Undeserved Reputation?

There’s no shortage of material when it comes to aspartame research – the FDA has described it as one of the most studied food additives currently approved. We’re talking a huge number of studies, more than 500, so you’d justifiably think that this is an issue that the research can weigh in on ...

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Dispelling Misconceptions

The term ‘chemophobia’ has been used on social media amongst chemists with increasing regularity over the past year. Defined as ‘a fear of chemicals’, more specifically it refers to the growing tendency for the public to be suspicious and critical of the presence of any man-made (synthetic) ...

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A particular bodily fluid featured in the political newsearlier this week, which got me thinking about the chemical causes behind the colours of the waste products we expel from our bodies.What makes urine golden, faeces brown, and bile green? The answers to all of these questions have a common ...

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In C&EN

While some treesdrop their leaves in autumn, others stay green all year round. How do they accomplish this, and what’s the benefit? This graphic takes a look at some of the chemical tricks these trees utilise.

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The Chemistry of Popcorn

There haven’t been a great number of studies on the chemicals that make up the aroma and flavour of popcorn. The first of these, way back in 1970, identified a range of compounds, and made some general suggestions as to which ones were important for flavour. Compounds called pyrazines contribute ...

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Does Acrylamide in Toast & Roast Potatoes Cause Cancer?

Acrylamide has beenin the news this week, with the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) warning that eating overcooked potatoes, crisps, or burnt toast could increase your risk of developing cancer. Does this mean you should be consigning your toaster to the trash and avoiding roast potatoes with ...

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Sources and reactions of atmosphericorganic molecules containing nitrogen.

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Titration

Anyone who’s studied chemistry will be overly familiar with titrations. It’s an analytical technique that can be used to find the concentrationof a solution (the amount of a solute dissolved in it). I put this graphic together primarily to remind my A level students of some of the key aspects of ...

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Structure, Additives, and Impurities

You could be forgiven for thinking there’s not a great deal that’s interesting about the chemistry of vodka. After all, isn’t it essentially just a mix of two compounds, ethanol and water? Though this is pretty much the case, there’s more to vodka than you might expect. Here we take a look at ...

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a brieflook at some of the many chemicals involved in the feeling of love.

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