Articles

Homogeneous deformation in metallic glasses is facilitated by high temperature and low strain rate. Here, the window for homogeneous deformation is expanded by the application of a pulsed current during tensile loading of a Zr₅₅Cu₃₀Al₁₀Ni₅ metallic glass, attributed to dynamic rejuvenation.

Van der Waals heterostructures stack together 2D materials to achieve unique performance. Here, 3D/3D heterostructures are created by inkjet printing of 2D MoS₂ and reduced graphene oxide, and demonstrated for a heterostructure catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Hydrogels are attractive for the treatment of waste water, but their mechanical properties are typically reduced when underwater. Here, a synthesis strategy is reported for a graphene oxide-coated hydrogel which can catalyze organic dye degradation in water over multiple cycles.

Emergent nanoscale order in organic materials is typically characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering. Here, angular fluctuations in the diffraction patterns are used to probe the 3D structure of self-assembled lipid membranes, revealing previously inaccessible details on the phase geometry.

Magnetoelectric multipoles are parity and time-reversal odd structures emerging in multiferroic and exotic ordered phases. Here, the discovery of nonreciprocal linear dichroism in Pb(TiO)Cu₄(PO₄)₄ enables a fast visualization of magnetic quadrupole domains using simple linear polarization microscopy.

Topological insulators in contact with a superconductor could house unusual physical states such as Majorana fermions. Here, the authors fabricate and report the  electron-transport characteristics of Josephson junctions built using a nanoscale topological insulator, finding evidence for ballistic transport in the surface states of the nanocrystals.

Two-dimensional lead halide perovskites have shown great potential as X- and γ-ray scintillators due to their high light yield, fast decay rate, and low fabrication cost. Here, their versatility is expanded by achieving, via Li-doping, α-particle/γ-ray discrimination and thermal neutron detection.

Armchair-edged graphene nanoribbons, characterized by width-dependent bandgaps, may become prominent in future semiconductor devices. Here, a small bandgap of 0.19 eV is achieved in 17-atom-wide nanoribbons, promising better transport characteristics in field-effect transistors.

Nanostructures are observed in many areas of materials science, and are often loosely described based on their shape. Here, a framework is presented for the categorization of nanoparticles based on their statistically defined geometry.

The applicability of protein fibrils as functional biomaterials is limited due to low scalability of production process, slow kinetics, and requirement of expensive purified proteins. Here, instantaneous production of protein fibrils from egg white proteome using cholinium tosylate as a fibrillation agent is shown, with the obtained fibrils displaying enhanced mechanical stiffness and cytocompatibility.

Perovskite solar cells have substantial potential for solar conversion, but developing simple and scalable fabrication processes is challenging. Here, a drop-casting process compatible with roll-to-roll production of quasi-2D/3D perovskite layers is developed, with a conversion efficiency of up to 16%.

Common issues facing perovskite solar cells are current-voltage hysteresis and degradation during illumination. Here, a self-assembled monolayer is applied to an SnO₂ electron transport layer, helping to achieve hysteresis-less behavior and limited degradation after 1,000 hours of illumination.

Glasses and ceramics offer attractive properties for optical applications, but shaping them into components is challenging. Here, photo-cross-linkable suspensions enable the fabrication of structured, transparent SiO₂ glass components quicker than for typical photo-curing processes.

Fluoride ion batteries receive substantial interest, but are limited by their cyclic performance. Here, an La₂NiO_4.13 cathode in an all-solid-state fluoride ion battery achieves up to 220 cycles for a 30 mAh/g cut-off capacity.

Vanadium dioxide is well known to display a metal-insulator transition, making it an attractive option for functional devices. Here, the growth of single crystal VO₂ microtube arrays is achieved via a thermal oxidation process that is faster and simpler than many existing fabrication technologies.

Paper is a ubiquitous material used in a range of applications, many of which expose it to fatigue loading. Here, a detailed study of the mechanical response of paper during high‐cycle fatigue loading is reported, with fiber fracture found to be a key degradation mechanism.

Strain engineering can enhance oxygen transport in cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells. Here, atomic scale imaging is used to probe local structures in tensile- and compressive-strained La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3-δ films, revealing higher oxygen vacancy concentration in tensile films, and vacancy ordering.

The pairing symmetry of superconducting Sr₂RuO₄ is debated, and analysis is complicated by difficulties in preparing high-quality thin films. Here, thin films of Sr₂RuO₄ are reproducibly grown by pulsed laser deposition with a Sr₃Ru₂O₇ single crystalline target, and the structural defect responsible for the suppression of the superconductivity on thin films has been identified.

Shock loading of materials alters the microstructure and considerably degrades mechanical performance. Here, shock loading of a nanocrystalline Cu–Ta alloy is found to induce minor changes to microstructure and mechanical performance, attributed to the annihilation of defects during deformation.

Organic materials are attractive for photovoltaic interfaces in bioelectronics, but are limited by adhesion in aqueous environments and responsiveness in the visible spectrum. Here, an organic interface is reported for neuronal stimulation in the near-infrared and tested on explanted mice retinas.