Ever taken a whiff of smelling salts? For many years, the compound that contributed the pungent pong was ammonium carbonate

With a name that literally means rotten resin, asafoetida is a surprising food additive and deodorant

The 1984 accident at Bhopal, India, was the worst in the history of industrial chemistry. It involved a leak of methyl isocyanate

Kat Arney introduces a biologically ubiquitous compound, important in beating both infectious viruses and invasive weeds

The tastiest food additive there is, or the greatest threat to life in the western world?

The Battle of Jutland was fought 100 years ago next week, on May 31st, 1916. A critical role was played by cordite

Michael Freemantle takes a stroll through 'Jane Austen country' to discover this week's compound: Coumarin

For decades, automobile fuel had a dangerous additive: Tetraethyl lead. Matt Gunther explains why a toxic compound was added to our fuel

It failed as a painkiller, but Haldol rapidly became an essential medicine for schizophrenia. Raychelle Burks explains more

It may not be the best material for solar cells but it has some distinct advantages