Safety, Regulation & Controversy

Hydrofluoric acid

A closer look at Hydrofluoric acid: the structure tells the story.

Perfluoroheptane

Why does Perfluoroheptane matter? Its most interesting chemistry is easier to remember than a list of uses.

Potassium phosphate

A CAS number is an identifier, not a guarantee that every registered substance has one exact molecular formula.

Dibutyl phthalate

What happens when a chemical is successful for decades—and then science changes the questions we ask about it?

N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine

For years, scientists in the Pacific Northwest faced a strange mystery.

Dimethyl phthalate

Before DEET, people were already using chemistry to fight mosquitoes.