Surface chemistry articles within Communications Materials

Featured

• Article
  28 April 2024 | Open Access

  Fabrication of stable monolayer liquid marbles with reduced particle coverage and locomotion on hydrophilic surface

  Liquid marbles make use of surface particles to contain a water droplet, via a core-shell structure. Here, the fabrication of liquid marbles with a small quantity of surface polystyrene particles is demonstrated, and their rolling behavior on surfaces is studied.

  • Jing Jin
  • , Zheng Huang
  •  & Huaying Chen

• Article
  14 December 2023 | Open Access

  Unidirectional alignment and orientation pinning mechanism of h-BN nucleation on Ir(111) via reactive probe atomic force microscopy

  The epitaxial growth of large-scale single-crystalline 2D materials requires precise control over crystallographic orientation and morphology during the initial stages of nucleation. Here, noncontact atomic force microscopy and density functional theory provide atomic-scale mechanistic insights into the nucleation of hexagonal boron nitride on Ir(111).

  • Jinliang Pan
  • , Tongwei Wu
  •  & Xiaohui Qiu

• Article
  02 September 2023 | Open Access

  Boosting inhibition performance of natural polyphenols for the prevention of calcium oxalate kidney stones through synergistic cooperativity

  Binary drug combinations can be used for cooperative therapy. Here, binary inhibitor combinations of citrate with natural polyphenols can boost the inhibitory efficacy of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystallization, a primary component of kidney stones.

  • Si Li
  • , Donghui Zhou
  •  & Junbo Gong

• Article
  20 February 2023 | Open Access

  Momentum-resolved electronic structure of LaTiO₂N photocatalysts by resonant Soft-X-ray ARPES

  LaTiO₂N is a promising photocatalyst for light-driven water splitting. Here, ARPES is used to study the momentum-resolved electronic structure of the sub-surface region of LaTiO₂N and monitor its evolution during the oxygen evolution reaction.

  • Craig Lawley
  • , Arian Arab
  •  & Vladimir N. Strocov

• Article
  25 August 2022 | Open Access

  Disentangling the electronic structure of an adsorbed graphene nanoring by scanning tunneling microscopy

  Scanning tunneling microscopy is a powerful tool for determining the electronic structure of surface adsorbates. Here, carbon monoxide functionalized tips enable more accurate probing of the molecular states of graphene nanorings adsorbed on a gold surface.

  • Jose Martinez-Castro
  • , Rustem Bolat
  •  & F. Stefan Tautz

• Article
  16 February 2022 | Open Access

  Disentangling surface atomic motions from surface field effects in ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction

  Ultrafast low-energy electron diffraction allows the direct observation of atomic motions in structural transitions, but is accompanied by a strong photoinduced emission resulting in surface field effects. Here, these effects are quantified, enabling the isolation of the structural dynamics of interest.

  • Chiwon Lee
  • , Alexander Marx
  •  & R. J. Dwayne Miller

• Article
  28 January 2022 | Open Access

  Coexistence of carbonyl and ether groups on oxygen-terminated (110)-oriented diamond surfaces

  Chemical vapor deposition of diamond typically results in the faster growth of the (110) facet, but achieving large-area and high-quality surfaces is challenging and requires post-growth processing. Here, the authors present a systematic characterization of the structure and stability of oxygen-terminated diamond (110) surfaces.

  • Shayantan Chaudhuri
  • , Samuel J. Hall
  •  & Reinhard J. Maurer

• Article
  24 September 2021 | Open Access

  Multispectral electromagnetic shielding using ultra-thin metal-metal oxide decorated hybrid nanofiber membranes

  Shielding materials are crucial in protecting devices against electromagnetic radiation but are often heavyweight and operate in narrow frequency ranges. Here, highly conductive, lightweight, ultrathin, and flexible membranes based on Ag-WO₃-coated polymeric nanofibers provide multispectral shielding from microwaves to X-rays.

  • Dayong He
  • , Nan Zhang
  •  & Ce Wang

• Article
  01 July 2021 | Open Access

  Electron dynamics of tip-tunable oxygen species on TiO₂ surface

  Oxygen species on a TiO2 surface exist in different redox states, which can be switched between by electron tunneling with an atomic force tip. Here, a fast experimental setup enables statistically significant tunneling rates to be determined, revealing changes in electronic structure.

  • Yuuki Adachi
  • , Ján Brndiar
  •  & Lev Kantorovich

• Article
  11 May 2021 | Open Access

  Residual polymer stabiliser causes anisotropic electrical conductivity during inkjet printing of metal nanoparticles

  Inkjet printed metal nanoparticles are known to have lower electrical conductivity than those produced by traditional approaches. Here, anisotropic electrical conductivity is attributed to organic residuals from the metal nanoparticle ink, reducing conductivity.

  • Gustavo F. Trindade
  • , Feiran Wang
  •  & Clive J. Roberts