Volume 16 Issue 6, June 2017

A study on the formation of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite films reveals that light illumination influences the crystallization kinetics, therefore affecting the final photovoltaic performance of these materials.

Simulation determined the crystal energy landscape of a set of molecular crystals, predicting ultrahigh surface area solids with high methane storage. These were then synthesized, showing the potential of computational structure-property mapping.

Low-energy electron microscopy reveals how growth of multiple ordered heteromolecular phases can be steered by utilizing intermolecular repulsion.

High-resolution imaging, composition analysis and mechanical testing reveal a disordered transitional material within the Achilles tendon-to-bone attachment, structured as a fibrous network to enable force transfer and maximize structural integrity.

Room-temperature spin transport is achieved in the d-electron-based two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface.

Time-of-flight momentum microscopy is developed. It enables direct three-dimensional mapping of the topology of the Fermi surface, identification of electron and hole pockets, and quantification of Fermi velocity as a function of wavevector.

Electric-field control of the conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric ErMnO₃ has been demonstrated. Reversible switching between conducting and insulating states is attributed to an inversion layer, which provides a channel for conduction.

It is now shown that the phase of heteromolecular submonolayer films formed by adsorbates with opposite intermolecular interactions can be controlled by tuning the density of the gas phase of the species with repulsive character.

Ionic liquids are important for energy storage and lubrication but their behaviour at electrified interfaces remains elusive. Confined ionic liquids are now shown to exhibit a dramatic change to a solid-like phase pointing to capillary freezing.

Cathodes with enhanced catalytic activity for oxygen reduction are needed for solid oxide fuel cells. Although perovskite-type oxides typically suffer from performance degradation, high surface activity is now shown to be related to a few active sites.

Solar water splitting is promising for hydrogen production and solar energy storage, but for large-scale utilization cost must be reduced. A membrane-free approach in separate oxygen and hydrogen cells brings water splitting closer to applications.

Complex colloidal crystal structures can be obtained by a combination of preassembled units and DNA-mediated interactions. This enables, for instance, the generation of a MgCu₂ structure with interpenetrating diamond and pyrochlore sublattices.

The antifogging properties of a structured surface can be considerably enhanced if the feature size is small enough and if the feature shapes are cones rather than cylinders.

High-resolution imaging, composition analysis and mechanical testing provide a new insight into the structure and function of the Achilles enthesis.

By studying the immune responses of animals to different types of biomaterial implants, colony stimulating factor-1 receptor is revealed as an important mediator of the foreign body reaction and a possible target for fibrosis inhibition.

A retinal prosthesis fabricated from an organic photovoltaic polymer can restore degenerative blindness in vivo, and over long implantation periods.