Battery week 2026
A dedicated week of content exploring the fast-moving world of battery science and innovation. Find all the content here and join us for a series of live interactive webinars.
The scientists who will power our future
Calling in the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds to address the energy crisis and build the next generation of batteries.
The battery chemistry race shaping the future of electric vehicles
Science and global politics intertwine in the rivalry between lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides and lithium iron phosphate
Studying materials in action
Experiments on battery electrodes and fuel cell catalysts while they’re being used – operando spectroscopy – can revolutionise our understanding of these crucial materials. Clare Sansom reports
Building better batteries
The next generation of battery technologies might pack significantly more power into the electric cars and mobile devices of the future. James Mitchell Crow reports
Join the discussion
Pushing the limits of capacity: the future of battery performance and design
Join us on 11 May to learn about the most promising up-and-coming technologies in battery design
Closing the loop: sustainable battery recycling from research to reality
Join us on 13 May to discover the latest advances in battery recycling for cleaner sustainable energy
In conversation with Clare Grey
Hear from the pioneering British chemist redefining how we think of battery science – live on 15 May
Latest
Feature
The molecular mystery of how we smell
Despite being one of our key senses, the molecular mechanisms of smell remain poorly understood. Mason Wakely sniffs out the competing theories of what may be happening in our noses
Feature
The molecular mystery of how we smell
Despite being one of our key senses, the molecular mechanisms of smell remain poorly understood. Mason Wakely sniffs out the competing theories of what may be happening in our noses
Feature
The battery chemistry race shaping the future of electric vehicles
Science and global politics intertwine in the rivalry between lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides and lithium iron phosphate
Research
Vanadium’s promise in medicine and the researchers who refuse to give up
It mimics phosphate, kills cancer cells in the lab and almost changed how we treat diabetes. So why has a vanadium compound never made it to the clinic?
Careers
How chemists are making laboratories more sustainable
A collection of articles sharing tips from researchers who reduced their environmental impact with support from the RSC’s Sustainable Laboratories grants
Versatile skeletal editing strategies upgrade nitrogen compounds into drug building blocks
Two techniques could help speed up the discovery of drugs containing nitrogen heterocycles
Silver bullet catalyst works magic transforming stable C–H bonds into amines
Method allows for late-stage, stereoselective aminations to drug-like molecules
MOF magnet with virtually no external magnetic field ideal for advanced electronics
Dopant boosts carbon nanotubes’ conductivity tenfold
First total synthesis of macrocycle with four stereocentres at the heart of bacterial photosynthesis
Methane zapped into plasma bubbles makes low-emission methanol
Three-atom bismuth ring reveals new form of aromaticity
Catalyst converts plastic waste into hydrogen and valuable chemical building blocks
Carbon-free ferrocene analogue synthesised
Iran war’s global impact keeps growing
Shortages of bitumen, cooking gas and jet fuel are pushing up prices and disrupting construction
Paint manufacturers still putting consumers at risk in Mexico with sale of toxic lead paints
Over half of paints sold in the country contain unsafe levels of lead pigments, with some reaching up to 29% lead
26 killed in fireworks factory explosion in China
Purdue Pharma’s opioid prosecution enables bankruptcy settlement
‘Basic research is needed more than anything else’
Stringent regulations on dichloromethane are forcing US labs to rethink use of common solvent
The evolving landscape of pain drug discovery
Major drug regulators advancing routes to reduce animal testing
Fatal incident at US catalyst refiner under investigation
The scientists who will power our future
Calling in the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds to address the energy crisis and build the next generation of batteries.
Iran war’s global impact keeps growing
Shortages of bitumen, cooking gas and jet fuel are pushing up prices and disrupting construction
Letters: May 2026
Readers delve into ancient history, celebrate glassblowers and ponder if they are alchemists
Purdue Pharma’s opioid prosecution enables bankruptcy settlement
$5 billion criminal sentence paves the way for resolution of civil liabilities through bankruptcy court
The complicated legacy of J Craig Venter
By attempting to commercialise parts of the human genome, he sped up the development of gene sequencing technologies
Breaking a priceless chemistry artefact didn’t make the best first impression
But I found something precious in the department archives that will last for generations
The evolving landscape of pain drug discovery
Harnessing the power of human-relevant in vitro models
Major drug regulators advancing routes to reduce animal testing
US, UK and EU all have goals to eliminate animal testing
Discovering the elements: no simple stories
Join us on 10 June to discover the true nature of scientific discovery
How and why soap works: the science behind the suds
Join us on 25 June to discover the chemistry behind our favourite household cleaner
Driving the future of compliance: digital reference materials transforming regulated analytical testing
Explore how digital tools and frameworks are transforming regulated analytical testing, compliance and industry-wide adoption
Visualising data for scientific discovery
Turn complex data into clear insight through hands-on learning and expert guidance
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
Inert materials & the Mary Celeste
In this episode, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert, chemistry’s answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, and hear the latest headlines.
Two states of water & science sleuths
In this episode, we discuss the two-state model of water, how science sleuths are fighting disinformation, and hear the latest headlines.
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes
In this episode, we discuss the where the true limits of an atom lie, the US’s plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes, and hear the latest headlines.
Opinion
Letters: May 2026
Readers delve into ancient history, celebrate glassblowers and ponder if they are alchemists
Opinion
The complicated legacy of J Craig Venter
By attempting to commercialise parts of the human genome, he sped up the development of gene sequencing technologies
Opinion
Breaking a priceless chemistry artefact didn’t make the best first impression
But I found something precious in the department archives that will last for generations
News
UC Berkeley chemistry professor accused of sexual harassment
Almost 800 current and former students, graduate researchers and faculty are calling for change following claims by former grad student
Podcast
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
Sponsored
The scientists who will power our future
Calling in the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds to address the energy crisis and build the next generation of batteries.
Advantages of monodisperse PEG in drug development
Precision matters: why monodisperse PEG is transforming drug development.
Karl Fischer titration for moisture analysis: applications in batteries, fuels and food
Accurate moisture analysis has consequences that extend well beyond the laboratory. Karl Fischer titration is what keeps them in check. The question is whether the reagent is up to the task.
Why data visualisation is so important in the age of AI
Machines don’t need to draw charts and plots to work with data, but humans will still need datavis skills to work with machines.
Pittcon 2026 heads to San Antonio for analytical chemistry showcase
The world’s largest laboratory science conference returns to San Antonio in March 2026, featuring Nobel laureate Frances Arnold as keynote speaker and showcasing cutting-edge analytical instrumentation across five days of technical sessions and networking events.
Biphenyl: 20 years of Restek innovation
How Restek’s Biphenyl column changed chromatography
Explainer: the Welch Award in Chemistry
Many people have never heard about one of the biggest awards in chemistry. Chemistry World sets the record straight.
Optimising method transfer in regulated environments
Learn how to minimise risk and promote data quality with data-driven approaches and digital tools
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs
Vanadium-based medicines? We discuss the 23rd element’s little-known potential in pharmaceuticals. Plus, how labs across the UK are making achievable changes to increase their sustainability.
How chemists are making laboratories more sustainable
A collection of articles sharing tips from researchers who reduced their environmental impact with support from the RSC’s Sustainable Laboratories grants
Sustainable laboratories: Reducing plastics
When to reuse plastic pipette tips and how to overcome psychological barriers to recyling single-use items
Sustainable laboratories: Reducing water
How to adapt water cooling for water-stressed regions and investigate the carbon footprint of different circulation options
Sustainable laboratories: Reducing energy
Sustainable laboratories: Cleaner solvents and substrates
Sustainable laboratories: Recovering metals
Sustainable laboratories: Best lab practice
Three chemistry Nobel laureates shared their failures – and how they overcame them
Meet the researchers who are making bonds outside of the lab