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Soft matter has the remarkable ability to respond to stimuli in a variety of ways. Not only does this enable its application to existing scientific problems, but it also allows previously unimagined technological directions to be explored.
A close look at the mechanism by which benzene starts to polymerize under pressure leads to a new way of understanding and eventually manipulating the synthesis of new carbon-based solids.
Contrary to bulk materials, high-resolution microscopy of ultra-thin ferroelectric films finds only a weak coupling of polarization down to unit-cell dimensions. The established theoretical picture can be resurrected by the inclusion of epitaxial strain effects.
The full potential of nanoparticles in imparting new functionalities in polymer nanocomposites remains largely untapped. A widely applicable, two-solvent processing approach provides a hierarchical structure, affording unparalleled composite performance enhancement.
The complete atomic distribution of a binary natural quasicrystal has been achieved by complementing X-ray diffraction patterns with the structure of closely related crystals. The result represents an essential starting point to find the atomic structure of more complex quasicrystals.
