BASF chemical plant gets the go-ahead in China

11 May 2011

Chemical giant gets green light for largest MDI plant in China after vowing to protect the environment

Traditional Chinese medicines hampered by EU regulations

10 June 2011

The strict registration process in the EU for traditional Chinese medicines could lead to medicine shortages in clinics across Europe

Chemical profits nibbled by oversupplies

22 August 2011

Although China’s chemical industry posted good figures in their mid-year reports, there could be a shadow looming on the horizon

Lawsuits muddy the waters for fluorescent whiteners

27 July 2011

Disputes over the toxicity of fluorescent whitening agents in washing detergents lead to lawsuits in China

More IP disputes for Chinese chemical firms

29 July 2011

Two major suppliers to China’s tyre industry are involved in mutual espionage accusations

NSF five year plan to keep US science on top

16 May 2011

The NSF’s five-year strategic plan targets threats to the US’s science and engineering leadership

Phoney research projects swindle EC out of millions

19 May 2011

The European Commission has uncovered a network of fake research projects that have fraudulently claimed €50 million

US approves cancer drugs twice as fast as Europe

22 June 2011

The US approves cancer drugs faster than Europe but future collaboration is likely to iron out differences

EU looks to expand ban on phosphates in detergents

24 June 2011

An EU push to ban phosphates in dishwasher detergents is facing opposition from industry

EPA in political tug of war over environment

05 August 2011

House Republicans face criticism for attaching rider to US EPA’s funding bill that appear to dismantle environmental protections

Electron remains stubbornly spherical

25 May 2011

A new study finds the electron is spherical, which has deep implications for the standard model of physics

Chemical ‘Scotch Tape’ separates carbon nanotubes

09 June 2011

Metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes can be peeled apart using a tape that has either amine or phenyl groups

Spinning webs to catch indoor pollutants

28 July 2011

A 3D polyamide net structure as a highly sensitive sensor for detecting formaldehyde

Bit part for diethylfluoromalonate in reaction model

12 July 2011

Quantum bits have been successfully used to simulate a chemical reaction for the first time

Mystery of how plutonium enters cells solved

27 June 2011

Plutonium enters cells by hitching a ride on a protein which could lead to ways to block uptake

Screening for Alzheimer’s drugs in tandem

28 June 2011

By combining enzymes, a macrocyclic sensor and a dye, scientists may be able to find new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease

Synthesising red wine’s overlooked chemical secrets

22 June 2011

Chemists have synthesised resveratrol oligomers, polyphenols found in grapes, which might have medicinal properties

Rust busting self-healing materials

30 June 2011

Polymer based materials that self-heal after scratching could be used in anticorrosion coatings

Graphene goes 3D

23 June 2011

A simple method for the self-assembly of three-dimensional graphene

Beyond the frontiers

In space and Antarctica, planning and running research projects transcends national borders. Laura Howes finds out how this affects the way researchers operate

Diamonds are for everything

No longer valued simply for its glamour and durability, diamond is turning its hand to applications in solar power, laser design and bionic eyes. James Mitchell Crow reports

Editorial: Heroes and heroin

Science dream team

Column: In the pipeline

The financial markets can be a rollercoaster ride, writes Derek Lowe, so should chemists working in industry worry about the company share price?

Column: Totally Synthetic

Yuanhuapin

Classic kit: McLeod’s vacuum gauge

The simmering tensions between science and religion