After years of litigation, two prominent scientific publishers have settled copyright infringement lawsuits with the academic social networking site ResearchGate. The agreement, the specific terms of which are being kept confidential, allows authors who have published research articles in American Chemical Society (ACS) and Elsevier journals to share their work on the ResearchGate platform in […]

A piperidine-based oscillator has been made that can catalyse an independent reaction periodically without losing its oscillating properties.1 The discovery could be used to construct complex networks of reactions that would otherwise interfere with one another, opening new opportunities in chemical synthesis. ‘Catalysis and oscillations are two essential processes occurring in living cells,’ says Syuzanna […]

Research on why scientists like to lick rocks has been honoured with this year’s combined chemistry and geology Ig Nobel prize. The prize was one of ten given out in a ceremony held online last night. The chemistry and geology prize was awarded to University of Leicester emeritus professor Jan Zalasiewicz for an essay he […]

On 11 September, a study reported observations of the exoplanet K2-18 b by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most powerful space telescope ever built. The exoplanet’s spectrum revealed the presence of methane and carbon dioxide, but no ammonia, supporting the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean underneath the hydrogen rich atmosphere […]

A new molecular motor, which is much simpler than many before it, can carry cargo across a surface without missteps or changes in direction. The simple motor avoids the complex synthesis associated with other molecular machines and, according to the researchers who created it, could inspire future nanosystems that could remove contaminants from surfaces, aid […]

Researchers in the US have identified an organocatalyst that can deconstruct a range of condensation polymers.1 The protic ionic salt catalyst is the first single catalyst to transform a mixture of consumer plastics into high-quality monomers. Almost 79% of virgin plastics are estimated to enter landfills or gather elsewhere in our environment.2 ‘[A big challenge […]

Analysis of three types of mucus produced by garden snails has revealed the subtle differences in proteins, ions and glycans that dictate their contrasting properties. It is hoped the findings will aid the design of biomimetic synthetic mucus for healthcare and cosmetics applications. Snail mucus and cosmetic products derived from it are a $12 billion […]

It was not only the philosophers in antiquity who laid down theories that would reappear in the Early Modern Period, as that which we now term physics began to be created, several Ancient Greek mathematicians made contributions that would go on to play a significant role in that creation; most notable are Eudoxus of Cnidus […]

Designer ligands have promoted what the team behind the work believes is the first alcohol-directed activation of unreactive sp3 C-H bonds. Incorporating hydrogen-bonding interactions into the design strengthened and organised the reactive complex, an approach which could be applied to other catalytic systems. C-H functionalisation is one of the most versatile reactions in organic synthesis but […]

Designer ligands have promoted the first alcohol-directed activation of unreactive C-H bonds. Incorporating hydrogen-bonding interactions into the design strengthened and organised the reactive complex, an approach which could be applied to other catalytic systems. C-H functionalisation is one of the most versatile reactions in organic synthesis but the ubiquity and inertness of these bonds make […]