Putting evolution to good use - p161

doi:10.1038/nmat2388

Even materials scientists have reason to celebrate the seminal insights of Charles Darwin on his bicentenary.

Full Text - Putting evolution to good use | PDF (192 KB) - Putting evolution to good use

Our choice from the recent literature - p163

doi:10.1038/nmat2389

Full Text - Our choice from the recent literature | PDF (184 KB) - Our choice from the recent literature

Molecular magnets: How a nightmare turns into a vision - pp165 - 166

Heiko Wende

doi:10.1038/nmat2391

Two independent studies demonstrate how control over magnetic molecules on surfaces may lead to new spintronics applications.

Full Text - Molecular magnetsHow a nightmare turns into a vision | PDF (189 KB) - Molecular magnetsHow a nightmare turns into a vision

See also: Letter by Mannini et al. | Letter by Gambardella et al.

Material witness: Shaping fate - p166

Philip Ball

doi:10.1038/nmat2367

Full Text - Material witness: Shaping fate | PDF (100 KB) - Material witness: Shaping fate

Nanocatalysis: Staying put - pp167 - 168

Gianfranco Pacchioni

doi:10.1038/nmat2394

Preparation of supported subnanometre platinum clusters that are stable provides a new design strategy for industrial nanocatalysts.

Full Text - NanocatalysisStaying put | PDF (147 KB) - NanocatalysisStaying put

See also: Letter by Vajda et al.

Multiferroics: A way forward along domain walls - pp168 - 169

Hélène Béa & Patrycja Paruch

doi:10.1038/nmat2393

The discovery that domain walls in insulating thin films of the multiferroic compound BiFeO₃ are electrically conducting opens the door for a number of possible applications.

Full Text - MultiferroicsA way forward along domain walls | PDF (308 KB) - MultiferroicsA way forward along domain walls

See also: Article by Seidel et al.

Transition metals: Can metals be a liquid glass? - pp170 - 171

Daniel Errandonea

doi:10.1038/nmat2386

The melting of transition metals on compression is a challenging topic. Computer simulations suggest that hot-compressed tantalum becomes a one-dimensional, liquid-like glass, with important implications for understanding planetary interiors.

Full Text - Transition metalsCan metals be a liquid glass? | PDF (271 KB) - Transition metalsCan metals be a liquid glass?

See also: Article by Wu et al.

Epitaxial graphene: How silicon leaves the scene - pp171 - 172

Peter Sutter

doi:10.1038/nmat2392

Large and homogeneous layers of graphene are obtained by annealing silicon carbide in a dense noble gas atmosphere that controls the way in which silicon sublimates. Epitaxial graphene thus gets back on track towards future electronic applications.

Full Text - Epitaxial grapheneHow silicon leaves the scene | PDF (165 KB) - Epitaxial grapheneHow silicon leaves the scene

See also: Letter by Emtsev et al.

Membranes: Shaping biological matter - pp173 - 174

Vadim A. Frolov & Joshua Zimmerberg

doi:10.1038/nmat2390

Biological membranes form an extremely complex and dynamic network in cells, guided by specialized protein machinery. A new algorithm analyses membrane shape to extract forces applied by proteins controlling the membranes.

Full Text - MembranesShaping biological matter | PDF (136 KB) - MembranesShaping biological matter

Deformation and failure of protein materials in physiologically extreme conditions and disease - pp175 - 188

Markus J. Buehler & Yu Ching Yung

doi:10.1038/nmat2387

Abstract - | Full Text - Deformation and failure of protein materials in physiologically extreme conditions and disease | PDF (1,375 KB) - Deformation and failure of protein materials in physiologically extreme conditions and disease

Supramolecular control of the magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional high-spin Fe arrays at a metal interface - pp189 - 193

Pietro Gambardella, Sebastian Stepanow, Alexandre Dmitriev, Jan Honolka, Frank M. F. de Groot, Magalí Lingenfelder, Subhra Sen Gupta, D. D. Sarma, Peter Bencok, Stefan Stanescu, Sylvain Clair, Stéphane Pons, Nian Lin, Ari P. Seitsonen, Harald Brune, Johannes V. Barth & Klaus Kern

doi:10.1038/nmat2376

Although magnetic molecules are widely investigated for their potential use in memory devices, their regular arrangement on surfaces has proven difficult. Arrays of iron atoms, linked by molecular ligands, have now been fabricated on copper surfaces. Importantly, the magnetism of the iron atoms is preserved and can be switched through oxygen adsorption.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Supramolecular control of the magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional high-spin Fe arrays at a metal interface | PDF (1,260 KB) - Supramolecular control of the magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional high-spin Fe arrays at a metal interface | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Molecular electronics | Magnetic materials | Nanoscale materials

See also: News and Views by Wende

Magnetic memory of a single-molecule quantum magnet wired to a gold surface - pp194 - 197

Matteo Mannini, Francesco Pineider, Philippe Sainctavit, Chiara Danieli, Edwige Otero, Corrado Sciancalepore, Anna Maria Talarico, Marie-Anne Arrio, Andrea Cornia, Dante Gatteschi & Roberta Sessoli

doi:10.1038/nmat2374

Molecular magnets are promising for their use as high-density memory devices. However, maintaining the molecules' magnetic state when bonded to a substrate has been impossible. The discovery, in sophisticated experiments, that single magnetic molecules can indeed show magnetic hysteresis when wired to a gold surface opens the door to individually address magnetic molecules.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Magnetic memory of a single-molecule quantum magnet wired to a gold surface | PDF (1,065 KB) - Magnetic memory of a single-molecule quantum magnet wired to a gold surface | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Molecular electronics | Magnetic materials | Nanoscale materials

See also: News and Views by Wende

Room-temperature defect-engineered spin filter based on a non-magnetic semiconductor - pp198 - 202

X. J. Wang, I. A. Buyanova, F. Zhao, D. Lagarde, A. Balocchi, X. Marie, C. W. Tu, J. C. Harmand & W. M. Chen

doi:10.1038/nmat2385

The possibility of polarizing conducting charges in a material by blocking those with a specific spin direction could lead to efficient spintronic devices. It is now shown that spin polarized-defects in a non-magnetic semiconductor can deplete electrons with opposite spins and turn the semiconductor into an efficient spin filter operating at room temperature.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Room-temperature defect-engineered spin filter based on a non-magnetic semiconductor | PDF (724 KB) - Room-temperature defect-engineered spin filter based on a non-magnetic semiconductor

Subject Categories: Semiconductors | Electronic materials | Magnetic materials

Towards wafer-size graphene layers by atmospheric pressure graphitization of silicon carbide - pp203 - 207

Konstantin V. Emtsev, Aaron Bostwick, Karsten Horn, Johannes Jobst, Gary L. Kellogg, Lothar Ley, Jessica L. McChesney, Taisuke Ohta, Sergey A. Reshanov, Jonas Röhrl, Eli Rotenberg, Andreas K. Schmid, Daniel Waldmann, Heiko B. Weber & Thomas Seyller

doi:10.1038/nmat2382

Thermal annealing of SiC produces graphene layers on an insulating substrate, but the material is highly inhomogeneous. It is now shown that an argon atmosphere during annealing improves uniformity of the graphene layers dramatically and yields better transport characteristics. This is a very important result for the development of graphene-based electronic devices.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Towards wafer-size graphene layers by atmospheric pressure graphitization of silicon carbide | PDF (3,493 KB) - Towards wafer-size graphene layers by atmospheric pressure graphitization of silicon carbide | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Molecular electronics | Nanoscale materials

See also: News and Views by Sutter

Endohedral fullerenes for organic photovoltaic devices - pp208 - 212

Russel B. Ross, Claudia M. Cardona, Dirk M. Guldi, Shankara Gayathri Sankaranarayanan, Matthew O. Reese, Nikos Kopidakis, Jeff Peet, Bright Walker, Guillermo C. Bazan, Edward Van Keuren, Brian C. Holloway & Martin Drees

doi:10.1038/nmat2379

A limiting factor of the power conversion efficiencies of organic photovoltaic devices is low voltage output. Methano derivatives of the trimetallic endohedral fullerene Lu₃N@C₈₀ have now been synthesized and used as the acceptor in organic photovoltaics. The open circuit voltage of the devices is significantly above those made using alternative fullerenes.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Endohedral fullerenes for organic photovoltaic devices | PDF (781 KB) - Endohedral fullerenes for organic photovoltaic devices | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials | Materials for energy

Subnanometre platinum clusters as highly active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane - pp213 - 216

Stefan Vajda, Michael J. Pellin, Jeffrey P. Greeley, Christopher L. Marshall, Larry A. Curtiss, Gregory A. Ballentine, Jeffrey W. Elam, Stephanie Catillon-Mucherie, Paul C. Redfern, Faisal Mehmood & Peter Zapol

doi:10.1038/nmat2384

Catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes is limited by poor activity and/or selectivity. Efficient conversion of propane to propylene is now achieved using sub-nanometre Pt clusters stabilized on alumina supports. The clusters are shown to be substantially more active than conventional catalysts and are highly selective towards propylene formation.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Subnanometre platinum clusters as highly active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane | PDF (401 KB) - Subnanometre platinum clusters as highly active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Catalytic materials | Computation, modelling and theory

See also: News and Views by Pacchioni

Mesoporous germanium-rich chalcogenido frameworks with highly polarizable surfaces and relevance to gas separation - pp217 - 222

Gerasimos S. Armatas & Mercouri G. Kanatzidis

doi:10.1038/nmat2381

Mesoporous materials with tunable, non-oxidic frameworks possess structural characteristics that make them attractive for catalytic and optoelectronic applications. Porous materials based on germanium-rich chalcogenide networks and polarizable surfaces exhibit selectivity for separating hydrogen from methane and carbon dioxide.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Mesoporous germanium-rich chalcogenido frameworks with highly polarizable surfaces and relevance to gas separation | PDF (1,754 KB) - Mesoporous germanium-rich chalcogenido frameworks with highly polarizable surfaces and relevance to gas separation | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Separation materials | Porous materials

Shear-induced anisotropic plastic flow from body-centred-cubic tantalum before melting - pp223 - 228

Christine J. Wu, Per Söderlind, James N. Glosli & John E. Klepeis

doi:10.1038/nmat2375

The melting of transition metals at high pressures has been subject to intensive debate, given seemingly contradictory experimental evidence. Molecular dynamics calculations now demonstrate how, at high pressure, shear induces a transition from body-centred-cubic tantalum to a one-dimensional structure, offering a plausible explanation for experimental observations.

Abstract - | Full Text - Shear-induced anisotropic plastic flow from body-centred-cubic tantalum before melting | PDF (2,351 KB) - Shear-induced anisotropic plastic flow from body-centred-cubic tantalum before melting | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Metals and alloys | Computation, modelling and theory

See also: News and Views by Errandonea

Conduction at domain walls in oxide multiferroics - pp229 - 234

J. Seidel, L. W. Martin, Q. He, Q. Zhan, Y.-H. Chu, A. Rother, M. E. Hawkridge, P. Maksymovych, P. Yu, M. Gajek, N. Balke, S. V. Kalinin, S. Gemming, F. Wang, G. Catalan, J. F. Scott, N. A. Spaldin, J. Orenstein & R. Ramesh

doi:10.1038/nmat2373

Domain walls may be important in future electronic devices, given their small size as well as the fact that their location can be controlled. In the case of insulating multiferroic oxides, domain walls are now discovered to be electrically conductive, suggesting their possible use in logic and memory applications.

Abstract - | Full Text - Conduction at domain walls in oxide multiferroics | PDF (2,621 KB) - Conduction at domain walls in oxide multiferroics | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Magnetic materials

See also: News and Views by Béa & Paruch

The influence of edge structure on the electronic properties of graphene quantum dots and nanoribbons - pp235 - 242

Kyle A. Ritter & Joseph W. Lyding

doi:10.1038/nmat2378

Graphene nanostructures—like nanoribbons or quantum dots—hold great potential for applications. An extensive STM study elucidates how the details of the nanostructure edges heavily influence the electronic properties, which can vary between metallic and semiconducting according to the predominancy of zigzag or armchair edges.

Abstract - | Full Text - The influence of edge structure on the electronic properties of graphene quantum dots and nanoribbons | PDF (1,559 KB) - The influence of edge structure on the electronic properties of graphene quantum dots and nanoribbons | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanoscale materials | Characterisation and analytical techniques