Better by Design

Avoiding undesirable traits from the start could help chemists make molecules less meddlesome

Chemistry is all about sparks — bonds break, beakers bubble, reactions rule. But a growing number of researchers are obsessed with chemistry’s quieter side. Rather than vigor and vim, they seek a calm predictability.

A host of everyday products, from plastic bottles to flame retardants applied to fabrics, could be designed to be more safe for people, chemists argue.