Chemistry in its element

Follow Chemistry in its element
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

A weekly tour of the periodic table, from Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Chemistry World


    • Jun 1, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 6m AVG DURATION
    • 624 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Chemistry in its element with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Chemistry in its element

    Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2021 21:33


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2020 7:44


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2020 5:54


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 7:33


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2020 7:27


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2020 11:53


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2020 8:09


    An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions 

    Asparagusic acid: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2020 7:37


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2020 6:57


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020 6:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2020 6:18


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 9:26


    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

    tb meera senthilingam
    Oxybenzone: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2020 12:28


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 8:10


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2020 7:45


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2020 8:01


    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.

    tannic
    Ractopamine: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2020 7:46


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 6:55


    Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life

    2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline): Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2020 5:52


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2020 6:31


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2020 6:44


    Mike Freemantle on the art, history and science of this delicate, translucent ceramic material

    Feldspar: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 7:21


    Brian Clegg introduces the humble mineral that delights both astronomers and archaeologists

    Cimetidine: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2020 7:23


    Mike Freemantle introduces the peptic ulcer treatment cimetidine, which – as Tagamet – became the first 'blockbuster' drug

    Fexinidazole: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2020 6:50


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2020 7:27


    Georgia Mills investigates the psychoactive found in ayahuasca that may mirror near-death experiences

    Chlorine dioxide: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2020 8:35


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2020 7:32


    Brian Clegg discovers the link between olive oil, dandruff and stained glass windows.

    Interferon beta: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2020 6:38


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2020 11:35


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2020 6:36


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2020 6:26


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2020 7:22


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2020 9:04


    Brian Clegg on the popular over-the-counter painkiller, developed by a high-street pharmacy chain

    Minoxidil and finasteride: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2020 6:52


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2020 6:53


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2020 10:21


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2020 6:53


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2020 7:26


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2020 6:34


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2020 7:36


    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.

    baia mare
    Terephthalic acid: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2020 7:41


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2020 6:45


    From ancient Egyptian pottery to distinctive blue bottles, cobalt oxide has been providing ‘chemically and artistically perfect’ pigments for centuries

    Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2020 7:04


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2019 4:05


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2019 7:00


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2019 6:27


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 6:02


    Ben Valsler tackles 'zombie facts' and the tenuous connection between tryptophan in turkey and your post-Thanksgiving dinner doze

    Zeolites: Chemistry in its element

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2019 7:44


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2019 7:42


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2019 4:56


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2019 6:32


    Brian Clegg introduces gallium arsenide – the supercar of the semiconductor scene

    Claim Chemistry in its element

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel