Browse Articles

Although using proton (H⁺) conductors is attractive for energy applications, practical conductivity at intermediate temperatures (200–400 °C) remains a challenge. A K₂NiF₄-type Ba–Li oxyhydride is shown to exhibit a temperature-independent hydrogen conductivity of more than 0.01 S cm^–1 above 315 °C.

Grain boundary conductivity limitations are ubiquitous in material science. Illumination with above-bandgap light is now shown to decrease grain boundary resistance in a model gadolinium-doped ceria solid ionic conductor.

Symmetry breaking in colloidal crystals is achieved with DNA-grafted programmable atom equivalents and complementary electron equivalents, whose interactions are tuned to create anisotropic crystalline precursors with well-defined coordination geometries that assemble into distinct low-symmetry crystals.

The separation of multicomponent mixtures is performed by distillation, as multiple-membrane cascades are too complex. Here, a porous organic cage composite undergoes solid-state transformation in solvent; this alters pore size, enabling graded separation of three dyes with a single membrane.

Neutron scattering, electron spin resonance, muon spectroscopy and magnetization measurements are applied to evidence a quantum spin liquid phase in NdTa₇O₁₉.

In anisotropically shaped photocatalyst particles different constituent facets may form inter-facet junctions at their adjoining edges. Using multimodal functional imaging, inter-facet junction effects on anisotropically shaped bismuth vanadate particles are revealed.

Slow, tunable dissociation of non-covalent host–guest complexes confers supramolecular polymer networks with excellent compressive strength and self-recovery.

Dislocations engineered through plastic deformation are shown to enhance quantum fluctuations and superconductivity in SrTiO₃.

A synthetic matrix recapitulates fundamental biological interactions of pancreatic cancer to facilitate the culture of mouse and human pancreatic organoids.

Ferrimagnets and topological insulators offer new platforms for utilizing the spin of electrons in functional materials.

Heterogeneous microscale contacts between molybdenum disulfide and graphene or hexagonal boron nitride layers demonstrate ultralow friction independent of their relative orientation with residual drag that originates from edge effects.

A double-layer borophene — a boron analogue of the double-layer graphene — has been synthesized, expanding the phase space and potential applications of two-dimensional boron.

Integration of memristors in a chain of nano-constriction spintronic oscillators allows for individual control of oscillation frequencies and emerging synchronization patterns. The control of such synchronization could enable learning through association like neurons in the brain.

Ferrimagnets offer the combined advantages of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets for spintronics applications. This Review surveys recent progress.

Zinc oxide-based two-dimensional electron systems are demonstrated to be high-mobility systems that enable the study of low-temperature phases of strongly interacting electrons.

This Perspective discusses the interplay between magnetism and topology in condensed matter.

A moiré-trapped charge density wave is observed at room temperature in a twisted transition metal dichalcogenide system and attributed to local strain variation due to atomic reconstruction.

Automated experiments can accelerate research and development. ‘Flexible automation’ enables the cost- and time-effective design, construction and reconfiguration of automated experiments. Flexible automation is empowering researchers to deploy new science and technology faster than ever before.

Josephson coupling over micrometres and at tens of kelvins is demonstrated across the half-metallic manganite La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ combined with the superconducting cuprate YBa₂Cu₃O₇.