Chemistry World Podcast

Chemistry World

Join the Chemistry World team for interviews, news and in-depth discussions of issues facing the chemistry community.

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20 episodes
Updated July 22

Episodes20

Newest first

July 22 · 34 min
50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we reflect on the lessons learned and the impacts of the Seveso chemical disaster of 1976, and discuss the latest membrane materials that could slash the energy required to refine crude oil with Jamie Durrani and Mason Wakley. Fifty years ago, a major accident at an Italian chemical plant released a cloud of dioxin that spread across 18 square kilometres, exposing 35,000 residents to the toxin. We discuss the legacy of Seveso and its impact on chemical regulation. And, a new method of separating hydrocarbons using membranes could replace fractional distillation in crude oil refineries, slashing energy costs. But what does this mean for a world trying to move beyond fossil fuels altogether? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/seveso-disaster-at-50-how-italys-dioxin-catastrophe-transformed-chemical-safety/4023734.articledisaster https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-materials-breakthrough-membranes-to-separate-crude-oil-could-slash-energy-costs/4023811.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/losing-an-entire-generation-of-scientific-talent-top-us-universities-accepted-15-fewer-phds/4023877.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/stfcs-160-million-cost-cutting-plan-prompts-concern-over-future-access-to-key-uk-research-facilities/4023862.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/german-research-funder-issues-warning-over-threats-to-academic-freedom/4023880.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-fisher-antibody-data-manipulation-is-a-breach-of-trust-say-researchers/4023854.article
July 8 · 27 min
An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential explosives at an Antarctic base | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we bring the latest from the recent temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and discuss the presence of potential explosives at the historic Antarctic bases of explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott with Phillip Broadwith and Frances Briggs. The US and Iran have recently signed a form of agreement to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping. But will this be enough to ease costs of resources, or has too much damage already been done? And, representatives from New Zealand have warned about the possible presence of explosive materials inside the Antarctic Laboratories left behind by explorers Robert Scott and Ernest Shakleton. We explain the chemistry underpinning the substances.
June 24 · 30 min
A warning for US science & wool's chemical versatility | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the latest challenges facing US science outlined by president of the US National Academy of Sciences Marcia McNutt in her outgoing address as well as the unique chemistry underpinning wool's incredible properties with Neil Withers and Rebecca Trager. Marcia McNutt gave her final address as president of the US National Academy of Sciences earlier this month, warning of turmoil for science in the wake of further proposals by the White House to restrict funding. We discuss highlights from the event. And, how does the chemical composition of wool contribute to its material properties? We explore this staple fabric and its uses beyond clothing.
June 10 · 27 min
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 revolutionised the way we build molecules. But what defines a click reaction, and what does the future hold? And, new research has revealed experimental evidence of how covalent bonding affects the 5f orbital in early actinides. We discuss the challenges of studying these elements.
May 28 · 34 min
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. What does this mean for the future of quantum computing? And, a recent study has found an unsuspecting source of contamination in microplastics research, distorting measurements of atmospheric pollution. We discuss the underlying cause.
May 13 · 24 min
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 the future of electric vehicles. But which will come out on top? And, we discuss a new photocatalyst that could change the way we recycle plastics and battery acid, demonstrating how waste streams could be transformed into resources. We explore what this could mean for building a truly circular economy. To register for more Battery Week activities, check out: https://www.chemistryworld.com/collections/energy-storage-and-batteries
April 29 · 24 min
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 contribute to a more sustainable world? We discuss the areas where you can make a meaningful change.
April 16 · 31 min
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 happened to the crew of the infamous ship the Mary Celeste. We explain how chemistry may fill the gaps.
April 2 · 30 min
The two types 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 this fundamental substance? And, in the growing age of disinformation, how can we equip ourselves to discern fact from false data? We discuss the latest wave of science sleuths aiming to provide us the tools. Resources to start your sleuthing: Learn about best practice with the Cosig collection of open science integrity guides Engage in post-publication peer review at PubPeer Software for detecting image manipulation: ImageTwin and Proofig Keep up to date on the latest problem papers identified using the Problematic Paper Screener and Retraction Watch Database
March 11 · 28 min
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 secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced last year that the US will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in foods. But what are these chemicals, and what concerns exist around their consumption?
February 26 · 30 min
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 Finding. We'll fill you in on some of the conversations that took place that weekend. And, plasma is often described as the fourth state of matter, but what exactly is it made of? We'll explain it's make-up and dive into how chemists are learning to unlock its power.
February 11 · 26 min
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the new deep learning model AlphaGenome and visit the very beginning of life on Earth with Mason Wakley and Neil Withers. Google DeepMind has released a new deep learning model that can predict the effect of small changes to DNA sequences up to one million base pairs in length. What does this new tech mean for our understanding of the human genome? And, how did life start on Earth, before the first cell came to be? We discuss the RNA world hypothesis and breakdown the chemistry it's built on.
January 28 · 23 min
Bench-stable butyllithium & secrets of Pompeii's limescale | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss new butyllithium formulations and ancient limescale chemistry with Emma Pewsey and Phillip Broadwith. New bench-stable tert- and n-butyllithium formulations developed by Merck KGaA, should make organometallic chemistry safer and more accessible. What's different about these formulations and how do they work? And a team based in Germany have managed to reconstruct the history of water sources used in Pompeii from an unlikely source: limescale. We discuss the findings and what chemistry can tell us about our past.
January 15 · 27 min
Halogen-bond catalysis & the future of total synthesis | The chemical breakdown podcast
Welcome to the first episode of our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we'll dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World. We'll provide insight into the facts, why you should care, and what it means for the chemistry community. We'll also give you that week's headlines to keep you up to date on what's happening in the chemistry community. And finally, we'll end each episode with a brief section on what was happening this week in chemistry history. This week, we discuss total synthesis and halogen-bond catalysis with Jennifer Newton and Jamie Durrani. The field of total synthesis has endured for almost 200 years, but with mounting funding pressures and shifting priorities, what will the future hold? And halogen-bond catalysis is an emerging technique that many chemists might not have encountered. We'll delve into where it came from and the potential uses of this exciting new tool.
Feb 3, 2017 · 47 min
Chemistry World podcast – January 2017
This month we introduce our new puzzles page, discuss the implications of Trump for science and meet Yuri Oganessian, the only living person with an element named after him
Jul 26, 2016
Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Herding Hemingway's Cats
Six-toed cats and misconceptions in genetics are discussed in this months podcast
Jun 22, 2016 · 22 min
Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Sorting the beef from the bull
This month we discuss the ubiquitous nature of food fraud and its detection
May 11, 2016 · 29 min
Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Scientific paper writing
This month, we discuss how to write quality scientific papers
Apr 18, 2016 · 22 min
Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Why science is sexist
This month we discuss unconscious bias and other reasons why science is sexist
Mar 10, 2016 · 22 min
Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Elements of Power
This month we learn of the problems that arise from mining rare metals in David Abraham's The Elements of Power

Chemistry World Podcast

50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons | The chemical breakdown podcast

An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential explosives at an Antarctic base | The chemical breakdown podcast

A warning for US science & wool's chemical versatility | The chemical breakdown podcast

Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides | The chemical breakdown podcast

Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in microplastics research | The chemical breakdown podcast

Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast

Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs | The chemical breakdown podcast

Inert materials & the Mary Celeste | The chemical breakdown podcast

The two types of water & science sleuths | The chemical breakdown podcast

Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical breakdown podcast

AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry | The chemical breakdown podcast

AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical breakdown podcast

Bench-stable butyllithium & secrets of Pompeii's limescale | The chemical breakdown podcast

Halogen-bond catalysis & the future of total synthesis | The chemical breakdown podcast

Chemistry World podcast – January 2017

Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Herding Hemingway's Cats

Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Sorting the beef from the bull

Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Scientific paper writing

Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Why science is sexist

Chemistry World Book Club podcast – Elements of Power