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Compound Interest | Chemistry infographics
@compoundchem.com
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🧪 Infographics exploring everyday chemistry
📅 #PeriodicGraphics in @cenmag.bsky.social
🥇 ACS 2025 Interpreting Chemistry for the Public award
🏆 ABSW 2018 Science Blog Award
🖊️ Posts by @andy.compoundchem.com
🌐 Website: compoundchem.com
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compoundchem.com
Poppies are a symbol of remembrance on Armistice Day. Did you know that some poppies are also the source of powerful opioid painkillers?

Find out more in this graphic: www.compoundchem.com/2020/11/11/p...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of poppies. The red colour of the common poppy is due to anthocyanin pigments. Other red poppies also contain anthocyanins but the yellow Iceland poppy and alpine poppy contain nudicaulin pigments. The opium poppy has been used in medicine for thousands of years, with the milky opium fluid which contains alkaloids such as morphine used as a painkiller. The common poppy contains different alkaloids, which only have very milld pain-killing properties.
November 11, 2025 at 9:51 AM
compoundchem.com
It's #NationalPumpkinDay! 🎃

Why are pumpkins orange, and what do pumpkins have to do with pumpkin spice? Here are the chemical answers in @cenmag.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/articles/93/...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of pumpkins. The colour of pumpkins is due to carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, the same compound that gives carrots their orange colour. The vegetal aroma of pumpkins is mainly due to cis-3-hexen-1-ol, along with other six-carbon alcohols and aldehydes. Canned pumpkin is often not the same type of pumpkin as those used for carving, and consequently, the aroma compounds differ, including burnt-smelling 2-methylbutanal, coffee furanone, and furfural. Pumpkin spice flavour has little to do with pumpkin and more to do with the spices added, including cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
October 26, 2025 at 8:50 PM
compoundchem.com
I'm a bit late with the customary #MoleDay infographic this year, but better late than never!

The mole makes it easier to describe the huge numbers of atoms, molecules, or ions that participate in chemical reactions.

More in this graphic: www.compoundchem.com/2014/10/23/m...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the mole. One mole is the amount of substance that contains exactly 6.022 x 10^23 atoms, molecules or ions. This number is also known as Avogadro's number. Using moles makes it easier to talk about amounts of substances involved in reactions by relating the mass of a substance to its atomic or molecular mass. Amount of substance (moles) = mass (grams) divided by the mass of 1 mole (grams per mole). One mole contains a different mass for different substances.
October 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
compoundchem.com
Maple-syrup-scented urine? Hallucinations? To mark US #NationalChemistryWeek's "Hidden Life of Spices" theme, the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in @cenmag.bsky.social looks at some of the effects spices can have beyond flavouring our food: cen.acs.org/biological-c...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic showing how spice compounds like eugenol (cloves), sotolon (fenugreek), glycyrrhizin (licorice), and myristicin (nutmeg) affect the body—causing effects like numbing, maple-syrup-scented sweat, high blood pressure, and hallucinations.
October 21, 2025 at 4:42 PM
compoundchem.com
Why are some apples as sweet as honey while others make your face pucker? 🍎

Dive into the chemistry behind apple sweetness, tartness, and aroma in this graphic!

👉 Read more: www.compoundchem.com/2025/10/16/a...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic titled “The Chemistry of Apple Flavours” explaining what makes apples sweet or tart and key flavour compounds. Sweetness comes from sugars like fructose, tartness from acids like malic acid. A higher sugar/acid ratio means a sweeter apple. Apple types are grouped as sweet (e.g., Fuji, Gala), balanced (e.g., Jazz, Braeburn), or tart (e.g., Granny Smith, Bramley). As apples ripen, aldehydes convert to alcohols and then to esters, which dominate aroma in ripe apples. Key esters shown include butyl acetate, hexyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, and ethyl 2-methylbutanoate.
October 16, 2025 at 6:53 PM
compoundchem.com
I put this to the test with Copilot and yeah, I think it's fair to say that it struggled with the structure of caffeine
A Co-pilot created drawing of a molecule that is definitely not caffeine
October 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
compoundchem.com
It's mushroom season in the Northern Hemisphere 🍄

Here's a look at the chemistry of arguably the most iconic mushroom, fly agaric, and what makes them so brightly coloured and hallucinogenic: www.compoundchem.com/2024/11/11/f...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on fly agaric mushrooms, with an image of the mushrooms in the middle (red with white spots). The chemical structures of the mushroom's pigments are shown, including muscarufin, the primary pigment responsible for their red colour. The compounds behind the mushrooms' psychoactive properties, ibotenic acid and muscimol, are also shown. These compounds imitate neurotransmitters in the brain to exert their effects.
October 13, 2025 at 7:34 PM
compoundchem.com
Yes! I've got this which needs updating (for the whopping one additional woman who's won the prize since 2020). "Nobel Prize diversity" is a bit of an oxymoron...

And a whole women in chemistry category here which shows there's no shortage of potential nominees: www.compoundchem.com/category/wom...
Infographic showing the number of men (179) and women (7) who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry between 1901 and 2020
October 10, 2025 at 8:51 AM
compoundchem.com
Today is #NationalNanotechnologyDay 🔬

Here's a look at some of the big jobs tiny particles can do in @cenmag.bsky.social

cen.acs.org/articles/94/...

#ChemSky 🧪
This is an infographic explaining the chemistry behind nanotechnology in a few consumer products, including silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial uses, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreens, carbon nanotubes in sports equipment and quantum dots in televisions.
October 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM
compoundchem.com
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry was awarded today for the development of metal-organic frameworks, molecular sponges with applications in gas storage, water purification and more: www.compoundchem.com/2025/10/08/2...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal-organic frameworks. The infographic explains that metal-organic frameworks are molecular sponges built up from metal ions and organic compounds that act as linkers. Small molecules such as gases can move into and out of cavities in these frameworks. The graphic highlights some of the MOFs the laureates have developed and concludes by looking at possible future uses of MOFs, including gas storage and extracting water from air.
October 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
compoundchem.com
This morning, the 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry will be announced!

Here are my brief infographic explainers of the past ten years of chemistry Nobel Prizes: www.compoundchem.com/category/nob...

#ChemSky 🧪
Image showing all of the Compound Interest Nobel Prize in Chemistry infographics from 2015 to 2024.
October 8, 2025 at 7:03 AM
compoundchem.com
With the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry being announced tomorrow, here's a reminder of the research on protein structure prediction that won last year's prize: www.compoundchem.com/2024/10/10/2...

#ChemSky 🧪
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker for computational protein design and to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for protein structure prediction. Proteins are important biological molecules formed from 20 naturally occurring amino acids. Proteins form folded 3D structures which are key to their function and properties, but the exact way in which they fold is hard to predict. In 2020, Demis Hassabis, John Jumper and their co-workers unveiled an artificial intelligence model called AlphaFold2 to predict 3D folded structures of proteins. David Baker developed Rosetta, software that also attempts to predict protein structures, and used it to start with a protein structure and use the software to work out its amino acid sequence. Predicting and designing protein structures benefits the design of protein-based drugs, sensors, vaccines, catalysts, and more. It also aids our understanding of existing proteins and how they interact with other molecules.
October 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
compoundchem.com
We're firmly into autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, so it's once again time to share one of my favourite chemistry infographics on the kaleidoscope of chemical colours found in autumn leaves! 🍂
www.compoundchem.com/2014/09/11/a...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of the colours of autumn leaves. Green is caused by chlorophyll, carotenoids and flavonoids give yellows, and oranges come from carotenoids, which also contribute to reds along with anthocyanins.
October 6, 2025 at 7:49 PM
compoundchem.com
What makes us sleepy, and what medicines can help when we can’t doze off? 😴

The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN examines drugs that combat insomnia and how they work: cen.acs.org/biological-c...
This graphic describes the hormone that helps us get sleepy and some medications that can treat insomnia. The graphic outlines different classes of drugs that can help people sleep, including antihistamines, benzodiazepines, melatonin analogs, and Z-drugs.
September 23, 2025 at 6:46 PM
compoundchem.com
A new school year is here, so today's post is for the chemistry teachers!

I've mapped my chemistry infographics to classroom topics, providing explanations, visualisations and interesting contexts.

It's all available to download in a free PDF here: wp.me/p4aPLT-8Ty

#ChemSky #ITeachChem
Promo image for the infographic mapping document, showing an organic reaction map inside a circle on the right-hand side, with the caption "Compound Interest Infographics Topic Mapping" on the other.
September 3, 2025 at 3:08 PM
compoundchem.com
As summer fades, dahlias are blooming. This graphic looks at the chemical cause of their colours and why you won't spot a blue one! www.compoundchem.com/2021/09/12/d...
#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of dahlia flower colours. The colours of dahlias are a result of anthocyanin-, chalcone- and aurone-derived pigments. Colourless sflavones also interact with and stabilise anthocyanin pigments. Chalcones and aurones lead to yellow and orange dahlias, while anthocyanins play a part in orange, pink, red and black dahlias. Blue dahlias aren't seen because dahlias lack an enzyme for making delphinidin, the anthocyanin which leads to blue flowers.
August 31, 2025 at 8:23 PM
compoundchem.com
From sunburn to swimming pools, the sun triggers chemical reactions all around us. The latest edition of #PeriodicGraphics in @cenmag.bsky.social shines a light on some of the molecular transformations driven by the sun's rays: cen.acs.org/physical-che...

#ChemSky 🧪
This graphic describes chemical reactions triggered by ultraviolet light from the sun. These reactions include those that break down plastics, aid the production of vitamin D, cause skin burns from the sap and juices of some plants, decompose swimming pool chlorination, and form components of brown smog compounds.
August 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM
compoundchem.com
Great to spot this article in @chemistryworld.com discussing the benefits of using infographics in #scicomm (and mentioning yours truly): www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/lear...

It was also funny to learn that my pregnancy hormone infographic is being used in some Australian prenatal classes!
Photo of the article in Chemistry World magazine. The full article is accessible at the link in my post.
August 4, 2025 at 8:30 PM
compoundchem.com
Rosalind Franklin was born #OTD in 1920. She was a chemist and crystallographic who made a key contribution to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA: www.compoundchem.com/2017/07/25/f...

#ChemSky 🧪
Today in Chemistry History graphic on Rosalind Franklin and the structure of DNA. Rosalind Franklin was a chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was instrumental in the discovery of the structure of DNA. She missed out on a Nobel Prize for her work as they are not awarded posthumously. Photograph 51 is an X-ray diffraction image of DNA taken during Franklin’s research. It was crucial in developing a model of DNA and confirming its double helical structure.
July 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
compoundchem.com
It's #NationalIceCreamDay!

Discover how science shapes the smooth, creamy texture of ice cream in this infographic: www.compoundchem.com/2015/07/14/i...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of ice cream. Ice cream is formed from fats, proteins and emulsifiers, which in combination stabilise air bubbles in ice cream. Small crystals are needed for smooth ice cream, and air makes up 30-50% of ice cream's volume. A range of flavouring compounds are used. Stabilisers, often extracted from seaweed, are added in small amounts to reduce the rate of melting.
July 20, 2025 at 6:25 PM
compoundchem.com
ChemDraw turned 40 this week! 🎉

I worked with Revvity Signals to put together this graphic showing how the chemical drawing program has developed from basic beginnings to the integration of features to predict spectra and highlight structural features

wp.me/s4aPLT-chemd...

#ChemSky
Infographic timeline showing the history of the ChemDraw program, including its creation in 1985, release on Mac in 1986, release on Windows in 1993, addition of prediction tools in 1997, integration with CAS SciFinder in 2014, addition of ring colouring and colour highlight features in 2019 and 2020, and the release of a cloud-powered version in 2024.
July 18, 2025 at 8:03 AM
compoundchem.com
I've corrected this one as I got my browning reactions mixed up in the brown sugar panel! It's corrected in this graphic and on-site.
Infographic on the chemistry of a mojito. Some key chemical components of rum, mint, lime and brown sugar are detailed with chemical structures.
July 16, 2025 at 8:38 PM
compoundchem.com
It's Friday and it's #NationalMojitoDay!

Here's some of the chemistry behind this refreshing minty cocktail 🍹 www.compoundchem.com/2020/07/10/m...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the chemistry of a mojito. Some key chemical components of rum, mint, lime and brown sugar are detailed with chemical structures.
July 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
compoundchem.com
What's Earth made of? The latest edition of #PeriodicGraphics in @cenmag.bsky.social journeys to the centre of Earth to look at the elements and minerals that make up our planet's different layers: cen.acs.org/physical-che...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on the composition of Earth. Scientists determine the composition of Earth by analysing surface rocks and inferring the density and composition of deeper layers from how seismic waves move through Earth. Oxygen is the most abundant element in the crust. Mafic rocks, rich in magnesium and iron, dominate oceanic crust. Felsic rocks, higher in silicates, are the most abundant in continental crust. The mantle is composed mainly of magnesium-rich silicate minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene. The lower mantle contains less magnesium than the upper mantle. Earth's outer core is liquid, while the inner core is solid. Both layers consist mainly of an iron-nickel alloy with lighter element impurities. The core’s exact composition is still unknown. Molten iron stirring in the outer core drives Earth's magnetic field.
July 2, 2025 at 8:27 PM
compoundchem.com
With temperatures soaring in Europe right now, here’s a look at how the sun affects our skin in @cenmag.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/biological-c...

#ChemSky 🧪
Infographic on how the sun affects our skin. The graphic highlights the different ranges of UV light and how it can both cause skin damage and lead to the synthesis of vitamin D. It goes on to highlight how melanin absorbs and dissipates the energy from UV light and how UV light can damage DNA.
June 30, 2025 at 3:57 PM