The dragon awakens - p597

doi:10.1038/nmat2233

Do you think there are too many scientific papers coming out of China? Think again. As our special focus on China highlights, improvements in quality over quantity are inevitable.

Full Text - The dragon awakens | PDF (258 KB) - The dragon awakens

Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors - p598

John M. Lupton & Christoph Boehme

doi:10.1038/nmat2248

Full Text - Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors | PDF (148 KB) - Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors

Reply to "Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors" - pp598 - 599

Bin Hu & Yue Wu

doi:10.1038/nmat2249

Full Text - Reply to "Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors" | PDF (148 KB) - Reply to "Magnetoresistance in organic semiconductors"

Prolific research on a barren rock - pp600 - 602

Paul Ching-Wu Chu

doi:10.1038/nmat2229

As economic competition in the region increases, Hong Kong has to reinvent itself as a knowledge-based society.

Full Text - Prolific research on a barren rock | PDF (327 KB) - Prolific research on a barren rock

Materials research in China - pp603 - 605

Lian Zhou, Hengde Li & Changxu Shi

doi:10.1038/nmat2234

The fast-paced economic development in China needs to be complemented by strong support for fundamental research, particularly in the materials sciences.

Full Text - Materials research in China | PDF (169 KB) - Materials research in China

Leader of innovation in China - pp606 - 607

Interview with Lu Yongxiang

doi:10.1038/nmat2235

Nature Materials spoke to Lu Yongxiang, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on the roles that the academy and its more than 100 research-related institutions have in advancing science and technology in China.

Full Text - Leader of innovation in China | PDF (165 KB) - Leader of innovation in China

Tubular wells, levitating arrays and more... - p608

doi:10.1038/nmat2236

Full Text - Tubular wells, levitating arrays and more... | PDF (190 KB) - Tubular wells, levitating arrays and more...

Cellular matrices: Physiology in microfluidics - pp609 - 610

Jeffrey A. Hubbell

doi:10.1038/nmat2238

The in vivo characteristics of the extracellular matrix, such as biochemical, mechanical and flow properties, are a challenge to mimic in vitro. Now, a three-dimensional hydrogel structure with integrated multiple phases shows promise as such a model.

Full Text - Cellular matricesPhysiology in microfluidics | PDF (200 KB) - Cellular matricesPhysiology in microfluidics

Bone fracture: When the cracks begin to show - pp610 - 612

Peter Fratzl

doi:10.1038/nmat2240

The propagation of submillimetre cracks reveals how the numerous internal structural dimensions in bone lead to a toughness that varies with orientation and scale.

Full Text - Bone fractureWhen the cracks begin to show | PDF (355 KB) - Bone fractureWhen the cracks begin to show

Nanocrystals: Almost always bright - pp612 - 613

Alexander L. Efros

doi:10.1038/nmat2239

Colloidal nanocrystals randomly turn their photoluminescence off and on under continuous light illumination. Growing thick shells around the crystals can reduce the blinking effect dramatically, with great potential advantage for applications.

Full Text - NanocrystalsAlmost always bright | PDF (152 KB) - NanocrystalsAlmost always bright

Crystal growth: Anatase shows its reactive side - pp613 - 615

Annabella Selloni

doi:10.1038/nmat2241

Fluorine-containing species can cause titania to crystallize with an unusually large fraction of reactive {001} facets.

Full Text - Crystal growthAnatase shows its reactive side | PDF (366 KB) - Crystal growthAnatase shows its reactive side

Material Witness: Renewing old promises - p615

Philip Ball

doi:10.1038/nmat2237

Full Text - Material WitnessRenewing old promises | PDF (120 KB) - Material WitnessRenewing old promises

Thermoelectrics: Nanostructuring and more - pp616 - 617

David J. Singh & Ichiro Terasaki

doi:10.1038/nmat2243

Controlling simultaneously the electric and thermal properties of materials can lead to very efficient thermoelectric devices. Advances following different routes were highlighted at a recent conference.

Full Text - ThermoelectricsNanostructuring and more | PDF (226 KB) - ThermoelectricsNanostructuring and more

Regenerative medicine: Materials in a cellular world - pp617 - 618

John A. Hunt

doi:10.1038/nmat2242

Biological factors are not the only influence on stem-cell behaviour — the physics and chemistry of the environment play a part too. The interaction of materials science and stem-cell science brings with it a wealth of opportunities for future therapies.

Full Text - Regenerative medicineMaterials in a cellular world | PDF (245 KB) - Regenerative medicineMaterials in a cellular world

Mapping the spatial distribution of charge carriers in LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterostructures - pp621 - 625

M. Basletic, J.-L. Maurice, C. Carrétéro, G. Herranz, O. Copie, M. Bibes, É. Jacquet, K. Bouzehouane, S. Fusil & A. Barthélémy

doi:10.1038/nmat2223

The interfaces between some perovskite oxide insulators show spectacular electronic properties, originating from the formation of an electron gas. The spatial extent of the electron gas is still under debate. Conducting tip atomic force microscopy is now used to show that, depending on the growth conditions, the high-mobility electron gas can extend to hundreds of micrometres or to just a few nanometres from the interface.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Mapping the spatial distribution of charge carriers in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures | PDF (531 KB) - Mapping the spatial distribution of charge carriers in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Surface and thin films

High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells based on solvent-free electrolytes produced from eutectic melts - pp626 - 630

Yu Bai, Yiming Cao, Jing Zhang, Mingkui Wang, Renzhi Li, Peng Wang, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin & Michael Grätzel

doi:10.1038/nmat2224

The presence of organic solvents in solar cells has hindered the application of devices, especially in flexible cells. Now, by mixing three solid salts, a solvent-free liquid electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells has been discovered that shows both excellent efficiency and stability.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells based on solvent-free electrolytes produced from eutectic melts | PDF (276 KB) - High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells based on solvent-free electrolytes produced from eutectic melts | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Materials for energy

Ordered silicon vacancies in the framework structure of the zeolite catalyst SSZ-74 - pp631 - 635

Christian Baerlocher, Dan Xie, Lynne B. McCusker, Son-Jong Hwang, Ignatius Y. Chan, Kenneth Ong, Allen W. Burton & Stacey I. Zones

doi:10.1038/nmat2228

Elucidation of the framework structure of zeolites can sometimes prove difficult. The combination of powder diffraction and electron microscopy using a charge-flipping algorithm enables ordered silicon vacancies in a zeolite catalyst to be revealed.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Ordered silicon vacancies in the framework structure of the zeolite catalyst SSZ-74 | PDF (984 KB) - Ordered silicon vacancies in the framework structure of the zeolite catalyst SSZ-74 | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Porous materials | Characterisation and analytical techniques

In situ collagen assembly for integrating microfabricated three-dimensional cell-seeded matrices - pp636 - 640

Brian M. Gillette, Jacob A. Jensen, Beixian Tang, Genevieve J. Yang, Ardalan Bazargan-Lari, Ming Zhong & Samuel K. Sia

doi:10.1038/nmat2203

The contractile forces of cells can cause extracellular matrices to detach from their surroundings, which is problematic for biological studies and tissue engineering. Now, multiple phases of cell-seeded hydrogels can be integrated using a collagen-fibre-mediated method, resulting in the construction of well-defined and stable patterns of three-dimensional matrices.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - In situ collagen assembly for integrating microfabricated three-dimensional cell-seeded matrices | PDF (2,233 KB) - In situ collagen assembly for integrating microfabricated three-dimensional cell-seeded matrices | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Biological materials | Biomedical materials

See also: News and Views by Hubbell

The role of metal nanoparticles and nanonetworks in alloy degradation - pp641 - 646

Z. Zeng, K. Natesan, Z. Cai & S. B. Darling

doi:10.1038/nmat2227

Typically, metal alloys are protected from corrosion through the formation of an oxide layer. Nevertheless, alloy degradation does occur. It is now shown that metallic nanoparticles in the oxide layer are instrumental to this process. On the basis of this understanding, improvements in alloy degradation by careful choice of composition are demonstrated.

Abstract - | Full Text - The role of metal nanoparticles and nanonetworks in alloy degradation | PDF (1,409 KB) - The role of metal nanoparticles and nanonetworks in alloy degradation

Subject Categories: Metals and alloys | Biological materials | Structural materials

Control of fluidity and miscibility of a binary liquid mixture by the liquid–liquid transition - pp647 - 652

Rei Kurita, Ken-ichiro Murata & Hajime Tanaka

doi:10.1038/nmat2225

Recent work has provided evidence for the existence of a liquid–liquid transition (LLT) in some single-component fluids. It is now shown that the LLT can be used to control the fluidity and miscibility of triphenyl phosphite with another molecular liquid, demonstrating the possibility of the first definite application for exploiting this phenomenon.

Abstract - | Full Text - Control of fluidity and miscibility of a binary liquid mixture by the liquid–liquid transition | PDF (476 KB) - Control of fluidity and miscibility of a binary liquid mixture by the liquid–liquid transition | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Complex fluids

Resonant bonding in crystalline phase-change materials - pp653 - 658

Kostiantyn Shportko, Stephan Kremers, Michael Woda, Dominic Lencer, John Robertson & Matthias Wuttig

doi:10.1038/nmat2226

Although phase-change materials are of significant importance for optical and electronic information storage applications, the search for new materials so far has been based on empirical methods. Now, the discovery that their crystalline phase shows resonant bonding opens the way to a deterministic search for new phase-change materials.

Abstract - | Full Text - Resonant bonding in crystalline phase-change materials | PDF (534 KB) - Resonant bonding in crystalline phase-change materials | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Semiconductors | Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials

Towards non-blinking colloidal quantum dots - pp659 - 664

Benoit Mahler, Piernicola Spinicelli, Stéphanie Buil, Xavier Quelin, Jean-Pierre Hermier & Benoit Dubertret

doi:10.1038/nmat2222

One of the obstacles in using nanocrystals as fluorophores is that they tend to blink. This was thought to be a very general feature. Now, very-high-quality core–shell CdSe–CdS nanocrystals showing highly reduced blinking have been grown. The reduced blinking seems to be related to the thickness of the CdS shell and the high quality of the core–shell interfaces.

Abstract - | Full Text - Towards non-blinking colloidal quantum dots | PDF (595 KB) - Towards non-blinking colloidal quantum dots | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Semiconductors | Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials | Nanoscale materials

See also: News and Views by Efros

Lithium deintercalation in LiFePO₄ nanoparticles via a domino-cascade model - pp665 - 671

C. Delmas, M. Maccario, L. Croguennec, F. Le Cras & F. Weill

doi:10.1038/nmat2230

Although lithium iron phosphate is a promising electrode material for lithium-ion batteries, its intercalation mechanism remains unclear. Characterization by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy demonstrates that the lithium deintercalation process occurs as a wave moving through the crystal, and can be described by a domino-cascade model

Abstract - | Full Text - Lithium deintercalation in LiFePO4 nanoparticles via a domino-cascade model | PDF (1,070 KB) - Lithium deintercalation in LiFePO4 nanoparticles via a domino-cascade model | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Materials for energy

The true toughness of human cortical bone measured with realistically short cracks - pp672 - 677

K. J. Koester, J. W. Ager, III & R. O. Ritchie

doi:10.1038/nmat2221

The toughness of human bone is difficult to measure, as it is more difficult to break than to split. It is now shown that in the transverse orientation, relevant for breaking, bone is much tougher than previously thought owing to a surprising increase in toughness during the growth of small cracks.

Abstract - | Full Text - The true toughness of human cortical bone measured with realistically short cracks | PDF (612 KB) - The true toughness of human cortical bone measured with realistically short cracks | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Biological materials | Mechanical properties

See also: News and Views by Fratzl

Electric-field control of local ferromagnetism using a magnetoelectric multiferroic - p678

Ying-Hao Chu, Lane W. Martin, Mikel B. Holcomb, Martin Gajek, Shu-Jen Han, Qing He, Nina Balke, Chan-Ho Yang, Donkoun Lee, Wei Hu, Qian Zhan, Pei-Ling Yang, Arantxa Fraile-rodríguez, Andreas Scholl, Shan X. Wang & R. Ramesh

doi:10.1038/nmat2246

Full Text - Electric-field control of local ferromagnetism using a magnetoelectric multiferroic | PDF (123 KB) - Electric-field control of local ferromagnetism using a magnetoelectric multiferroic