Chemistry In Its Element

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