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Optimized Ullmann coupling reaction of heterotriangulene precursors allows the synthesis of two-dimensional π-conjugated polymers, with ordered domains larger than 100 × 100 nm2 showing both Dirac cones and flat bands in their electronic structure.
Within a few weeks of the novel coronavirus genome sequence being published, numerous therapies and vaccines have entered clinical trials with a few showing great promise in alleviating symptoms and accelerating recovery.
Consensus among experts is that only an effective COVID-19 vaccine will end the pandemic. This Comment focuses on how this pandemic has accelerated the development of vaccine platforms distinct from classical vaccines; these novel platforms may also increase the response time when new viruses emerge in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited efforts to develop materials science innovations aimed at stopping viral infections. One of the greatest opportunities lies in developing broad-spectrum antiviral technologies that work against many viruses, which could be the key to thwarting outbreaks in the future.
The restoration of fire-damaged historical monuments entails a wide range of scientific questions. Taking as a starting point the case of Notre-Dame de Paris, this Comment defines the materials science challenges of post-fire restoration, and also briefly outlines the issues of structural integrity, fire safety and preservation ethics.
Aline Magnien, director of the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory in Champs-sur-Marne in France, talks to Nature Materials about their work in materials damage assessment serving for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.
First-principles calculations predicted electronic topological properties for 2D honeycomb–kagome polymers, which have been now confirmed experimentally thanks to improvements in on-surface synthesis.
Flat sub-bands induced by moiré patterns and correlation effects are demonstrated in a twisted bilayer of the transition metal dichalcogenide WSe2 through a series of transport experiments.
Nanoformulations of cabotegravir prodrugs have been developed to prolong the pharmacokinetics of the antiretroviral agent. They can be present in the plasma of mice and non-human primates for a year following a single injection.
Scanning atomic electron tomography measurements reveal the 3D local structure around single dopant atoms in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, providing essential information to investigate and predict their electronic properties.
Semimetal photodetectors provide high-speed and broadband operation but suffer from serious drawbacks such as high dark currents. This Perspective discusses the opportunities offered by topological effects to overcome these issues and improve their performance.
Gating dependent laser induced spin dynamics in an antiferromagnetic bilayer are observed and explained, with implications for future spintronic applications.
A multifunctional molecule acting both as diode and variable resistor is used to fabricate compact molecular switches with a thickness of 2 nm, good current rectification and resistive on/off ratio, and requiring a drive voltage as low as 0.89 V.
The interstitial ordering in Fe–C alloys is shown to be stabilized by local anharmonicity in strain fields, which substantially reduces the critical C concentration for ordering. C segregation into extended defects predominates over ordering at low C concentrations but sharply decreases at high concentrations.
Counter-propagating chiral edge states are demonstrated in a photonic structure able to effectively incorporate fermionic time-reversal symmetry, thus providing the photonic implementation of an electronic topological insulator.
Scanning atomic electron tomography is demonstrated to determine the 3D atomic positions and defects of Re-doped MoS2 monolayers and other 2D materials, providing picometre precision atomic coordinates that can be used as direct input to DFT to reveal more accurate electronic band structures of these systems.
Optimized Ullmann coupling reaction of heterotriangulene precursors allows the synthesis of two-dimensional π-conjugated polymers with ordered domains larger than 100 × 100 nm2 showing both Dirac cones and flat bands in their electronic structure.
Merons are topological structures, but these have yet to be directly observed in ferroelectrics. Here, by epitaxially straining PbTiO3 on a SmScO3 substrate, electron microscopy and phase-field modelling allow the morphology and distribution of merons to be observed.
A number of grain boundary phenomena in ionic materials, such as anomalous charge transport, have been attributed to space charge effects. Space charge potential at grain boundaries in lightly doped, high-purity ceria is now shown to vary by almost an order of magnitude.
Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are currently considered as energy storage materials. A generic Lewis acidic etching route for preparing high-rate negative-electrode MXenes with enhanced electrochemical performance in non-aqueous electrolyte is now proposed.
Peptide amphiphile supramolecular polymers with a crosslinked spiropyran network respond to light by expelling water, enabling the fabrication of soft actuators or light-driven crawlers.
Nanoformulated long-acting cabotegravir prodrugs are shown to be capable of extending the native drug’s antiretroviral activity, biodistribution and pharmacokinetics for up to 12 months in mice and rhesus macaques.