Chemistry In Its Element

Brian Clegg illuminates a glow-in-the-dark compound that defies naming conventions

Mike Freemantle brings us a sparkling mineral and a tale of derring-do on the high seas

Kat Arney discovers the biological chemistry behind a colourful blood disorder

Super-sweet and packed with preserving power, Mike Freemantle discovers that fructose can help keep things fresh long after the sell-by date

Katrina Krämer speaks to organic chemist Daniel Allwood about a multi-talented molecule that proves that not all radicals live up to their name

Brian Clegg becomes a sleuth to investigate the uses of a deceptively simple Lewis acid

Mike Freemantle discovers a sweet solution to monitoring contaminated water

Kat Arney takes a long, hard look at the story behind those famous little blue pills

Brian Clegg introduces a failed rocket fuel oxidiser with a very tricky structure

Kit Chapman discovers the compound that blighted Nixon’s second presidential inauguration by littering the route with dead pigeons

Kat Arney investigates the cancer-causing chemicals that could be lurking in that bag of peanuts

Brian Clegg freshens up the podcast with a spritz of lemon scent, courtesy of neral and geranial, collectively known as citral

Neil Withers relives a choppy (and messy) sea voyage to bring us the science of anti-seasickness drug cinnarizine, known in the UK as stugeron

Discover the compound at the heart of a multi-million dollar legal case and an Oscar–winning role for Julia Roberts

Kat Arney explains how an attractive blue dye, with a name inspired by the British Empire’s military exploits, became the basis of a fundamental lab technique

Brian Clegg on a hugely useful group of compounds that have a distinct dual personality – from household products to chemical weapons

A pyrophoric reagent that remains one of chemistry’s staples and the liquid salts that can tame its wild reactivity

Mike Freemantle introduces a pigment used by William Morris that also gave the Redcoats their distinctive hue

Tabitha Watson introduces a poisonous, corrosive and extremely reactive compound that will start 'roaring reactions' with almost anything