin and the smell of freshly crushed garlic
Beta–damascenone: Chemistry in its element
Louise Crane explains how a series of happy accidents led to the discovery of this rose-scented compound, found in rose oil, beer, apple pie and Kentucky bourbon.
Gallium arsenide: Chemistry in its element
Brian Clegg introduces gallium arsenide – the supercar of the semiconductor scene
Electrum: Chemistry in its element
Georgia Mills introduces the malleable mixture of gold and silver that minted some of the world's oldest coins
Hypoxia-inducible factors – HIFs: Chemistry in its element
Ben Valsler introduces the oxygen sensors that help life react to changing conditions, and were key to the 2019 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine
Ciguatoxin: Chemistry in its element
Enna Guadalupe investigates the toxin found in reef fish that leads to food poisoning so bad it can cause life-long symptoms.
Ramipril & ACE inhibitors: Chemistry in its element
How a Brazilian scientist's knowledge of viper venom led to the discovery of a whole class of medication for high blood pressure. With Mike Freemantle.
Hedione: Chemistry in its element
Louise Crane investigates a jasmine-derived synthetic scent with supposed sex appeal
Sodium fluoroacetate: Chemistry in its element
Georgia Mills examines a controversial killer: Sodium fluoroacetate or 1080
Methylhexaneamine or DMAA: Chemistry in its element
Sold as a 'sports supplement', methylhexaneamine – or DMAA – is implicated in the deaths of otherwise fit & healthy people. Enna Guadalupe investigates.
Domoic acid: Chemistry in its element
Katrina Krämer investigates a marine toxin that drives animals crazy and might have inspired one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films
Boric acid: Chemistry in its element
Mike Freemantle revisits battlefield surgery to investigate boric acid, a key part of Dakin's antiseptic solution used extensively in the first world war
Amygdalin & Laetrile: Chemistry in its element
Patrick Hughes delves into the molecule at the centre of a decades-old cancer treatment conspiracy theory
Dopamine: Chemistry in its element
Georgia Mills tackles the feel-good neurotransmitter and hormone behind thrill seeking, addiction and mobile gaming
Hydrogen sulfide: Chemistry in its element
Mike Freemantle finds the connection between Land of Hope and Glory and the noxious, corrosive, flammable gas that stinks of rotten eggs
Baclofen: Chemistry in its element
One doctor's battle with alcoholism and self-experimentation with baclofen led to a rush of people desperate to try the drug to curb their addictions. But are we simply replacing one problem with another, asks Enna Guadalupe
Polypropylene: Chemistry in its element
Microplastics, including polypropylene, are present in our oceans, on our beaches and even in bottled water. Ian Robertson from PerkinElmer investigates the scale and some solutions
Zinc polycarboxylate: Chemistry in its element
Lay back in the chair and say 'Ahh', as Mike Freemantle introduces zinc polycarboxylate dental cement
Zircon: Chemistry in its element
The versatile gemstones that give scientists insights into the chemistry of the early Earth, introduced by Brian Clegg
Cyclopropane: Chemistry in its element
Chemistry's tastiest bonds for an explosive anaesthetic that was as useful as it was dangerous
2C psychedelics: Chemistry in its element
Ben Valsler introduces a class of hallucinogenic phenethylamines, explored by the 'godfather of psychedelics' Alexander Shulgin and sadly implicated in a tragedy at a 2017 music festival
Azidothymidine: Chemistry in its element
The first drug approved in the US to treat Aids required a completely new approach to clinical trials – Frances Addison explores the history of azidothymidine
Silver iodide: Chemistry in its element
How the compound that ushered in a photographic revolution has taken to the skies to try to control the weather
