Characterization and analytical techniques articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Gas discharge plasma sources are bulky and of limited use in remote areas with no external power supply. Here the authors create triboelectric plasma by triggering TENGs with mechanical stimuli and discuss its application as a portable plasma source.

    • Jia Cheng
    • , Wenbo Ding
    •  & Zhong Lin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The design and application of a liquid interfacial plasmonic platform promises for practical applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, the authors report a reversible chloroform/water encasing strategy to self-assemble metal liquid-like 3D gold nanorod arrays with attractive SERS capability.

    • Li Tian
    • , Mengke Su
    •  & Weihong Tan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    All materials subjected to mechanical deformation form low energy interfaces known as twin boundaries. Here, the authors investigate a variety of structural features that form upon bending atomically thin 2D-crystals, and predict distinct classes of post deformation microstructure based on their atomic arrangement, bend angle and flake thickness.

    • A. P. Rooney
    • , Z. Li
    •  & S. J. Haigh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Static pressures exceeding 4 million atmospheres are extremely challenging to achieve, but are necessary for the study of matter that exists under these conditions in natural environments. Here, diamonds anvils with a toroidal design are demonstrated to sustain over 6 million atmospheres in a diamond anvil cell.

    • Zs. Jenei
    • , E. F. O’Bannon
    •  & W. J. Evans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The structural changes at low-coordination sites of nanocatalysts such as edges, remain poorly understood. Here, the authors report observations of high-lattice distortion at edges of Pt nanocrystals during heterogeneous catalytic methane oxidation by using in situ 3D Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging.

    • Dongjin Kim
    • , Myungwoo Chung
    •  & Hyunjung Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Angle-resolved monitoring of structure parameters during crystal growth is often slow owing to mechanical movements. Here, the authors use second harmonic scattering and Fourier-plane imaging to dynamically monitor size, shape and concentration of ZIF-8 in situ during the growth process.

    • Stijn Van Cleuvenbergen
    • , Zachary J. Smith
    •  & Monique A. van der Veen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The knowledge of the electronic structure of composite material is essential for tailoring their properties. The authors introduce a method based on standing wave angle-resolved hard X-ray photoemission to determine the element- and momentum-resolved electronic band structure simultaneously.

    • Slavomír Nemšák
    • , Mathias Gehlmann
    •  & Charles S. Fadley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The complexity of polysaccharides significantly complicates their analysis in comparison to other biopolymers. Here, the authors demonstrate that solid-state silicon nitride nanopore sensors can be used to reliably detect native polysaccharides and to perform a simple quality assurance assay on a polysaccharide therapeutic, heparin.

    • Buddini Iroshika Karawdeniya
    • , Y. M. Nuwan D. Y. Bandara
    •  & Jason R. Dwyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Light emission of molecules can be largely impacted (enhanced or quenched) by nearby surfaces. Here, Esfandyarpour et al. engineer a high-impedance mirror that increases light emission of adjacent molecules by enhancing the coupling between the molecule and free space.

    • Majid Esfandyarpour
    • , Alberto G. Curto
    •  & Mark L. Brongersma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Complex assembly pathways often involve transient, partly-formed intermediates that are challenging to characterize. Here, the authors present a simple and rapid spectroscopic thermal hysteresis method for mapping the energy landscapes of supramolecular assembly.

    • Robert W. Harkness V
    • , Nicole Avakyan
    •  & Anthony K. Mittermaier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Extreme static pressures exceeding a million atmospheres exist in a variety of natural environments, but obtaining such pressures in a laboratory is still a challenge. Here, the authors develop a toroidal diamond anvil design that allows for the generation of 600 GPa (6 million atmospheres) in routinely used diamond anvil cells.

    • Agnès Dewaele
    • , Paul Loubeyre
    •  & Mohamed Mezouar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While splitting water could provide a renewable way to produce fuel, highly active catalysts are needed to overcome water oxidation’s sluggish kinetics. Here, authors gain atomic-level insight on metal ion synergetic interactions that boost water oxidation performances in co-doped nickel hydroxide.

    • Jian Jiang
    • , Fanfei Sun
    •  & Mei Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photocatalytic water splitting on TiO2 is a promising route to H2 fuel production, but the mechanistic pathway at the water–TiO2 interface remains poorly understood. Here, using liquid environmental TEM and first-principles calculations, the authors unveil the formation of a self-hydrogenated shell on the TiO2 surface that further promotes H2 production.

    • Yue Lu
    • , Wen-Jin Yin
    •  & Man-Ling Sui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is crucial to the stabilization of skyrmions but the contribution is not well understood. Here, the authors provide a methodology using the single electron spin of a nitrogen-vacancy center to image the fine structure of skyrmions which is attributed to the competition between the DMI and stray fields.

    • Y. Dovzhenko
    • , F. Casola
    •  & A. Yacoby

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Existing methods to extract structural information from single-molecule scattering measurements require large number of photons per image. Here the authors discuss a method to reconstruct the structure of a molecule from X-ray scattering data by using only three photons per image.

    • Benjamin von Ardenne
    • , Martin Mechelke
    •  & Helmut Grubmüller

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural determination of inorganic nanotubes has lagged far behind that of their carbon-based counterparts. Here, the authors present a transferable methodology, combining wide angle X-ray scattering and computation, to quantitatively resolve the atomic structure of inorganic nanotubes with complex stoichiometry.

    • Geoffrey Monet
    • , Mohamed S. Amara
    •  & Pascale Launois

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Direct and real-time identification of nucleobases in DNA strands is still limited by the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the established solid-state nanopore devices. Here, the authors use CMOS compatible, plasmonic nanoslits to locally enable SERS for identifying nucleobases, both individual and incorporated in DNA strands.

    • Chang Chen
    • , Yi Li
    •  & Pol Van Dorpe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ligand shell of a nanoparticle remains difficult to resolve, as the available characterization methods provide only qualitative information. Here, the authors introduce an approach based on small-angle neutron scattering that can quantitatively reveal the organization of ligands in mixed-monolayer nanoparticles.

    • Zhi Luo
    • , Domenico Marson
    •  & Francesco Stellacci

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Authenticating a nuclear warhead without revealing its design is a challenge. Here the authors discuss a nuclear disarmament verification method based on neutron resonance analysis which is sensitive to the isotopic composition of the materials used in warheads.

    • Jake J. Hecla
    •  & Areg Danagoulian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Surface heterogeneity significantly influences the properties of porous materials, but remains extremely difficult to characterize. Here, the authors extend Porod’s scattering law from homogeneous to heterogeneous porous materials, allowing for surface variation to be non-invasively probed.

    • Wei-Shan Chiang
    • , Daniel Georgi
    •  & Yun Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recently, there has been significant progress on the application of laser-generated proton beams in material science. Here the authors demonstrate the benefit of employing such beams in stress testing different materials by examining their mechanical, optical, electrical, and morphological properties.

    • M. Barberio
    • , M. Scisciò
    •  & P. Antici

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solid organic matter (OM) plays a key role in the production of hydrocarbons in shale formations, yet information on OM heterogeneity at a nanoscale is lacking. Here, the authors use atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy to document the evolution of individual organic macerals with maturation.

    • Jing Yang
    • , Javin Hatcherian
    •  & Andrew E. Pomerantz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The intrinsic properties of atomically thin MoS2 are believed to be strongly affected by the presence of structural defects; however, the underlying physical mechanism of such link is not fully understood. Here, the authors combine noise-current analysis with atomic force microscopy to explore the relationship between point defects and the anomalous physical properties of MoS2 monolayers.

    • Seung Hyun Song
    • , Min-Kyu Joo
    •  & Young Hee Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Local hydration structures at solid-liquid interfaces are important in catalytic, electrochemical, and biological processes. Here, the authors demonstrate atomic-scale 3D hydration structures around the boundary on a heterogeneous mineral surface using atomic force microscopy experiments and molecular dynamics simulations.

    • Kenichi Umeda
    • , Lidija Zivanovic
    •  & Hirofumi Yamada

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulating spin states of molecules in a controllable manner is essential to develop the molecule-based spintronics technologies. Here, Ormaza et al. show how to use the interaction between a single metallocene molecule and a metallic surface to reversibly switch spin from 1 to ½ in a junction.

    • M. Ormaza
    • , P. Abufager
    •  & L. Limot

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The reason why the surface adhesion of a graphene monolayer is much greater than that of graphene multilayers remains unclear. Here, the authors build a model to show interlayer sliding and fracture mode mixity cause the decrease in adhesion toughness of multilayer graphene.

    • Joseph D. Wood
    • , Christopher M. Harvey
    •  & Simon Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Charge-lattice coupling plays a central role in the exotic behaviors of multiferroic complex oxides, such as manganites, however, obtaining a microscopic picture is challenging. Here, Savitzky et al. map periodic lattice displacement fields at the picometer scale to study local order-disorder competition.

    • Benjamin H. Savitzky
    • , Ismail El Baggari
    •  & Lena F. Kourkoutis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real-world surfaces exhibit spatially varying wettability, which affects water repellency and droplet behaviour on such surfaces. Here, the authors use scanning droplet adhesion microscopy to create wetting maps that visualize variations in wettability with a spatial resolution down to 10 μm.

    • Ville Liimatainen
    • , Maja Vuckovac
    •  & Robin H. A. Ras

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nearly all atmospheric aerosols contain surface-active organic compounds; however, the nature of how they arrange remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show that fatty acids in atmospheric aerosol proxies self-assemble into highly ordered, viscous 3D nanostructures that undergo changes upon exposure to humidity and ozone.

    • C. Pfrang
    • , K. Rastogi
    •  & A. M. Squires

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cu-exchanged zeolite chabazite has superior stability over other catalysts in automotive NOx reduction. Here, the authors use atom probe tomography to create 3D nanoscale reconstructions of two Cu-containing zeolite catalysts, providing a complete picture of their deactivation mechanisms during aging.

    • Joel E. Schmidt
    • , Ramon Oord
    •  & Bert M. Weckhuysen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The solid-electrolyte interphase formed on Li-battery electrodes strongly affects their cycling performance, however the mechanical properties of the surface films are not well-known. Here the authors report a sensitive gravimetric/viscoelastic method to probe surface film formation on composite electrodes, coupled with Li-ion intercalation.

    • Vadim Dargel
    • , Netanel Shpigel
    •  & Doron Aurbach

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanical resonances of atomically thin membranes show nonlinear responses at driving forces in the picoNewton range. Here, the authors develop a contactless method to extract the Young’s modulus of 2D materials from the nonlinear dynamic response of these nanomechanical resonators.

    • D. Davidovikj
    • , F. Alijani
    •  & P. G. Steeneken

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics are important for everyday applications, but methods to characterize these materials at the nanoscale are lacking. Here the authors present direct piezoelectric force microscopy, an AFM mode that can measure charges generated by the direct piezoelectric effect with nanoscale resolution.

    • A. Gomez
    • , M. Gich
    •  & X. Obradors

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Grain boundaries are thought to significantly mediate phase transformations in nanoparticles. Here, the authors combine multichannel plasmonic nanospectroscopy and transmission Kikuchi diffraction to study the role of grain boundaries in hydriding reactions of Pd nanoparticles on a single-particle level.

    • Svetlana Alekseeva
    • , Alice Bastos da Silva Fanta
    •  & Christoph Langhammer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Establishing generic carbohydrate sequencing methods is both a major scientific challenge and a strategic priority. Here the authors show a hybrid analytical approach integrating molecular spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to resolve carbohydrate isomerism, anomeric configuration, regiochemistry and stereochemistry.

    • Baptiste Schindler
    • , Loïc Barnes
    •  & Isabelle Compagnon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How the electronic structure of a mixed-valence system changes with respect to local chemical environment remains elusive. Here, Chatterjee et al. show that valence fluctuations of YbAl3 can lead to dramatic changes in the Fermi surface topology in reciprocal space.

    • Shouvik Chatterjee
    • , Jacob P. Ruf
    •  & Kyle M. Shen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Core-shell platinum alloy nanoparticles are promising catalysts for oxygen reduction, however a deeper understanding of core-shell formation is still required. Here the authors report oxygen-driven formation of core-shell Pt3Co nanoparticles, seen at the atomic scale with in situ electron microscopy at ambient pressure.

    • Sheng Dai
    • , Yuan You
    •  & Xiaoqing Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    To improve mechanical properties in ceramics through grain boundary engineering, precise mechanical characterization of individual boundaries is vital yet difficult to achieve. Here authors perform experiments using an in situ scanning electron microscopy based double cantilever beam test, allowing to directly view and measure stable crack growth in silicon carbide.

    • Giorgio Sernicola
    • , Tommaso Giovannini
    •  & Finn Giuliani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Auger processes are at the core of electron emission in solid-state physics, however measuring the spectra of electrons emitted solely as a result of Auger transitions remains a challenge. Here, the authors measure the electron energy spectrum in graphene and observe the prominence of Auger-like processes in its valence band.

    • V. A. Chirayath
    • , V. Callewaert
    •  & A. H. Weiss

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The detection of Earth’s anti neutrino emission from potassium and the mantle remain elusive. Here the authors propose a method for measuring potassium and mantle geo-neutrinos by detecting their elastic scattering on electrons with direction-sensitive detectors.

    • Michael Leyton
    • , Stephen Dye
    •  & Jocelyn Monroe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Observation of the entire dispersion relation for spin waves remains a challenge which prevents the full understanding of many intriguing magnetic properties. Here, the authors develop a table-top all-optical approach to map out the dispersion curve of pure-magnetostatic waves in magnetic films.

    • Yusuke Hashimoto
    • , Shunsuke Daimon
    •  & Eiji Saitoh

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