Table of contents
October 2008, Volume 7 No 10 pp757-823
About the coverEditorial
Healthy by choice - p757
doi:10.1038/nmat2278
How can physical scientists contribute to biomedical applications and healthcare?
Full Text - Healthy by choice | PDF (164 KB) - Healthy by choice
Commentary
Nanomaterials at work in biomedical research - pp758 - 760
Younan Xia
doi:10.1038/nmat2277
With some nanomaterial-based medicines having entered the marketplace, and more on the verge of doing so, nanomedicine is expected to become an exciting playground for chemists and material scientists.
Full Text - Nanomaterials at work in biomedical research | PDF (281 KB) - Nanomaterials at work in biomedical research
Interview
The healthy option - pp761 - 762
Interview with Hans Hofstraat
doi:10.1038/nmat2276
Philips has recently changed its focus from electronic components to healthcare innovations. Nature Materials talked to Hans Hofstraat about the reasons behind this choice and how it affected Philips Research scientists.
Full Text - The healthy option | PDF (176 KB) - The healthy option
Research Highlights
Research Highlights - p764
doi:10.1038/nmat2279
Full Text - Research Highlights | PDF (261 KB) - Research Highlights
News and Views
Thermoelectrics: Half-full glasses - pp765 - 766
Cronin B. Vining
doi:10.1038/nmat2271
The low thermal conductivity of some thermoelectric materials is commonly attributed to rattlers — atoms trapped in oversized cages. Two independent studies now show that rattlers indeed reduce thermal conductivity to glass-like values.
Full Text - ThermoelectricsHalf-full glasses | PDF (151 KB) - ThermoelectricsHalf-full glasses
Electrochromic displays: The new black - pp766 - 767
Frederik C. Krebs
doi:10.1038/nmat2282
Careful design of donor–acceptor polymer molecules with reversible redox properties gives access to polymer electrochromic displays with switchable absorption in the full visible range of the optical spectrum.
Full Text - Electrochromic displaysThe new black | PDF (158 KB) - Electrochromic displaysThe new black
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels: Drugs take control - pp767 - 768
Cameron Alexander
doi:10.1038/nmat2281
Using a known and widely used drug as a specific triggering agent, another drug can be released from a hydrogel. This route opens up the application of hydrogels in the targeted, controlled release of drugs in vivo.
Full Text - Stimuli-responsive hydrogelsDrugs take control | PDF (191 KB) - Stimuli-responsive hydrogelsDrugs take control
Particle transport: Salt and migrate - pp769 - 770
Dennis C. Prieve
doi:10.1038/nmat2283
Adding simple salts to colloidal solutions provides a method of controlling the migration of particles in microfluidic devices.
Full Text - Particle transportSalt and migrate | PDF (158 KB) - Particle transportSalt and migrate
Oxygen catalysis: The other half of the equation - pp770 - 771
John Turner
doi:10.1038/nmat2284
Artificial photosynthesis — splitting water with light — is an attractive way to make hydrogen, but what happens to the oxygen? A catalyst that aids in the efficient production of gaseous oxygen improves the viability of this approach.
Full Text - Oxygen catalysisThe other half of the equation | PDF (225 KB) - Oxygen catalysisThe other half of the equation
Material witness: Get knotted - p772
Philip Ball
doi:10.1038/nmat2280
Full Text - Material witnessGet knotted | PDF (125 KB) - Material witnessGet knotted
Energy: Fuel for thought - pp772 - 774
Robert Schloegl
doi:10.1038/nmat2285
The worlds of nanotechnology and energy meet to unveil a realm of functional materials for fuelling the challenge of low-carbon, sustainable energy.
Full Text - EnergyFuel for thought | PDF (154 KB) - EnergyFuel for thought
Letters
Highly compressed ammonia forms an ionic crystal - pp775 - 779
Chris J. Pickard & R. J. Needs
doi:10.1038/nmat2261
Ammonia is an important compound for producing pharmaceuticals, fertilisers and explosives. It is known to form hydrogen-bonded solids at high pressure, but ionic solids of ammonium amide are now predicted at even higher pressure.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - Highly compressed ammonia forms an ionic crystal | PDF (643 KB) - Highly compressed ammonia forms an ionic crystal | Supplementary information
Subject Category: Computation, modelling and theory
Asymmetric caging in soft colloidal mixtures - pp780 - 784
C. Mayer, E. Zaccarelli, E. Stiakakis, C. N. Likos, F. Sciortino, A. Munam, M. Gauthier, N. Hadjichristidis, H. Iatrou, P. Tartaglia, H. Löwen & D. Vlassopoulos
doi:10.1038/nmat2286
A new, asymmetric glassy state is identified in soft colloidal mixtures composed of large and small star polymers. The results will enable the design, control and tuning of the rheological properties of other soft composite materials.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - Asymmetric caging in soft colloidal mixtures | PDF (388 KB) - Asymmetric caging in soft colloidal mixtures | Supplementary information
Boosting migration of large particles by solute contrasts - pp785 - 789
B. Abécassis, C. Cottin-Bizonne, C. Ybert, A. Ajdari & L. Bocquet
doi:10.1038/nmat2254
Developing novel strategies to drive or manipulate the migration of particles in solutions is important for lab-on-a-chip technologies, especially in the context of biological and chemical analysis. A strongly amplified and tunable migration of large particles using a passive transport phenomenon is now reported.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - Boosting migration of large particles by solute contrasts | PDF (503 KB) - Boosting migration of large particles by solute contrasts | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Complex fluids | Computation, modelling and theory
See also: News and Views by Prieve
Two Ih-symmetry-breaking C60 isomers stabilized by chlorination - pp790 - 794
Yuan-Zhi Tan, Zhao-Jiang Liao, Zhuo-Zhen Qian, Rui-Ting Chen, Xin Wu, Hua Liang, Xiao Han, Feng Zhu, Sheng-Jun Zhou, Zhiping Zheng, Xin Lu, Su-Yuan Xie, Rong-Bin Huang & Lan-Sun Zheng
doi:10.1038/nmat2275
The structure of C60 is well-known: a perfectly symmetrical sphere of 12 isolated pentagons. But this is only one of 1,812 possible isomers, and the only one to obey the isolated-pentagon rule. So far it has been the only form observed. But now two isomers without isolated pentagons have been made.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - Two Ih-symmetry-breaking C60 isomers stabilized by chlorination | PDF (1,671 KB) - Two Ih-symmetry-breaking C60 isomers stabilized by chlorination | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Nanoscale materials | Design synthesis and processing
The donor–acceptor approach allows a black-to-transmissive switching polymeric electrochrome - pp795 - 799
P. M. Beaujuge, S. Ellinger & J. R. Reynolds
doi:10.1038/nmat2272
Smart windows and switchable displays require electrochomic materials that change their optical properties on electron transfer. Organic polymers offer further benefits including high contrast, greater colour variety and flexible substrates, but their use has remained challenging. Now, a donor–acceptor approach has yielded the first neutral black polymeric electrochrome.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - The donor–acceptor approach allows a black-to-transmissive switching polymeric electrochrome | PDF (1,354 KB) - The donor–acceptor approach allows a black-to-transmissive switching polymeric electrochrome | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Polymers | Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials
See also: News and Views by Krebs
Drug-sensing hydrogels for the inducible release of biopharmaceuticals - pp800 - 804
Martin Ehrbar, Ronald Schoenmakers, Erik H. Christen, Martin Fussenegger & Wilfried Weber
doi:10.1038/nmat2250
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels show potential as smart materials for drug delivery, however, the triggers used must be applicable in vivo. Now, a hydrogel has been synthesized that contains protein–protein interactions that respond to a specific pharmaceutical drug and enable the hydrogel to controllably release its load of a human growth factor, which increases cell proliferation.
First Paragraph - | Full Text - Drug-sensing hydrogels for the inducible release of biopharmaceuticals | PDF (277 KB) - Drug-sensing hydrogels for the inducible release of biopharmaceuticals | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Polymers | Biological materials | Biomedical materials
See also: News and Views by Alexander
Articles
Breakdown of phonon glass paradigm in La- and Ce-filled Fe4Sb12 skutterudites - pp805 - 810
Michael Marek Koza, Mark Robert Johnson, Romain Viennois, Hannu Mutka, Luc Girard & Didier Ravot
doi:10.1038/nmat2260
The low thermal conductivity in filled skutterudites has been ascribed to rattling atoms inducing a phonon glass. Experimental evidence now shows that the phonon glass description is incorrect, and provides essential insight for the development of microscopic models aimed at describing the thermoelectric properties of these materials.
Abstract - | Full Text - Breakdown of phonon glass paradigm in La- and Ce-filled Fe4Sb12 skutterudites | PDF (773 KB) - Breakdown of phonon glass paradigm in La- and Ce-filled Fe4Sb12 skutterudites | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Materials for energy
See also: News and Views by Vining
Avoided crossing of rattler modes in thermoelectric materials - pp811 - 815
Mogens Christensen, Asger B. Abrahamsen, Niels B. Christensen, Fanni Juranyi, Niels H. Andersen, Kim Lefmann, Jakob Andreasson, Christian R. H. Bahl & Bo B. Iversen
doi:10.1038/nmat2273
The presence of guest atoms—known as rattlers—in the cages of some clathrate structures is considered to be responsible for the low thermal conductivity of the materials. Neutron spectroscopy provides important evidence regarding the actual phonon dispersion in the material, and the precise way in which this is influenced by rattlers.
Abstract - | Full Text - Avoided crossing of rattler modes in thermoelectric materials | PDF (841 KB) - Avoided crossing of rattler modes in thermoelectric materials | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Materials for energy
See also: News and Views by Vining
Small functional groups for controlled differentiation of hydrogel-encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells - pp816 - 823
Danielle S. W. Benoit, Michael P. Schwartz, Andrew R. Durney & Kristi S. Anseth
doi:10.1038/nmat2269
Cell–matrix interactions have critical roles in regeneration, development and disease. Encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells can now be induced to differentiate down osteogenic and adipogenic pathways by controlling their three-dimensional environment using tethered small-molecule functional groups.
Abstract - | Full Text - Small functional groups for controlled differentiation of hydrogel-encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells | PDF (774 KB) - Small functional groups for controlled differentiation of hydrogel-encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Biological materials | Biomedical materials
