Materials chemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The intercalation of metal ions in layered structures has a wide variety of applications, from energy storage to environmental remediation. Here the authors report that layered telluride structures can selectively bind transition metals and this intercalation can occur in solid state at mild conditions.

    • Takeshi Yajima
    • , Masaki Koshiko
    •  & Hiroshi Kageyama

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-organic frameworks are extensively studied for gas storage applications, but one potential limitation is their relatively weak adsorption of gases. Here, the authors report that the exposure of metal-organic frameworks to ethylenediamine forms a monolayer thick cap which improves gas molecule retention.

    • Kui Tan
    • , Sebastian Zuluaga
    •  & Yves J. Chabal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling the magnetic response of a molecular device is important for spintronic applications. Here the authors report the self-assembly, magnetic coupling, and anisotropy of two transition metal complexes bound to a ferrimagnetic surface, and probe the role of the nature of the transition metal ion.

    • Victoria E. Campbell
    • , Monica Tonelli
    •  & Talal Mallah

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Complex surface micro- and nanostructures can be useful in many device applications, but are challenging in terms of controllability, low cost and high throughput. Here the authors have fabricated quasi 3D structures by the thermal deformation of simple two-dimensional laser-induced patterns.

    • Haoran Zhang
    • , Fengyou Yang
    •  & Qian Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There is no one theoretical model that can explain the stability of all known liganded gold clusters. Here, the authors present a grand unified model, inspired by the quark model of particle physics, which describes gold clusters as combinations of stable triangular Au3(2e) and tetragonal Au4(2e) ‘composite particles’ built from gold atom ‘elementary particles’.

    • Wen Wu Xu
    • , Beien Zhu
    •  & Yi Gao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thin films of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising for catalysis, gas storage, and microelectronics. Here, the authors introduce a vapour-phase synthesis of UiO-66 thin films, beginning with modulated atomic layer deposition of porous, amorphous films, followed by acetic acid vapour-enabled crystallization to the MOF structure.

    • Kristian Blindheim Lausund
    •  & Ola Nilsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Introducing organic guests to a crystal is a convenient way to tailor its properties. Here, the authors occlude fluorescent dyes within calcite to reveal that additives can occupy distinct zones of a crystal, and strategically embed green, blue, and red dyes to create white fluorescent calcite.

    • David C. Green
    • , Johannes Ihli
    •  & Fiona C. Meldrum

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ambient chemical transformations between nanoparticles are poorly explored in materials science. Here, the authors find that two atomically precise, isomorphic clusters of gold and silver can convert between each other in solution through a series of alloy clusters, preserving structure, topology, and metal-ligand stoichiometry.

    • K. R. Krishnadas
    • , Ananya Baksi
    •  & Thalappil Pradeep

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Porous materials for aqueous contaminant removal are common, but there are few examples of size and charge-dependent separation. Here, the authors report the charge-specific size-dependent separation of water-soluble molecules through a polymeric network where fluorines are the predominant surface groups.

    • Jeehye Byun
    • , Hasmukh A. Patel
    •  & Cafer T. Yavuz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Doping can introduce structural distortions in a molecular crystal in the form of polar domains. Here, the authors combine pyroelectric measurements and computation to reveal the molecular structure of such domains in centrosymmetric α-glycine crystals doped with L-amino acids.

    • E. Meirzadeh
    • , I. Azuri
    •  & I. Lubomirsky

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Crystalline phase transition can be used to detect changes in the solid state properties of materials. Here, the authors describe the mechanical response of a crystal composed of ferrocene-containing rotaxane to laser irradiation.

    • Kai-Jen Chen
    • , Ya-Ching Tsai
    •  & Masaki Horie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nematic liquid crystals have potential as sensors for various molecules. Here, the authors present a computational chemistry model for describing the detection of a warfare agent by liquid crystals, opening the door for the atomic-scale design of sensitive and selective chemoresponsive systems.

    • Luke T. Roling
    • , Jessica Scaranto
    •  & Manos Mavrikakis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The inherent instabilities of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in the presence of water or organic compounds have limited their real-world applicability. Here, Ma and co-workers present a coating strategy to fabricate MOFs with amphiphobic surfaces, simultaneously protecting them from moisture and organic vapours.

    • Qi Sun
    • , Hongming He
    •  & Shengqian Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In organic photovoltaics, electron acceptors are developed to replace fullerenes, and new donors need to be designed to match these acceptors. Here, the authors show that a polymer with strong temperature dependent aggregation and intentionally reduced crystallinity matches non-fullerene acceptors.

    • Zhengke Li
    • , Kui Jiang
    •  & He Yan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fracture and related processes are typically considered detrimental, but have also attracted interest in more constructive roles. Here authors demonstrate ordered fragmentation at submicron scales of a metal oxide/hydroxide thin film by introducing preferential sites for fracture on the underlying substrate.

    • L. Guo
    • , Y. Ren
    •  & S. Y. Chiam

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanical flexibility gives organic ferroelectric materials a potential advantage over their inorganic counterparts, yet it is challenging to produce them. Owczareket al. report flexible crystals based on trisubstituted haloimidazoles that show both ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties.

    • Magdalena Owczarek
    • , Karl A. Hujsak
    •  & J. Fraser Stoddart

  • Article
    | Open Access

    De novosynthesis is the primary way to tune the emission colour of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanocrystals. Here, the authors introduce post-synthetic cation exchange as a strategy to access multiple colours of luminescent nanocrystals, preserving the size and morphology of the original template.

    • Sanyang Han
    • , Xian Qin
    •  & Xiaogang Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Unusual properties arise in transition metal dichalcogenides as dimensionality decreases. Here, the authors introduce a templated growth approach to precisely control the width of MoS2nanowires on a substrate, allowing them to reveal a relationship between size and electronic properties.

    • Hai Xu
    • , Shuanglong Liu
    •  & Kian Ping Loh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Exciton coupling between organic dyes is important for opto-electronic and photovoltaic devices and it is well-known that strong coupling occurs between equal chromophores. Here, Würthner and others show quadruple dye stacks that have strong exciton coupling between different chromophores within a heteroaggregate.

    • David Bialas
    • , André Zitzler-Kunkel
    •  & Frank Würthner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability to program periodic morphology into nanowires affords control over photonic and electronic transport properties. Here, the authors stimulate Plateau-Rayleigh transformations in silicon nanowires through an oscillating catalyst droplet, resulting in nanowires with island-chain morphology.

    • Zhaoguo Xue
    • , Mingkun Xu
    •  & Pere Roca i Cabarrocas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural change at multiferroic phase boundary is anticipated to have an associated large magnetoelectric response, which yet awaits to be evidenced. Here, Fernández-Posada et al. report electric field-induced phase change for a BiFeO3–BiMnO3–PbTiO3solid solution with distinctive magnetic signature.

    • Carmen M. Fernández-Posada
    • , Alicia Castro
    •  & Harvey Amorín

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Actuation of shape-shifting materials has typically required an external trigger. Here, the authors design a shape-memory hydrogel, regulated by a dual network of covalent and temporary hydrogen bonds, whose actuations are encoded by an intrinsic temporal mechanism.

    • Xiaobo Hu
    • , Jing Zhou
    •  & Sergei S. Sheiko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Artificial DNA membrane channels are promising molecular devices for biotechnology but suffer from low affinity for lipid bilayers. Here, the authors report a large DNA nanopore that spontaneously inserts into a flat lipid membrane, driven by engineered hydrophobic or streptavidin-biotin interactions.

    • Swati Krishnan
    • , Daniela Ziegler
    •  & Friedrich C. Simmel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proton conduction is a fundamental process for fuel cell development, but three-dimensional proton conduction in crystalline porous solids is rare. Here, the authors report organic molecular cages in which the structure imposes three-dimensional proton conductivity competing with metal-organic frameworks.

    • Ming Liu
    • , Linjiang Chen
    •  & Andrew I. Cooper

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymersomes are used in many applications, ranging from drug delivery to microfluidics, but controlling their shape is difficult. Here, Christianen and co-workers have precisely controlled polymersome shape via an out-of-equilibrium process and fully understood the mechanism of this procedure.

    • R. S. M. Rikken
    • , H. Engelkamp
    •  & P. C. M. Christianen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Elemental silicon is widely studied for photovoltaic applications. Here, the authors report that hydride-terminated silicon nanocrystals can also function as single component heterogeneous reducing agent for converting gaseous carbon dioxide selectively to carbon monoxide.

    • Wei Sun
    • , Chenxi Qian
    •  & Geoffrey A. Ozin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Anisotropic nanoparticles made from block copolymers are important building blocks for synthetic hierarchical materials. Here, the authors report a reversible coordination-driven self-assembly strategy for the preparation of micron-scale fibres and macroscopic films based on monodisperse cylindrical micelles.

    • David J. Lunn
    • , Oliver E. C. Gould
    •  & Ian Manners

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Blockade of PD-L1 is usually not very effective in colon cancer patients. Here, the authors show the efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in combination with coordination polymer nanoparticles carrying oxaliplatin and a photosensitizer to induce anti-tumor immunity in metastatic models of colon cancer.

    • Chunbai He
    • , Xiaopin Duan
    •  & Wenbin Lin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single-molecule-terminated scanning probes typically operate under ultra-high vacuum conditions at low temperatures. Here, the authors show that tips functionalized with C60 can image single-layer graphene and MoS2with high definition in a liquid environment at room temperature

    • Peter Nirmalraj
    • , Damien Thompson
    •  & Heike Riel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There is a limited range of structures available in nanolithography using directed self-assembled block copolymers. Here, Black and co-workers expand directed self-assembly chemical patterning by using a blend of lamellar and cylinder forming block copolymers on surface chemical line gratings.

    • A. Stein
    • , G. Wright
    •  & C. T. Black

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Energy alignment in molecular tunnelling junctions is desirable for altering their electrical properties, however controllability is still an issue. Here the authors report a 2 orders-of-magnitude increase in the tunnelling current via chemical control of the energy-level alignment at a two-terminal junction.

    • Li Yuan
    • , Carlos Franco
    •  & Christian A. Nijhuis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is highly desirable, yet challenging to build actuators in a dry environment that can undergo autonomous oscillation. Here, Kumar et al.achieve this goal in a soft actuator based on the use of a nematic liquid crystal film doped by ortho-fluoroazobenzene that is responsive to sunlight.

    • Kamlesh Kumar
    • , Christopher Knie
    •  & Albertus P. H. J. Schenning

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hydrogels containing nanoparticles have enhanced mechanical properties that can be limited if the size of the crosslinking nanoparticles is too large. Here, Zhang and others have produced non-aggregated spherulite nanoparticles with diameters of less than 5 nm and investigated their effect on hydrogels.

    • Guoxing Sun
    • , Zongjin Li
    •  & Lina Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural lubricity—referring to ultralow levels of friction between atomically flat, incommensurate surfaces—has previously been observed under ultrahigh vacuum. Here, the authors report structural lubricity at gold-graphite interfaces under ambient conditions and on mesoscopic scales.

    • Ebru Cihan
    • , Semran İpek
    •  & Mehmet Z. Baykara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cyclophanes—consisting of aromatic rings formed into a macrocycle—can display interesting properties but are challenging targets for synthesis. Here, the authors report a route to form cyclophanes by dynamic covalent chemistry, forming disulfides that can be subsequently converted to stable thioethers.

    • Mary S. Collins
    • , Matthew E. Carnes
    •  & Darren W. Johnson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymer brushes, whereby single layers of polymers are tethered to surfaces, can be made by various methods but greater control over their fabrication is desirable. Here, by pre-assembling polymer chains into 2D crystalline sheets, the authors achieve high precision and unprecedented grafting densities.

    • Tian Zhou
    • , Hao Qi
    •  & Christopher Y. Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability to heal whilst maintaining original functionality is important for establishing materials with superior longevity. Here, the authors demonstrate a supramolecular polymeric coating which exhibits excellent optical and mechanical properties, even following damage repair.

    • Diederik W. R. Balkenende
    • , Christophe A. Monnier
    •  & Christoph Weder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Higher-order multi-photon pumped polarized lasers promise application in future optoelectronic and biomedical applications. Here, the authors demonstrate a polarized three-photon pumped (3PP) microcavity laser in a single host-guest composite MOF crystal via a controllable in situ self-assembly strategy.

    • Huajun He
    • , En Ma
    •  & Guodong Qian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aerosol droplets have significant effects on atmospheric photochemistry, however measuring absorption from single droplets is a challenge. Here, the authors report a method to measure absorption of nanodroplets with attolitre sensitivity, showing rate enhancements for light focusing in photolysis reactions.

    • Johannes W. Cremer
    • , Klemens M. Thaler
    •  & Ruth Signorell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assemblies of polymers to form polymersomes in solution can be used as carriers for drug delivery, but it is challenging to control polymer crystallization to improve their mechanical stability. Here, Wang et al.show the formation of nanosized crystalsomes composed of polymer lamellar single crystals.

    • Wenda Wang
    • , Hao Qi
    •  & Christopher Y. Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Homochiral molecular capsules offer potential applications in chiral separation and stereospecific catalysis. Here, by pre-resolution of Δ/Λ-metalloligand precursors, the authors are able to assemble enantiopure supramolecular cages capable of stereoselective host-guest behaviour.

    • Kai Wu
    • , Kang Li
    •  & Cheng-Yong Su

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