Chemistry in its element

Used to make synthetic cannabis, cannabicyclohexanol may be more risky than its non-synthetic counterpart

Simon Cotton introduces the painkiller tramadol – could this be the next banned drug in competitive cycling?

A protein with an impressive roster of 'firsts': Anna Lewcock introduces insulin

Simon Cotton explores our hallucinogenic horizons with psilocybin and mescaline

It smells of 'rotting horseradish' but gives glass a magnificent red colour – Brian Clegg shines a light on selenium dioxide

Marketed as a path to eternal youth but banned in professional sports, Hayley Simon introduces human growth hormone

It may have no common name, but as Brian Clegg explains, magnesium chloride has many common uses

Simon Cotton takes us back to a dark day in UK history, to highlight a terrible use of acetone peroxide

The drug that fuelled rave culture may yet be a treatment for PTSD. Hayley Simon introduces MDMA

Why would a simple molecule used to produce plastics excite astronomers? Brian Clegg introduces ethane

Lars Öhrström explains how tantalum(V)oxide banished 'the brick' and allows your mobile phone to fit in your pocket

When Brian Clegg's acid reflux strikes, he knows he can rely on help from this compound: Sodium alginate

It reeks of rotting fish but finds use in a range of applications - Jenna Bilbrey introduces trimethylamine

Phenol, that mainstay of the chemical industry, was a familiar smell around the house in soap. Brian Clegg reveals all

Simon Cotton describes one of his favourite school chemistry experiments, involving this week's compound: Glycerol

It's highly toxic but essential for studying detailed structures of cells. Brian Clegg introduces osmium tetraoxide

You may have created it in a fiery flash or taken it to soothe a burning stomach. Simon Cotton on magnesium oxide

Why don't fish freeze in sub-zero seas? Helen Scales introduces the compounds that protect them - antifreeze glycoproteins

It makes a sweet banana-flavoured treat, but can ruin home brewed beer; Jenna Bilbrey introduces isoamyl acetate

The science is far from settled, but this week's compound – bisphenol A – is facing bans across the world

Helen Scales investigates tributyltin, banned from use as anti-fouling paint for causing 'imposex' in marine life

From potential painkiller to kitchen-cooked heroin replacement, Nate Adams tracks the history of desomorphine

It helps keep sharks afloat, but may be partly responsible for their declining numbers: Helen Scales introduces squalene

Nathan Adams introduces a confusingly-named protein that's essential for keeping blood flowing: Albumin

Neil Withers finds out how vermilion has been keeping human civilisation looking bright and beautifully red for centuries

Brian Clegg holds his nose to examine one of the real workhorses of the organic chemistry lab: Pyridine

Nathan Adams investigates some of the most important molecular machines within our cells, the cytochrome p450 enzymes

Brian Clegg reminisces about indoor fireworks and Vesuvian fire with this week's compound: Ammonium dichromate

Meet melatonin, the 'Dracula of hormones', essential in regulating the body's natural circadian rhythm

Once a fusty way of keeping moths out of clothes, Brian Clegg explains how naphthalene may have helped bring life to Earth

Nature has a range of ways to create bioluminescence. Not to be outdone, chemists create their own glow with diphenyl oxalate.

They are the compounds that link leather trousers to a nice cup of tea - Brian Clegg introduces tannins

Anna Lewcock finds out how pigeons played a major role in discovering an important pituitary hormone, prolactin

Amongst the fictional forensic equipment shown on television, Brian Clegg notices one distinctly non-fiction stalwart: Luminol

It smells sweet, is potentially lethal and organic chemists rely on it: Emily James on dichloromethane

Purple was once a colour only royalty could afford to wear. Hayley Birch investigates tyrian purple, or dibromoindigo, the original purple dye

Stephen Wallace introduces batrachotoxin, a deadly toxin that comes from a beautiful little frog

Brian Clegg introduces the first compound to ever exist - helium hydride

Simon Cotton introduces the first antibiotic known to kill TB: Streptomycin

Lars Öhrström delves into the history of alum, a compound linked to some of Europe's most infamous families

Helen Scales investigates hirudin, a powerful anticoagulant found in leech saliva

Simon Cotton explores a dance-scene drug that was designed for horses, ketamine

Hayley Birch discovers the compound that links explosive anaesthetics, plastics and ripe bananas: Ethene

Lactose intolerance leads to unpleasant and antisocial symptoms. Lars Öhrström finds out why

Simon Cotton investigates tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), a designer steroid that sparked a sporting scandal

Brian Clegg meets a simple organic compound with a reputation for being something of a bruiser

Simon Cotton looks back at the history of one of our favourite painkillers, paracetamol

Helen Scales finds out how unique toxins found in deadly cone snail stings could herald the next generation of painkillers

Brian Clegg explains how the versatile compound boron nitride may be 'the best kept secret in all of chemistry'

A popular way to weed out unwanted pest plants, Jen Newton introduces Glyphosate