Nanoscale materials articles within Nature Communications

The reaction efficiency of reactants near plasmonic nanostructures can be enhanced under illumination. Here, the authors show that the activity of a Co porphyrin molecular catalyst bound to Au nanoparticles is enhanced by plasmonic effects, yielding a high photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate.

Controlling the morphology of Pt-based nanostructures can provide a great opportunity to boost their catalytic activity and durability. Here the authors report anisotropic mesoporous Pt@Pt-skin Pt₃Ni core-shell framework nanowires for oxygen reduction reaction with enhanced mass activity and stability.

The authors embed a multiple quantum-well WS₂ heterostructure in a planar microcavity and show the systematic control of the normal mode coupling-strength. They find a strong enhancement of the characteristic time scale, which they attribute to long-lived dark excitations emerging in the structure.

Resolving the orbital structure of single atoms is challenging and of great importance for understanding basic chemistry. Here, the authors demonstrate that the orbital occupation difference of single Fe/Co atoms within molecules can be distinguished with high resolution AFM imaging and spectroscopy.

Ideal anode materials for Li-ion capacitors must demonstrate safety and fast-charging properties. Here, the authors propose intercalated metal-organic frameworks for fast-charging Li-ion capacitors using a combined machine learning design and spray-dry synthesis.

Previous demonstrations of quantum interference in solids have mainly been limited to intra-layer transport within single conductors. Zhu et al. report a new type of inter-layer quantum interference in graphene-based double-layer devices, due to interference between carrier diffusion paths across the constituent layers.

Autonomous exploration of materials design space is hindered by its high dimensionality and the scarcity of data. In this work, we present AlphaFlow, a self-driven lab guided by reinforcement learning that enables accelerated discovery and optimization of multi-step chemistries.

Doping is widely adopted to make organic semiconductors more conductive, yet the impact of molecular electronic properties on doping performance is still not fully understood. Armleder et al. compute host-dopant interactions and show that a short-range overscreening effect strongly affects conductivity.

Hydrogels with homogenous structure are vulnerable to defects and cracks, and local mechanical failure occurs consequently. Here, the authors develop a spinning process to produce robust hydrogel microfibers with both crack insensitivity and self-healability.

The preparation of Pickering emulsions from nanoparticles commonly requires modification of the particles’ surface chemistry. Here, the authors demonstrate a chemical modifier-free approach for the preparation of long-term stable Pickering emulsions for SERS sensing and catalytic applications.

Soft robotics is a growing field, and requires versatile actuation methodology. Here, the authors report high-speed bending of anisole crystals due to natural vibration, induced and amplified by photothermal effect.

Molecular electronics represents an avenue to enrich conventional electronics, but its reproducibility and scalability are still challenging. Here, the authors report the realization of multifunctional hybrid molecular graphene field effect transistors enabling operando spectroscopy and the implementation of optoelectronic logic gates.

Inspired by the multisensory cue integration in macaque’s brain for spatial perception, the authors develop a neuromorphic motion-cognition nerve that achieves cross-modal perceptual enhancement for robotics and wearable applications.

Intercalation of protons in 2D materials plays a major role for several applications in energy storage and conversion. Here, the authors show that protons intercalated in Ti₃C₂T_x MXene interlayer during electrochemical cycling have a different hydration structure than protons in bulk water.

Here the author study Self-trapped exciton emission for multiphoton excited luminescence in ZnO nanoparticle which until now have not been explored. They provide a reason for the emission enhancement and apply these materials in optical imaging for a proof of concept.

Characterization of the solid electrolyte interphase formed on Li-ion battery electrodes presents significant experimental challenges. Here the authors use atomic force microscopy-based force-spectroscopy techniques to depict the initial interphase formation in two different electrolyte classes.

Controlling molecular motion at nanoscale is important for the design of nanomachines. Here the authors use ultrafast vibrational and electronic spectroscopy to characterize the mechanism of motion of a light driven molecular motor designed to support translational movement.

Well-defined metastable phase nanostructures are a core issue for catalyst design. Here, the authors report metastable monoclinic phase IrO2 nanoribbons obtained via a molten-alkali mechanochemical method, which exhibit intrinsic high performance towards the acidic oxygen evolution reaction.

Long-term stability of organic solar cells is critical to promote practical applications. Here, the authors utilize iridium/iridium oxide nanoparticles as the electron-transporting material and realize enhanced device stabilities under thermal aging with T70 of over 10000 h.

The fabrication of freestanding 3D lattice structures with beam diameters less than 100 nm is a considerable challenge. Here, the authors report quasi-BCC nanolattices of gold and copper, featuring beam diameters as low as 34 nm, that demonstrate an exceptionally high capacity for energy absorption.

Porous anisotropic nanohybrids have attracted attention because of their unique properties including high surface area, tunable pore structures and controllable compositions. Here, authors report a selective occupation strategy to achieve site-specific anisotropic growth of amorphous mesoporous subunits on crystalline MOFs.

Polymeric nanofibers are attractive nanomaterials owing to their high surfacearea- to-volume ratio and superior flexibility but designing durable and recyclable polymer nanofibers is challenging. Here, the authors integrate the concept of covalent adaptable networks to produce dynamic covalently crosslinked nanofibers via electrospinning.

More than a decade after the first demonstration of large-scale graphene synthesis by chemical vapor deposition, the commercialization of graphene products is limited not only by price, but also by consistency, reproducibility, and predictability. Here, the author discusses the reproducibility issues in the field and proposes possible solutions to improve the reliability of published results.

Signatures of an excitonic insulator have been reported in several two-dimensional materials. Here the authors report electronic properties of monolayer ZrTe₂ from ARPES and STM measurements that are consistent with the preformed exciton gas phase, a precursor for the excitonic insulator.

Smart membranes with responsive wettability show promise for controllably separating oil/water mixtures but it remains challenging to fabricate responsive and stable scalable membranes. Here, the authors develop a capillary force-driven self-assembling strategy to construct a scalable and stable CO2-responsive membrane for the smart separation of various oil/water systems.

Scalable synthesis of stable Cu clusters for heterogeneous catalysis is still a major challenge. Here the authors report a low-temperature atomic diffusion approach for synthesis of stable Cu cluster catalysts, which exhibit high yield of intermediate product in consecutive hydrogenation reactions.

Membranes with precise ion-ion separation are critical for sustainable water treatment. Here, authors demonstrated controlled construction of a nanofiltration membrane with fast permeation and high Cl^-/SO₄^2- selectivity by simultaneous spatial and temporal control of interfacial polymerization.

Crowding effects have long been established as powerful guiding forces in natural assembly processes. Here the authors report a bioinspired approach translating this phenomenon to artificial supramolecular polymers.

Plateau’s law describes the configuration (joint angles ~120°) of soap bubbles, foams and cellular structures, but its applicability to solid films has not been explored. Here, the authors report the observation of a variant Plateau’s law in networks of nanobubbles made of 2D semiconductors, measuring largely varying joint angles due to the thickness-dependent effective surface tension.

Nanochannels in laminated graphene oxide nanosheets featuring confined mass transport have attracted interest in multiple research fields. As an important aspect for efficient pressure-driven membrane processes, authors investigate the response and deformation behaviours of such nanochannels to different external conditions.

Twisted 2D materials have recently emerged as a controllable quantum simulator platform. Here, the authors apply the same approach to tune the edge states of zigzag graphene nanoribbons, showing a unique degree of freedom represented by the lateral stacking offset of the 1D nanostructures.

Two-dimensional materials are promising platforms for the realization of an excitonic insulator state. Here the authors report evidence for an excitonic insulator in a single-layer ZrTe2 based on ARPES measurements.

Synthetic framework materials are appealing candidates for the fabrication of separation membranes but realizing precise control of aperture distribution and separation threshold remains challenging. Here, the authors show a two-dimensional processible supramolecular framework which can be used in the fabrication of separation membranes by integrating directional organic host-guest motifs and inorganic functional polyanionic clusters.

2D nonlayered materials exhibit interesting properties for catalysis, nanoelectronics and spintronics applications, but their growth is still challenging. Here, the authors report a theoretical model and an experimental strategy to synthesize various 2D nonlayered transition metal oxides with room-temperature magnetic properties.

Immobilization of biomolecules into porous materials could lead to enhanced performance in terms of stability and easier separation for their reuse. Here authors gain insights into the spatial arrangement of green fluorescent protein entrapped in a mesoporous MOF by situ small-angle neutron scattering.

Most single-use face masks are made of synthetic plastics, thus their disposal poses a direct threat to wildlife as well as potential ecotoxicological effects in the form of microplastics. Here, the authors introduce a 1D magnetic photoactive microswarm capable of actively navigating, adhering to, and accelerating the degradation of the polypropylene microfiber of single-use face masks.

Layered 2D materials can be used for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membrane fabrication due to precise molecular sieving by the interlayer structure and stability in harsh conditions. Here authors synthesise sp²-enriched nanoporous graphene by microwave treatment and demonstrate its excellent OSN performance.

Spins defined in single-walled carbon nanotubes promise ultra-long spin relaxation times, but qubit implementations require confinement of isolated spins. Here the authors report highly confined long-lived electron spins in chemically functionalized nanotubes and demonstrate their coherent control.

Spiky hedgehog particles are reported to access a photocatalytic pathway for alkane oxidation directly to industrially relevant epoxides in one step, providing a lower cost and less energy-intensive pathway as compared to common alkene feedstocks.

The authors report a multi-ion co-sensitization strategy to achieve ultra-wideband-responsive photon conversion of lanthanide nanocrystals from UV to NIR. They demonstrate applications for white light-based bioimaging and information encryption.

Self-healing materials hold great promise for applications in wearable electronics, artificial muscles and soft robots but selfhealing at subzero temperatures remains a great challenge. Here, the authors present a robust subzero healable glassy polymer by incorporating polyphenol nano-assemblies with a large number of end groups into polymerizable deep eutectic solvent elastomers.

The synthesis of functionalizable nanographenes remains challenging. Here, the authors report that mechanochemical Scholl reaction allows access to regioselectively modifiable curved nanographenes in a high-yielding and general manner.

Mechanically robust and electrically conductive hydrogels remain challenging to fabricate. Here, the authors present polymeric nanofiber networks with structural robustness and high electronic conductivity and show that cardiomyocytes cultured on these hydrogels exhibit spontaneous and synchronous beating.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells are hard to expand whilst retaining immunomodulatory properties due to spontaneous differentiation and ageing in culture. Here, the authors describe a mechanotransductive link between metabolism and functional activity and identify bioactive metabolites to expand functional MSCs at cell therapy scale.

The application of graphite as anodes for anion-intercalation chemistry-based batteries suffers from durability issues. Here authors demonstrate that a positively charged two-dimensional poly(pyridinium salt) membrane can work as the artificial skin of the graphite electrode to enable long-term cycling stability.

In situ studies of the spatio-temporal behavior of individual well-defined nanosized compartments are paramount in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, a transition from oscillating to chaotic behaviour was observed in catalytic hydrogen oxidation on a rhodium nanocrystal serving as a model of a single catalytic particle.

Shape-memory materials are promising actuation sources for small-scale machines. The authors demonstrate that domain switching in twisted ferroic nanocomposites enables a giant shape-memory effect and superelasticity in the nanoscale structure.

Constructing atomically flat surface in a single crystal ultrathin film is difficult owing to the coherent merging of trillions of clusters. Here the authors establish the initial growth mechanism of a single crystal Cu thin film with atomically flat surface using atomic sputtering epitaxy.

Polydopamine is a biomimetic self-adherent polymer, which can be easily deposited on a wide variety of materials but the polymerization mechanism and the key intermediate species formed during the deposition process are still controversial. Here, the authors report a systematic investigation of polydopamine formation on halloysite nanotubes.