Advance online publication


The latest research papers, published online ahead of print. These online versions are definitive and may be cited using the digital object identifier (DOI).

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Letters

Exceptionally large positive and negative anisotropic thermal expansion of an organic crystalline material

Dinabandhu Das, Tia Jacobs & Leonard J. Barbour

Published online: 22 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2583

Occasionally, organic crystalline materials contract when heated (negative thermal expansion), and the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are poorly understood. The arrangement of dumbbell-shaped molecules in an organic material is shown to give rise to its negative thermal expansion. The packing and intermolecular interactions facilitate a cooperative mechanical response to temperature causing a decrease in lattice dimensions.


Liquid-gated interface superconductivity on an atomically flat film

J. T. Ye, S. Inoue, K. Kobayashi, Y. Kasahara, H. T. Yuan, H. Shimotani & Y. Iwasa

Published online: 22 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2587

Using a liquid gate has allowed electrically induced superconductivity in a solid specimen by means of carrier accumulation on the surface. But this phenomenon was limited to materials that became superconductors at low carrier density. It is now shown that superconductivity can be induced in a much wider range of materials by using an ionic liquid.


Gel-expanded to gel-condensed transition in neurofilament networks revealed by direct force measurements

Roy Beck, Joanna Deek, Jayna B. Jones & Cyrus R. Safinya

Published online: 15 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2566

Liquid-crystal gel networks of neurofilament assemblies play a key part in the mechanical stability of neuronal processes, and disruptions in the networks are a hallmark of motor-neuron diseases. Under pressure, these networks are shown to undergo an abrupt transition from expanded to condensed states, with distinct mechanical properties, helping to explain possible disruption mechanisms.


Quasi-ballistic thermal transport from nanoscale interfaces observed using ultrafast coherent soft X-ray beams

Mark E. Siemens, Qing Li, Ronggui Yang, Keith A. Nelson, Erik H. Anderson, Margaret M. Murnane & Henry C. Kapteyn

Published online: 08 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2568

According to Fourier theory, thermal transport is a diffusive process. However, this cannot be the case at length scales smaller than the mean free path of the energy carriers. The first experimental study of thermal transport at the nanoscale is now reported in the case of a point-like heat source, providing a quantitative description of the transition between the ballistic and diffusive regimes.


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Articles

Giant Zeeman splitting in nucleation-controlled doped CdSe:Mn2+ quantum nanoribbons

Jung Ho Yu, Xinyu Liu, Kyoung Eun Kweon, Jin Joo, Jiwon Park, Kyung-Tae Ko, Dong Won Lee, Shaoping Shen, Kritsanu Tivakornsasithorn, Jae Sung Son, Jae-Hoon Park, Young-Woon Kim, Gyeong S. Hwang, Margaret Dobrowolska, Jacek K. Furdyna & Taeghwan Hyeon

Published online: 15 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2572

Synthesizing magnetic nanostructures, which could potentially be used in spintronic applications, is quite challenging owing to the difficulty in incorporating magnetic impurities in a non-magnetic matrix. It is now shown that up to 10% Mn can be incorporated in CdSe nanoribbons by nucleation-controlled doping, giving rise to very strong magnetic effects.


Nanostructured arrays of semiconducting octahedral molecular sieves by pulsed-laser deposition

Anais E. Espinal, Lichun Zhang, Chun-Hu Chen, Aimee Morey, Yuefeng Nie, Laura Espinal, Barrett O. Wells, Raymond Joesten, Mark Aindow & Steven L. Suib

Published online: 01 November 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2567

Molecular sieves made out of cryptomelane-type manganese oxide (OMS-2) have been widely studied, but synthesizing them with a hierarchical nanostructure and precise crystal orientation is very challenging. It is now demonstrated that pulsed-laser deposition of OMS-2 on SrTiO3 leads to the spontaneous formation of three-dimensional arrays of parallel and inclined fibres. The results open the way for lattice-engineered synthesis of multilayer materials.


Material properties of the cell dictate stress-induced spreading and differentiation in embryonic stem cells

Farhan Chowdhury, Sungsoo Na, Dong Li, Yeh-Chuin Poh, Tetsuya S. Tanaka, Fei Wang & Ning Wang

Published online: 18 October 2009 | doi:10.1038/nmat2563

Soft embryonic stem cells respond to small localized forces by increasing cell protrusion and spreading; in contrast, cells that are differentiated from them—which are ten times stiffer—do not spread. The deformation of the cell cytoskeleton is thus shown to be an important determinant of cellular response to force.


Until print versions of AOP papers are published, they should be cited in the style "Author(s) Nature Materials advance online publication, day month year (doi:10.1038/nmatXXXXX)". Once the print version (identical to the AOP) is published, it should be cited as follows: "Author(s) Nature Materials volume, page (year); advance online publication, (doi:10.1038/nmatXXXXX)".

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