Design, synthesis and processing articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The digital transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies are rapidly shaping the future of manufacturing. Here, authors use reliable big data to quantitatively evaluate lubricants performance and select desirable candidates for application in target manufacturing processes.

    • Xiao Yang
    • , Heli Liu
    •  & Liliang Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scaling up anisotropic freeze-casting processes can be challenging due to the temperature gradient farther from the cold source. Here, authors report an additive freeze-casting technique able to produce large-scale aerogel panels and demonstrate it towards practical passive cooling applications.

    • Kit-Ying Chan
    • , Xi Shen
    •  & Jang-Kyo Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microchannels are the essential elements for the design of artificial devices but the fabrication of three dimensional (3D) microchannels with complex geometry and a high aspect ratio remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a simple and solvent-free fabrication method capable of producing monolithic microchannels with complex 3D structures, long length, and small diameter.

    • Dongliang Fan
    • , Xi Yuan
    •  & Peiwu Qin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Production of tools for polymer replication in the field of optical applications is still time-consuming and cost-intensive. Here the authors develop an efficient metal casting process, and demonstrate manufacturing of structures of complex shapes with a surface roughness of few nanometres.

    • Sebastian Kluck
    • , Leonhard Hambitzer
    •  & Bastian E. Rapp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Production defects prevent many industrially important materials from being adopted by metal additive manufacturing. Here, the authors propose a universal thermodynamics-guided alloy design approach to assist the discovery of crack-free materials.

    • Zhongji Sun
    • , Yan Ma
    •  & Dierk Raabe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Two-dimensional (2D) membranes are emerging candidates for osmotic energy conversion but the trade-off between ion selectivity and conductivity remains the key bottleneck. Here, the authors demonstrate a fully crystalline imine-based 2D polymer membrane capable of combining excellent ionic conductivity and high selectivity for osmotic energy conversion.

    • Zhen Zhang
    • , Preeti Bhauriyal
    •  & Xinliang Feng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Developing materials for uranium harvesting from seawater with high adsorption capacity remains challenging. Here, the authors develop a new protocol, by combining multi-scale computational simulations with the PET-RAFT polymerization, for rational design and precise synthesis of block copolymers with optimal architectures and atomic economy, achieving a capacity of 11.4 mg/g within 28 days.

    • Zeyu Liu
    • , Youshi Lan
    •  & Gang Ye

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The development of non-invasive, rapid responsive phosphorescence is highly desirable but has rarely been described. Herein, the authors designed and prepare a series of molecular rotors containing a room temperature phosphorescence active triazine core and three bromobiphenyl units acting as rotors and demonstrate light stimulus triggered phosphorescence.

    • Xing Wang Liu
    • , Weijun Zhao
    •  & Ben Zhong Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ecologically friendly wood electronics will help alleviating the shortcomings of state-of-art cellulose-based green electronics. Here, the authors introduce iron-catalyzed laser-induced graphitization (IC-LIG) as an innovative approach for engraving large-scale electrically conductive structures on wood with high quality and efficiency.

    • Christopher H. Dreimol
    • , Huizhang Guo
    •  & Guido Panzarasa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron beam manipulation is important for their application in microscopes, lithography instruments, and colliders. Here the authors report a wafer scale, self-assembled, microcoil electrically-driven magnetic charge particle optic device that can be implemented into different configurations for controlling of electron beams.

    • R. Huber
    • , F. Kern
    •  & A. Lubk

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    Catalytic reactions on flexible sheets generate fluid flows that transform the shape of the sheet, which in turn modifies the flow. These complex interactions make computer models vital for designing and harnessing these feedback loops to create soft active matter that autonomously performs self-sustained mechanical work.

    • Abhrajit Laskar
    • , Raj Kumar Manna
    •  & Anna C. Balazs

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is challenging to construct lateral homostructures with controllable geometry and repeated alternating configurations. Here the authors develop a generic approach for fabricating twisted lateral homostructures with tunable crystal orientation, epitaxial constrain, and phase stability.

    • Ping-Chun Wu
    • , Chia-Chun Wei
    •  & Jan-Chi Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Well-defined nanostructuring is a feasible concept to achieve nanostructured arrays with unique properties. Here the authors report fabrication of designable anodic aluminum oxide templates with controllable in-plane and out-of-plane shapes, sizes, spatial configurations, and pore combinations.

    • Rui Xu
    • , Zhiqiang Zeng
    •  & Yong Lei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photo- and thermo-activated polymerization and melting processes are dominant in Additive Manufacturing (AM) while ultrasound activated sonochemical reactions have not been explored for AM so far. Here, the authors demonstrate 3D printing of structures using acoustic cavitation produced directly by focused ultrasound which creates sonochemical reactions in highly localized cavitation regions.

    • Mohsen Habibi
    • , Shervin Foroughi
    •  & Muthukumaran Packirisamy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nucleation control of self-assembled quantum dots is challenging. Here, the authors employ conventional molecular beam epitaxy to achieve wafer-scale density modulation of high-quality quantum dots with tunable periodicity on unpatterned substrates.

    • N. Bart
    • , C. Dangel
    •  & A. Ludwig

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synthesizing architected materials with strong adhesion has been challenging. Here the authors fabricate architected polymer networks by sequential polymerization and photolithography, and attain adherent interface by topological entanglement.

    • Xiao Liu
    • , Jingping Wu
    •  & Jian Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stereolithography has progressed over the years but resolution and feature size is still limited by the properties of materials and resins. Here, the authors demonstrate femtosecond laser direct writing of a hydrogen silsesquioxane photoresist using a 780 nm femtosecond laser demonstrating feature sizes of 26 nm.

    • Feng Jin
    • , Jie Liu
    •  & Xuan-Ming Duan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Useful materials must satisfy multiple objectives. The Pareto front expresses the trade-offs of competing objectives. This work uses a self-driving laboratory to map out the Pareto front for making highly conductive coatings at low temperatures.

    • Benjamin P. MacLeod
    • , Fraser G. L. Parlane
    •  & Curtis P. Berlinguette

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite many advantages of vat photopolymerization in microfluidic device fabrication, well-controlled μm-sized (< 100 μm) channels in the layer building direction remains a challenge. Here, authors present a general high resolution and low-cost 3D printing process that can produce devices within the 10 μm scale.

    • Yang Xu
    • , Fangjie Qi
    •  & Yong Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The commercial application of 3D printing is limited by time constraints and current efforts to speed the process are economically inefficient. Here the authors report on the use of a green and inexpensive hydrogel to separate the interface and cured components in common stereolithographic processes to allow for rapid printing.

    • Jingjun Wu
    • , Jing Guo
    •  & Qian Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanomechanical resonators can be improved through rational design. Using an inverse design approach the authors achieve ultra-coherent resonators and pave the way towards the engineering of high performance micro- and nanomechanical resonators.

    • Dennis Høj
    • , Fengwen Wang
    •  & Ulrik Lund Andersen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In chocolate production, a complicated tempering process is used to guide the crystallization of cocoa butter towards its most desirable polymorph, which gives the chocolate proper melting behavior, gloss, and snap—hallmarks of good quality chocolate. Here, the authors find that simply adding a specific phospholipid also directs crystallization towards this polymorph, producing chocolate with comparable microstructure and properties to tempered chocolate.

    • Jay Chen
    • , Saeed M. Ghazani
    •  & Alejandro G. Marangoni

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The limited strength of green parts have been a major hurdle in the Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing. Here the authors apply polyethyleneimine binder to print silica sand structures with double the flexural strength of green parts and 8-fold increase in the strength upon reactive infiltration.

    • Dustin B. Gilmer
    • , Lu Han
    •  & Tomonori Saito

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron beam lithography (EBL) is renowned to provide fabrication resolution in the deep nanometer scale but their incapability of arbitrary 3D nanofabrication poses a major limitation to the technique. Here, the authors demonstrate a manufacturing technique of functional 3d nanostructures at a resolution of sub-15 nm using voltage-regulated 3d EBL.

    • Nan Qin
    • , Zhi-Gang Qian
    •  & Tiger H. Tao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Advanced fabrication techniques enable a wide range of quantum devices, such as the realization of a topological qubit. Here, the authors introduce an on-chip fabrication technique based on shadow walls to implement topological qubits in an InSb nanowire without fabrication steps such as lithography and etching.

    • Sebastian Heedt
    • , Marina Quintero-Pérez
    •  & Leo P. Kouwenhoven

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Maragoni microswimmers show the advantage of self-propulsion but their development is limited by fabrication techniques. Here, the authors use a photopatterning method which allows for a high throughput production of maragoni microswimmers with multiple functional parts and distinct materials properties.

    • Yeongjae Choi
    • , Cheolheon Park
    •  & Wook Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photon upconversion with near-infrared excitation and ultraviolet emission has many applications, but suffers from low quantum efficiency. Here, the authors report a six-photon upconversion process in nanoparticles with heterogeneous core-multishell structure, that regulate the energy transfer pathway.

    • Qianqian Su
    • , Han-Lin Wei
    •  & Dayong Jin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The immobilization of catalysts within the pores of conductive metal-organic frameworks (C-MOFs) via facile and scalable methodologies remains challenging. Here the authors report a microfluidic channel-embedded solution shearing process that enables the high throughput, large-area, single-step preparation of Pt nanocatalyst-embedded C-MOF thin films.

    • Jin-Oh Kim
    • , Won-Tae Koo
    •  & Steve Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The construction of Z-scheme heterostructures is of great significance for realizing efficient photocatalytic water splitting. Here, the authors report an interfacial chemical bond and internal electric field modulated Z-Scheme Sv-ZnIn2S4/MoSe2 photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution.

    • Xuehua Wang
    • , Xianghu Wang
    •  & Zhenjiang Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Upscale fabrication of functionalized microparticles is a pending challenge. Here, Kim et al. exploit the rheology of a thixotropic medium to grind sizeable amounts of raw material into well-defined colloidal dispersions, physically stabilized for further production steps.

    • Sang Yup Kim
    • , Shanliangzi Liu
    •  & Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Implementation of digital electronics into fibres can enable real time monitoring of human physiological functions. Loke et al. show how digital functionalities can be incorporated into thin flexible polymeric fibre strands and applied for on-body machine-learning and intelligent textiles.

    • Gabriel Loke
    • , Tural Khudiyev
    •  & Yoel Fink

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-healing hydrogels can mimic the damage repair behaviour of living tissues, but such hydrogels have only been processed via extrusion-based additive manufacturing technology. Here, the authors demonstrate a rapidly self-healing hydrogel which can be processed by DLP printing.

    • Matteo Caprioli
    • , Ignazio Roppolo
    •  & Shlomo Magdassi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pressure sensors with high sensitivity and large pressure range is crucial to their various applications in electronic engineering. Here, Wang et al. propose a new design based on a ternary nanocomposite material and show high pressure sensitivity of 680 kPa−1 and fast response of 10 ms up to 150 kPa.

    • Xiu-man Wang
    • , Lu-qi Tao
    •  & ChingPing Wong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    3D printing offers flexibility in fabrication of polymer objects but fabrication of large polymer structures with micrometer-sized geometrical features are challenging. Here, the authors introduce a method combining advantages of 3D printing and polymerization-induced phase separation, which enables formation of 3D polymer structures with controllable inherent porosity.

    • Zheqin Dong
    • , Haijun Cui
    •  & Pavel A. Levkin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanically interlocking dissimilar materials, such as metals and polymers, is a challenging yet promising pathway for designing and fabricating complex systems on the small scale. Here, the authors report a novel interlocking fabrication scheme and showcase the fabrication of microrobots via 3D-lithography.

    • C. C. J. Alcântara
    • , F. C. Landers
    •  & S. Pané

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors combine 3D printing and liquid metal filling techniques to fabricate customised probeheads for magnetic resonance experiments. They demonstrate in situ electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, reaction monitoring with continues-flow separation and small-sample imaging.

    • Junyao Xie
    • , Xueqiu You
    •  & Zhong Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The realization of advanced devices from metal-organic frameworks requires the preparation of uniform and crystalline thin-films of these materials. Here the authors use chemical vapor deposition to grow single-crystal frameworks that exhibit a reversible structural transition and large conductivity response.

    • F. James Claire
    • , Marina A. Solomos
    •  & Thomas J. Kempa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Complexity and harsh working conditions pose limitations for fabrication of patterned materials. Here the authors report a single-step method for in situ deposition of materials that is based on semiconductor nanoparticle assisted photon-induced chemical reduction and optical trapping.

    • Yifan Chen
    • , Siu Fai Hung
    •  & Sen Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal 3D printing is a very promising technology to revolutionize catalytic systems. Here the authors show that metal 3D printing products themselves can simultaneously serve as chemical reactors and catalysts for conversion of C1 molecules into high value-added chemicals.

    • Qinhong Wei
    • , Hangjie Li
    •  & Noritatsu Tsubaki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Creating micro/nanostructures on fibers is beneficial to many fiber-based devices, which remains a challenge in large-scale fabrication due to elongation and reflow. Here, the authors demonstrate a method for generating high-resolution, arbitrarily designed surface patterns on fiber during the thermal drawing process.

    • Zhe Wang
    • , Tingting Wu
    •  & Lei Wei

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