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

Cinnamaldehyde

Dec 21st, 2020 7m 44s

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

Dec 11th, 2020 5m 54s

A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.

Ochre

Dec 4th, 2020 7m 33s

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

Nov 27th, 2020 7m 27s

A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel

Ionic liquids

Nov 20th, 2020 11m 53s

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

Nov 13th, 2020 8m 9s

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

Asparagusic acid

Nov 5th, 2020 7m 37s

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

Oct 30th, 2020 6m 57s

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

Oct 23rd, 2020 6m 47s

Also known as 'milk of amnesia', propofol helps to prevent perception of pain in surgery – just don't forget its dangerous side

Sofosbuvir

Oct 16th, 2020 6m 18s

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

Oct 9th, 2020 9m 26s

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

Oxybenzone

Oct 2nd, 2020 12m 28s

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

Aug 7th, 2020 8m 10s

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

Aug 2nd, 2020 7m 45s

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

Jul 24th, 2020 8m 1s

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.

Ractopamine

Jul 17th, 2020 7m 46s

Common in the US but banned in the EU, this animal feed additive makes for muscular pigs and beefy international trade disputes.

Hexasilabenzene

Jul 10th, 2020 6m 55s

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

2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline)

Jul 3rd, 2020 5m 52s

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

Jun 26th, 2020 6m 31s

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

Jun 19th, 2020 6m 44s

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

Feldspar

Jun 12th, 2020 7m 21s

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

Cimetidine

Jun 5th, 2020 7m 23s

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

Fexinidazole

May 29th, 2020 6m 50s

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.