‘We can’t get rid of fossil fuels and not have an alternative’
Meet Phil Mercer, a chemist helping plan for a new lithium mine in Cornwall
‘I went on my first anti-racism march when I was 14’
Meet Tom Welton, RSC president, ionic liquid guru and vocal advocate for inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences
Allotropes of carbon
Use this infographic with your 14–16 classes to boost their knowledge of diamond, graphite, graphene and fullerenes
Your place or mine? The local business of lithium mining
Lithium-ion batteries will power the next generation of electric cars, but how can we mine lithium with minimal impact on the environment?
Toxins in food
Many foods contain toxins such as oxalic acid. How do we balance the risks and benefits to health?
Beirut explosion
How a warehouse of ammonium nitrate destroyed a capital city
Making materials from biomass
Biomass is regularly used as fuel, but have we been overlooking this sustainable resource as a source of chemical building blocks?
Packaging promise
From polymers to nanoparticles, the new technologies helping to reduce food and wrapper waste