Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Achieving close contact between organic and inorganic components in nanostructures is critical for performance. Here, the interfacial interaction in titanium oxide-based organic-inorganic nanoheterojunctions is promoted by host-guest interactions, which are obtained through chiral recognition.
Mechanical characterizations of metal-organic framework monoliths are often overlooked. Here, the stress-strain behaviour of ZIF-8 and MIL-68 monoliths was investigated with flat punch nanoindentation, micropillar compression and Raman microspectroscopy.
Cooling computer chips remains a key requirement for improving their performance. Here, a CMOS-compatible MOSFET is used to electrically, rather than physically, induce quantum confinement in a thermoelectric device, improving its thermoelectric performance and making it a viable microchip thermal management solution.
Platinum nanoparticles are promising candidates for enhancing radiotherapy sensitivity. Here, platinum-based nanomaterials with a multi-core structure show efficient near-infrared photothermal treatment on glioblastoma tumoroids with good biostability.
In-situ x-ray studies have proven to be vital in understanding solidification behavior during additive manufacturing of alloys. Here, operando synchrotron diffraction of a superalloy reveals the effects of solidification dynamics on dendrite deformation mechanisms during laser melting.
MnBi2-xSbxTe4 is a promising host for exotic quantum phenomena but its electronic properties crucially depend on intrinsic disorder, which is difficult to quantify. Here, the roles of nanoscale defects in MnBi2-xSbxTe4 are disentangled by statistical analysis using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy.
The ability of a structure to reliably change its shape is key to the function of various organisms in nature, as well as for applications such as implants and robotics. Here, a methodology is shown to predict shape-morphing in kinematic structures, based on geometrical multibody design of connecting elements and joints.
LiCrSe2 is a recently synthesized two-dimensional triangular lattice antiferromagnet. Here, a comprehensive analysis of its magnetic phases and structural transitions is obtained by a combination of experimental probes, revealing a complex interplay of magnetic interactions, lattice distortions, and itinerant magnetic frustration.
High-throughput computational screening accelerates the search for promising metal-organic frameworks but often neglects stability. Here, four stability metrics are integrated with high-throughput computational screening to identify top-performing metal-organic frameworks for carbon dioxide capture.
LaPt2Si2 exhibits an intriguing interplay of superconductivity and charge density wave order, but the nature of its density wave transitions is controversial. Here, high-resolution X-ray diffraction reveals the temperature dependence of a series of density wave and structural transitions in this material.
Macro cross-linkers are used to develop tough hydrogels but their uneven cross-linking and resultant hydrogel inhomogeneity restrict improvement. Here, uniform cross-linking is achieved using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-grafted acrylated polyethylene glycol to enhance hydrogel toughness.
The orientation of reinforcing fibers in composite materials is key to their performance, yet is hard to determine as fibers are buried within a sample. Here, an algorithm allows for the rapid determination of in-plane fiber orientation, based on microscopy images of adjacent regions.
The amorphous regions of π-conjugated polymers typically show lower functionality than the crystalline regions with high π–π stacking order. Here, a benzodithiophene–thiazolothiazole copolymer shows a greater coplanar backbone structure when the π–π stacking order is absent compared to the crystalline state.
Understanding the effects of changing process parameters during additive manufacturing is vital for building high-quality parts. Here, operando tomographic microscopy during laser-based processing of alumina reveals detailed insight into process dynamics, including melt pool behavior and defect formation.
First-order phase transitions are accompanied by hysteretic behavior, but understanding this behavior is challenging. Here, hysteresis broadening, and its relationship to phase-front velocity during a first-order transition, is observed in (Fe0.95Zn0.05)2Mo3O8 via magnetic imaging.
Water-thermal management is difficult to coordinate in solar evaporators, limiting their performance. Here, hierarchical MXene-reduced graphene oxide sponges with anisotropic thermal conductivity and axial-directional channels integrate water-thermal management for rapid and continuous evaporation.
Excitons – electron-hole bound states important for optoelectronics – are typically observed only in weakly-doped semiconductors or insulators. Here, an exciton with a large binding energy of 375 meV is observed in a highly-doped van der Waals degenerate semiconductor, remaining stable up to room temperature.
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.
The maximum 3D morphology resolution of porous materials without vacuum has been limited to hundreds nanometer range. Here, ptychographic x-ray computed tomography has been demonstrated to study in situ polymeric membranes at nanoscale resolution with large visualization volumes.
Mechanical metamaterials are artificially designed structures with tunable behavior, typically obeying precisely programmed dynamics. Here, a metamaterial based on randomly stacked flexible cylindrical shells provides a disordered yet statistically robust and controllable structure for mechanical energy dissipation and storage.