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| Open AccessToroidal diamond anvil cell for detailed measurements under extreme static pressures
Extreme static pressures exceeding a million atmospheres exist in a variety of natural environments, but obtaining such pressures in a laboratory is still a challenge. Here, the authors develop a toroidal diamond anvil design that allows for the generation of 600 GPa (6 million atmospheres) in routinely used diamond anvil cells.
- Agnès Dewaele
- , Paul Loubeyre
- & Mohamed Mezouar
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Article
| Open AccessElectrically driven three-dimensional solitary waves as director bullets in nematic liquid crystals
Solitary waves which maintain their shape have many fascinating physical and mathematical properties. Here the authors observe waves trapped along three spatial dimensions in nematic liquid crystals due to an electric field and show that these director bullets can re-form after collisions.
- Bing-Xiang Li
- , Volodymyr Borshch
- & Oleg D. Lavrentovich
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| Open AccessSuppression of atom motion and metal deposition in mixed ionic electronic conductors
Mixed ionic–electronic conductors are limited by material decomposition. Here the authors reveal the mechanism for atom migration and deposition in Cu2–δ(S,Se) materials based on a critical chemical potential difference and propose electronically conducting, ion-blocking interfaces to enhance stability.
- Pengfei Qiu
- , Matthias T. Agne
- & G. Jeffrey Snyder
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Article
| Open AccessBottle-grade polyethylene furanoate from ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic oligomers
The synthesis of polyethylene furanoate, a promising renewable resource-based bioplastic, still has challenges. Here the authors show that bottle-grade polyethylene furanoate can be obtained within minutes from ring-opening polymerisation of its cyclic oligomers, thereby avoiding degradation and discolouration.
- Jan-Georg Rosenboom
- , Diana Kay Hohl
- & Massimo Morbidelli
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| Open AccessRoom-temperature pyro-catalytic hydrogen generation of 2D few-layer black phosphorene under cold-hot alternation
2D elemental materials, with their atomic-scale dimensions, present exciting opportunities for energy conversion applications. Here, the authors use few-layer black phosphorene to perform pyro-catalysis, in which thermal cycling the material induces hydrogen gas production and dye degradation.
- Huilin You
- , Yanmin Jia
- & Yu Wang
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Article
| Open AccessAtomic-level insight into super-efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution on iron and vanadium co-doped nickel (oxy)hydroxide
While splitting water could provide a renewable way to produce fuel, highly active catalysts are needed to overcome water oxidation’s sluggish kinetics. Here, authors gain atomic-level insight on metal ion synergetic interactions that boost water oxidation performances in co-doped nickel hydroxide.
- Jian Jiang
- , Fanfei Sun
- & Mei Wang
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Article
| Open AccessLithography for robust and editable atomic-scale silicon devices and memories
Manipulation at the atomic scale comes with a trade-off between simplicity and thermal stability. Here, Achal et al. demonstrate improved automated hydrogen lithography and repassivation, enabling error-corrected atomic writing of large-scale structures/memories that are stable at room temperature.
- Roshan Achal
- , Mohammad Rashidi
- & Robert A. Wolkow
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| Open AccessMicroscopic mechanism of biphasic interface relaxation in lithium iron phosphate after delithiation
Improving the performance of Li-ion batteries relies on understanding charging/discharging mechanisms. Here the authors visualize the interfacial structure and composition of a partially delithiated lithium iron phosphate single crystal as a function of time, revealing a mechanism of relaxation.
- Shunsuke Kobayashi
- , Akihide Kuwabara
- & Yuichi Ikuhara
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Article
| Open AccessDrug capture materials based on genomic DNA-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles
Chemotherapy agents are prone to producing severe side-effects, and their sequestration prior to their entering of the circulatory system is thus highly desirable. Here, the authors functionalize iron oxide nanoparticles with genomic DNA and achieve sequestration of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and epirubicin from biological solutions.
- Carl M. Blumenfeld
- , Michael D. Schulz
- & Robert H. Grubbs
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| Open AccessGate-controlled quantum dots and superconductivity in planar germanium
Superconductor–semiconductor hybrid systems can bring together physical properties that are promising for fast and coherent quantum technology. Here, Hendrickx et al. realize such a system in planar germanium heterostructures demonstrating excellent quantum dots and tunable Josephson supercurrents.
- N. W. Hendrickx
- , D. P. Franke
- & M. Veldhorst
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Article
| Open AccessHyperuniformity with no fine tuning in sheared sedimenting suspensions
Suspensions appear in a wide range of industrial settings, and dispersing particles in a uniform manner throughout a fluid remains challenging for applications. Wang et al. obtain hyperuniform mixtures without fine tuning by harnessing self-organized criticality due to slow sedimentation and shear.
- Jikai Wang
- , J. M. Schwarz
- & Joseph D. Paulsen
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Article
| Open AccessNon-covalent control of spin-state in metal-organic complex by positioning on N-doped graphene
Molecules can change their electronic properties when they are adsorbed on substrates, which can be useful for sensing and catalysis. Here, the authors use atomic force microscopy to show that the spin state of an iron complex can be changed upon displacing the molecule to different sites of a nitrogen-doped graphene
- Bruno de la Torre
- , Martin Švec
- & Pavel Jelínek
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| Open AccessBistable and photoswitchable states of matter
Polymers cross-linked with dynamic bonds can switch the phase from solid to fluid upon stimulus but return quickly to the solid state once the stimulus is removed. Here the authors report a light triggered permanent solid to fluid transition at room temperature with inherent spatiotemporal control in either direction
- Brady T. Worrell
- , Matthew K. McBride
- & Christopher N. Bowman
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Article
| Open AccessSlow thermal equilibration in methylammonium lead iodide revealed by transient mid-infrared spectroscopy
Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are emerging materials for efficient photovoltaics; however understanding how charge/heat dissipates inside the material remains a challenge. Here, the authors use a spectroscopic approach to observe unusually slow thermal equilibration between the organic and inorganic components.
- Peijun Guo
- , Jue Gong
- & Richard D. Schaller
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| Open AccessUsing controlled disorder to probe the interplay between charge order and superconductivity in NbSe2
The interplay between superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW) in 2H-NbSe2 is still not fully understood. Here, Cho et al. use controlled disorder to probe the interplay between these two phases in 2H-NbSe2 and find that superconductivity initially competes with CDW but eventually long-range CDW order assists superconductivity.
- Kyuil Cho
- , M. Kończykowski
- & R. Prozorov
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| Open AccessPropagation topography of redox phase transformations in heterogeneous layered oxide cathode materials
Here the authors demonstrate a spectroscopic and imaging approach to study redox solid-state phase transformation in lithium ion cathode materials under thermal abuse conditions. The valence curvature of the propagation front alternates as a result of local chemical and structural heterogeneities.
- Linqin Mu
- , Qingxi Yuan
- & Feng Lin
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| Open AccessManipulation of facet orientation in hybrid perovskite polycrystalline films by cation cascade
Crystal facet orientations of the polycrystalline hybrid lead halide perovskite thin films play a crucial role in determining the device performance. Here Zheng et al. demonstrate effective control of the crystal stacking mode by cation cascade doping, which promotes the charge transport in the photovoltaic device.
- Guanhaojie Zheng
- , Cheng Zhu
- & Huanping Zhou
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Article
| Open AccessObservation of nuclear quantum effects and hydrogen bond symmetrisation in high pressure ice
Hydrogen atoms in water ices, under pressures at which they might exist in ocean exoplanets and icy moons, exhibit dynamics that are still poorly understood. Here, 1H-NMR experiments approaching the Mbar range shed light on the symmetrisation of hydrogen bonds preceding and accompanying the transformation of ice VII into ice X.
- Thomas Meier
- , Sylvain Petitgirard
- & Leonid Dubrovinsky
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| Open AccessAdding chemically selective subtraction to multi-material 3D additive manufacturing
Subtractive manufacturing of microstructures is important for many applications, yet photoresists for 3D laser lithography allow only removal after development under harsh cleavage conditions. Here, the authors introduce a set of chemoselective cleavable photoresists allowing the orthogonal cleavage of microstructures under mild conditions.
- David Gräfe
- , Andreas Wickberg
- & Christopher Barner-Kowollik
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| Open AccessSelf-healing and superstretchable conductors from hierarchical nanowire assemblies
Stretchable conductors are important for further developments in the electronics industry, but improving the deformability when maintaining the high-level conductivity is still challenging. Here the authors demonstrate a ternary self-healing silver nanowire/polymer network as high-performance stretchable conductor.
- Pin Song
- , Haili Qin
- & Shu-Hong Yu
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Article
| Open AccessExchange-biasing topological charges by antiferromagnetism
Spin-polarized carriers could show an extra Hall component when moving through certain real-space topological spin textures. Here, He et al. report an exchange bias experienced by the topological spin textures living at the interface between a topological insulator and an adjacent antiferromagnet, suggesting a chiral spin texture is induced.
- Qing Lin He
- , Gen Yin
- & Kang L. Wang
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| Open AccessInsightful classification of crystal structures using deep learning
Classifying crystal structures using their space group is important to understand material properties, but the process currently requires user input. Here, the authors use machine learning to automatically classify more than 100,000 simulated perfect and defective crystal structures.
- Angelo Ziletti
- , Devinder Kumar
- & Luca M. Ghiringhelli
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| Open AccessRole of disordered bipolar complexions on the sulfur embrittlement of nickel general grain boundaries
Sulfur at nickel grain boundaries can cause catastrophic failure, but the mechanisms behind that embrittlement remain poorly understood. Here, the authors image and model bipolar sulfur–nickel structures at amorphous-like and bilayer-like facets of general grain boundaries that cause embrittlement.
- Tao Hu
- , Shengfeng Yang
- & Jian Luo
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| Open AccessUnconventional fractional quantum Hall states and Wigner crystallization in suspended Corbino graphene
Understanding of ordered phases of interacting electrons in 2D systems is a fundamental many-body physics problem. Here, the authors report unconventional fractional quantum Hall phases in graphene Corbino devices originating from residual interactions of composite fermions in partially filled higher Landau levels. They also demonstrate the exceptional strength of the Coulomb interactions in suspended graphene by reaching the field-induced Wigner crystal state.
- Manohar Kumar
- , Antti Laitinen
- & Pertti Hakonen
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| Open AccessPersistent spin texture enforced by symmetry
Persistent spin texture (PST) can generate fascinating physics that is promising for spintronics applications but requires non-trivial sample design. Here the authors alternatively propose that a class of materials has intrinsic PST enforced by the nonsymmorphic space group symmetry of the crystal.
- L. L. Tao
- & Evgeny Y. Tsymbal
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Article
| Open AccessWater-dispersible PEG-curcumin/amine-functionalized covalent organic framework nanocomposites as smart carriers for in vivo drug delivery
Despite their potential application as drug-delivery carriers, covalent organic frameworks (COF) have been only evaluated in vitro. Here the authors show by real time tracking in vivo the cell uptake of anticancer-drug loaded and water dispersible COFs.
- Guiyang Zhang
- , Xinle Li
- & Xudong Jia
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| Open AccessCreating two self-assembly micro-environments to achieve supercrystals with dual structures using polyhedral nanoparticles
Crystals with multiple structures often perform special functions in nature, inspiring the creation of synthetic analogues. Here, the authors subject polyhedral nanoparticles to two self-assembly micro-environments to realize supercrystals with dual structures, in which the order of the surface layer differs from the bulk structure.
- Yih Hong Lee
- , Chee Leng Lay
- & Xing Yi Ling
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Article
| Open AccessInjectable antibacterial conductive nanocomposite cryogels with rapid shape recovery for noncompressible hemorrhage and wound healing
To improve trauma survival and surgical outcomes, hemostatic agents are needed. Here, the authors report on the development of injectable, biocompatible carbon nanotube reinforced quaternized chitosan cryogels with shape memory, conductivity and antibacterial properties for hemostatic control.
- Xin Zhao
- , Baolin Guo
- & Peter X. Ma
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| Open AccessIntrinsically ionic conductive cellulose nanopapers applied as all solid dielectrics for low voltage organic transistors
Next-generation organic electronics require flexible organic field effect transistors that show low-voltage operation and are biodegradable. Here, Huang and co-workers demonstrate high-performance transistors that utilize solid-state ionic conductive cellulose nanopaper as the dielectric.
- Shilei Dai
- , Yingli Chu
- & Jia Huang
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Article
| Open AccessNanoscale imaging of charge carrier transport in water splitting photoanodes
The performance of energy materials is affected by structural defects, as well as physicochemical heterogeneity over different length scales. Here the authors map nanoscale correlations between morphological and functional heterogeneity, quantifying the trap states limiting electronic transport in bismuth vanadate thin films.
- Johanna Eichhorn
- , Christoph Kastl
- & Francesca M. Toma
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| Open AccessMechanically tunable conductive interpenetrating network hydrogels that mimic the elastic moduli of biological tissue
Conductive and stretchable materials that match the elastic moduli of biological tissue are desired for enhanced interfacial and mechanical stability. Here the authors show a method for fabricating highly conductive hydrogels comprising two interpenetrating networks.
- Vivian R. Feig
- , Helen Tran
- & Zhenan Bao
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Article
| Open AccessInfluence of atomic site-specific strain on catalytic activity of supported nanoparticles
Detailed knowledge of how strain influences catalytic reactions remains elusive. Here, the authors experimentally measure the strain in supported Pt nanoparticles on alumina and ceria with atomic resolution and computationally explore how the strain affects the CO oxidation reaction.
- Torben Nilsson Pingel
- , Mikkel Jørgensen
- & Eva Olsson
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| Open AccessAnomalous mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline binary alloys under extreme conditions
Metals deformed at very high rates experience a rapid increase in flow stress due to dislocation drag. Here, the authors stabilise a nanocrystalline microstructure to suppress dislocation velocity and limit drag effects, conserving low strain-rate deformation mechanisms up to higher strain rates and temperatures.
- S. A. Turnage
- , M. Rajagopalan
- & K. N. Solanki
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| Open AccessA molecular neuromorphic network device consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes complexed with polyoxometalate
Neuromorphic hardware is based on principles of neuroscience, and has the potential to provide higher-level brain functions. Here, the authors develop a neuromorphic network device, constructed from single-walled carbon nanotubes and polyoxometalate, that mimics nerve impulse generation.
- Hirofumi Tanaka
- , Megumi Akai-Kasaya
- & Takuji Ogawa
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| Open AccessSelf-assembly of metal–organic polyhedra into supramolecular polymers with intrinsic microporosity
Porosity in metal–organic materials typically relies on highly ordered crystalline networks, which hinders material processing and morphological control. Here, the authors use metal–organic polyhedra as porous monomers in supramolecular polymerization to produce colloidal spheres and gels with intrinsic microporosity.
- Arnau Carné-Sánchez
- , Gavin A. Craig
- & Shuhei Furukawa
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| Open Accessk-space imaging of anisotropic 2D electron gas in GaN/GaAlN high-electron-mobility transistor heterostructures
Semiconductor heterostructures hosting two-dimensional electron gases are widely used today in high-electron-mobility transistors. Here, the authors probe the electronic structure in GaN/AlGaN, heterostructures, discovering planar anisotropy of the electron Fermi surface, offering new insights into transport properties.
- L. L. Lev
- , I. O. Maiboroda
- & V. N. Strocov
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| Open AccessA quantitative criterion for determining the order of magnetic phase transitions using the magnetocaloric effect
Magnetocaloric materials often perform best when their magnetic transitions are at the boundary between first- and second-order behavior. Here the authors propose a simple criterion to determine the order of a transition, which may accelerate future magnetocaloric material searches.
- Jia Yan Law
- , Victorino Franco
- & Oliver Gutfleisch
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Article
| Open AccessEfficient solar hydrogen generation in microgravity environment
While renewable energy production is a terrestrial concern, far less attention is devoted to solar-to-fuel conversion for long-term space missions. Here, the authors explore photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation in microgravity and overcome microgravity’s limitations by electrode nanostructuring.
- Katharina Brinkert
- , Matthias H. Richter
- & Hans-Joachim Lewerenz
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| Open AccessCollective molecular switching in hybrid superlattices for light-modulated two-dimensional electronics
Photochromic molecules offer the unique opportunity to demonstrate multifunctional devices with light-tunable electrical characteristics. Gobbi et al. build light-switchable electronic heterojunctions based on atomically precise, photo-reversible molecular superlattices on graphene and MoS2.
- Marco Gobbi
- , Sara Bonacchi
- & Paolo Samorì
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Article
| Open AccessHighly stretchable and transparent ionic conducting elastomers
Conductive elastomers are often made of composite materials and realization of high transparency and high elasticity at the same time is therefore hard to achieve. Here the authors use a salt in polymer strategy to fabricate ionic conducting elastomers (ICE), which show good elasticity and transparency and simultaneously high conductivity.
- Lei Shi
- , Tianxiang Zhu
- & Shujiang Ding
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Article
| Open AccessExploiting limited valence patchy particles to understand autocatalytic kinetics
Autocatalysis is common in chemistry, biophysics and material science, but existing approaches are unable to fully capture the physical mechanisms behind it. Here, the authors exploit a limited valence patchy particle model and reveal a novel kinetic effect crucially related to the presence of activation barriers.
- Silvia Corezzi
- , Francesco Sciortino
- & Cristiano De Michele
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-layer graphene membranes by crack-free transfer for gas mixture separation
Graphene shows great promise for gas separation applications, but obtaining large membranes that are free of cracks and tears remains highly challenging. Here, the authors realize monolayer, crack-free, millimeter-scale graphene membranes that exhibit selective gas permeation solely thanks to their intrinsic defects
- Shiqi Huang
- , Mostapha Dakhchoune
- & Kumar Varoon Agrawal
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Article
| Open AccessSelf-assembly of multi-stranded perylene dye J-aggregates in columnar liquid-crystalline phases
Perylene bisimides (PBI) exhibit interesting photophysical and self-assembly properties but detailed understanding of the correlation between packing motif and spectroscopic properties is lacking. Here the authors report on self-assembling of PBIs in liquid crystalline phases to give aggregates with J- and H-type coupling contribution between the chromophores.
- Stefanie Herbst
- , Bartolome Soberats
- & Frank Würthner
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| Open AccessMetallization and molecular dissociation of dense fluid nitrogen
Nitrogen is a model system still presenting unknown behaviors at the pressures and temperatures typical of deep planets’ interiors. Here the authors explore, by pulsed laser heating in a diamond anvil cell and optical measurements, the metallization and non-molecular states of nitrogen in a previously unexplored domain above 1 Mbar and at 2000-7000K.
- Shuqing Jiang
- , Nicholas Holtgrewe
- & Alexander F. Goncharov
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Article
| Open AccessA biomimetic chiral-driven ionic gate constructed by pillar[6]arene-based host–guest systems
Uptake and release of glucose is regulated by glucose-sensitive ion channels, but complexity of the system impedes investigation of the gating behavior under physiological conditions. Here the authors use a pillararene based artificial ion channel to mimic and investigate chirality driven switching of a glucose ion channel.
- Yue Sun
- , Fan Zhang
- & Haibing Li
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Article
| Open AccessUniversal geometric frustration in pyrochlores
The family of pyrochlore complex oxides includes many materials of fundamental or practical interest, such as spin ices and dielectrics. Trump et al. show that flexibility of the pyrochlores’ structure leads to local displacements that explain some of their unusual physical properties.
- B. A. Trump
- , S. M. Koohpayeh
- & T. M. McQueen
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Article
| Open AccessHighly stable QLEDs with improved hole injection via quantum dot structure tailoring
The commercialization of light-emitting diodes based on emissive quantum dots (e.g. QLEDs) is hindered by their inherent poor operational lifetime. Using an intelligent energy-level design strategy, Qian et al. demonstrate QLEDs with operational lifetime that meets industrial display standards.
- Weiran Cao
- , Chaoyu Xiang
- & Lei Qian
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Article
| Open AccessNear infrared fluorescent peptide nanoparticles for enhancing esophageal cancer therapeutic efficacy
Biocompatible nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery, imaging and tracking of therapeutic agents are sought-after. Here, the authors report cyclic peptide nanoparticles with structure induced fluorescence that can conjugate with biomarkers and carry drugs for application in esophageal cancer.
- Zhen Fan
- , Yan Chang
- & Mingjun Zhang
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| Open AccessCorrosion engineering towards efficient oxygen evolution electrodes with stable catalytic activity for over 6000 hours
Earth-abundant water splitting materials are highly desirable for renewable fuel production, but such catalysts are rarely tested for long-term use. Here, the authors prepare active water-splitting electrocatalysts via corrosion engineering that are stable for thousands of hours.
- Yipu Liu
- , Xiao Liang
- & Jie-Sheng Chen