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The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element

Chemistry World

300 episodes

The chemical breakdown is your biweekly source of the latest chemistry news, featuring discussions by our Chemistry World writers on the most exciting announcements and innovations in the field. Plus the full archive of Chemistry in its element – the audio tour of the periodic table and beyond. From Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Episodes page 2 of 6

  1. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: Chemistry in its element

    · 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…

  2. Ibuprofen: Chemistry in its element

    · 9:04

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

  3. Minoxidil and finasteride: Chemistry in its element

    · 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

  4. Fipronil: Chemistry in its element

    · 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.

  5. Leptin: Chemistry in its element

    · 10 min

    Rotund rodents revolutionised our understanding of the biological role of fat. Now, as Katrina Krämer discovers, the hormones created by fats could redefine obesity.

  6. Vitamin K: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:53

    Ben Valsler on vitamin K – the blood clotting factor that is likely to be the first supplement you ever receive

  7. Amylase: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:26

    Brian Clegg on the enzymes make life a little sweeter by breaking down starch into sugars, helping to make bread and beer

  8. Hydroquinone: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:34

    Georgia Mills on a compound that explodes from a beetle's bum, and has a controversial role in skin depigmentation

  9. Sodium cyanide: Chemistry in its element

    · 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…

  10. Terephthalic acid: Chemistry in its element

    · 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

  11. Cobalt oxide: Chemistry in its Element

    · 6:45

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

  12. Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

    · 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?

  13. The Elements Song 2019: Chemistry in its Element

    · 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…

  14. Iminosugars: Chemistry in its element

    · 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.

  15. Oxycodone and hydrocodone: Chemistry in its element

    · 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

  16. Tryptophan: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:02

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

  17. Zeolites: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:44

    Brian Clegg introduces the class of materials where the holes are more important than the whole – the super-porous zeolites

  18. Allicin: Chemistry in its Element

    · 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

  19. Beta–damascenone: Chemistry in its element

    · 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.

  20. Gallium arsenide: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:32

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

  21. Electrum: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:33

    Georgia Mills introduces the malleable mixture of gold and silver that minted some of the world's oldest coins

  22. Hypoxia-inducible factors – HIFs: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:05

    Ben Valsler introduces the oxygen sensors that help life react to changing conditions, and were key to the 2019 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine

  23. Ciguatoxin: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:37

    Enna Guadalupe investigates the toxin found in reef fish that leads to food poisoning so bad it can cause life-long symptoms.

  24. Ramipril & ACE inhibitors: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:37

    How a Brazilian scientist's knowledge of viper venom led to the discovery of a whole class of medication for high blood pressure. With Mike Freemantle.

  25. Hedione: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:37

    Louise Crane investigates a jasmine-derived synthetic scent with supposed sex appeal

  26. Sodium fluoroacetate: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:54

    Georgia Mills examines a controversial killer: Sodium fluoroacetate or 1080

  27. Methylhexaneamine or DMAA: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:13

    Sold as a 'sports supplement', methylhexaneamine – or DMAA – is implicated in the deaths of otherwise fit & healthy people. Enna Guadalupe investigates.

  28. Domoic acid: Chemistry in its element

    · 9:09

    Katrina Krämer investigates a marine toxin that drives animals crazy and might have inspired one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films

  29. Boric acid: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:38

    Mike Freemantle revisits battlefield surgery to investigate boric acid, a key part of Dakin's antiseptic solution used extensively in the first world war

  30. Amygdalin & Laetrile: Chemistry in its element

    · 8:14

    Patrick Hughes delves into the molecule at the centre of a decades-old cancer treatment conspiracy theory

  31. Dopamine: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:25

    Georgia Mills tackles the feel-good neurotransmitter and hormone behind thrill seeking, addiction and mobile gaming

  32. Hydrogen sulfide: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:42

    Mike Freemantle finds the connection between Land of Hope and Glory and the noxious, corrosive, flammable gas that stinks of rotten eggs

  33. Baclofen: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:10

    One doctor's battle with alcoholism and self-experimentation with baclofen led to a rush of people desperate to try the drug to curb their addictions. But are we simply replacing one problem with another, asks Enna…

  34. Polypropylene: Chemistry in its element

    · 8:34

    Microplastics, including polypropylene, are present in our oceans, on our beaches and even in bottled water. Ian Robertson from PerkinElmer investigates the scale and some solutions

  35. Zinc polycarboxylate: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:11

    Lay back in the chair and say 'Ahh', as Mike Freemantle introduces zinc polycarboxylate dental cement

  36. Zircon: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:46

    The versatile gemstones that give scientists insights into the chemistry of the early Earth, introduced by Brian Clegg

  37. Cyclopropane: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:53

    Chemistry's tastiest bonds for an explosive anaesthetic that was as useful as it was dangerous

  38. 2C psychedelics: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:19

    Ben Valsler introduces a class of hallucinogenic phenethylamines, explored by the 'godfather of psychedelics' Alexander Shulgin and sadly implicated in a tragedy at a 2017 music festival

  39. Azidothymidine: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:19

    The first drug approved in the US to treat Aids required a completely new approach to clinical trials – Frances Addison explores the history of azidothymidine

  40. Silver iodide: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:39

    How the compound that ushered in a photographic revolution has taken to the skies to try to control the weather

  41. Amantadine: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:58

    Katrina Krämer investigates how one of the smallest small-molecule drugs around saved Jeanna Giese's life

  42. Indole: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:48

    Kat Arney investigates a potent chemical that might explain the brain-bending powers of bacteria

  43. Amber: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:32

    Mike Freemantle introduces amber – the valuable organic gemstone that invests unwary insects in a durable tomb

  44. Beryllium oxide: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:31

    Brian Clegg examines the duality that makes beryllium oxide so valuable to the electronics industry

  45. Methylphenidate (Ritalin): Chemistry in its element

    · 6:17

    Jamie Durrani diverts his attention to the rise of Ritalin, a drug first identified as a way of improving tennis performance

  46. Limulus Amebocyte Lysate: Chemistry in its element

    · 5:38

    Frances Addison takes a look at the discovery that brought horseshoe crabs to the heart of the pharmaceutical industry

  47. Levothyroxine: Chemistry in its element

    · 4:45

    Kit Chapman investigates the drug that has been one of the top five prescription medications in the UK every year for the last two decades

  48. Starch: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:14

    Inspired by a mention of arrowroot in Jane Austen's Emma, Mike Freemantle investigates how subtle differences in composition mean starch can be resistant dietary fibre or easily-digested nourishment.

  49. Aniline: Chemistry in its element

    · 7:32

    How an early synthetic dye chemical came to play a role in a mysterious disease outbreak in 1980s Spain

  50. Talc, or magnesium silicate: Chemistry in its element

    · 6:30

    Coating your naked body with powdered magnesium silicate may sound strange, but it's an important part of many bathtime rituals

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