Nanoscience and technology articles within Nature Communications

Cost-effective methods for long-term storage of DNA are desired. Here the authors present a method for in situ cryosilicification of whole blood cells, allowing long-term and room temperature preservation of genomic information for only approximately $0.5 per sample.

Excitonic states govern the optical response of low-dimensional nanomaterials and are key for a wide range of applications. Here, the authors investigate the exciton decay dynamics in single carbon nanotubes with few-exciton detection sensitivity.

Slow light effects are interesting for telecommunications and quantum photonics applications. Here, the authors use coupled exciton-surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a hybrid monolayer WSe₂-metallic waveguide structure to demonstrate a 1300-fold reduction of the SPP group velocity.

Here, the authors fabricate large area and highly aligned polymer semiconductor sub-microwires arrays via coaxial focused electrohydrodynamic jet printing technology, achieving high on/off ratio and average mobility that is 5x higher than that of thin film based organic field effect transistors.

While photoelectrochemical water splitting produces fuel from solar energy, a large fraction of photoanode photoexcited charge carriers cannot be extracted efficiently at low bias voltages. Here, authors improve the charge transport in P-doped BiVO₄ by mediating polaron hopping and trap states.

Topological superconductivity (TSC) is predicted to exist in nanowires with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) when they are in proximity to superconductors, with a key signature being zero-energy states in conductance measurements. Here, using weak-SOC carbon nanotubes as the nanowires, the authors show that similar looking zero-energy states can appear even in nanowires which cannot, in principle, host TSC.

Atomic-scale insights into how a nanoparticle surface reconstructs under reaction conditions and the impact of the reconstruction on catalytic activity are still lacking. Here the authors reveal that Pd nanocatalysts display oscillatory changes in both their structure and activity during CO oxidation using operando TEM.

Surface modification of nanoparticles by cell membrane (CM) coating to improve their bio-interface properties often results in partial coating. Here the authors show that partial coating is an intermediate state due to the absorption of CM fragments or vesicles and can be resolved by increasing CM fluidity with external phospholipids.

The simple and scalable fabrication of high aspect ratio encapsulated flexible nanowire arrays with controlled size and periodicity is demonstrated and modelled, enabling nanophotonics applications requiring long-range order over several meters.

Experimental studies of the Casimir effect have involved only interactions between two bodies so far. Here, the authors observe a micrometer-thick cantilever under the Casimir force exerted by microspheres from two sides simultaneously.

While metal-organic frameworks offer a diverse array of structural motifs for electrocatalysis, poor conductivity and mass permeability limit performances. Here, authors confine low-conductivity metal-organic frameworks between graphene multilayers to enhance oxygen evolution performances.

2D multiferroic materials have garnered broad interests due to their magnetoelectric properties and multifunctional applications. Here, the authors discover a multiferroic feature in physical vapor deposition synthesized 2D metallic p-doped SnSe.

Multi-chambered structures have attracted great attention due to their ability to create multifunctional partitions in different chambers. Here, the authors prepared mesoporous silica nanoreactors with hierarchical chambers for catalytic cascades.

While water-splitting electrolysis offers a potential renewable means to store energy, the oxygen evolution half-reaction’s sluggish kinetics limits performances. Here, authors incorporation boron into nickel-iron hydroxide catalysts to promote electrocatalytic water oxidation activities

The potential energy efficiency of impact ionization field-effect transistors (I²FETs) is usually limited by stringent operational conditions. Here, the authors report I²FETs based on 2D WSe₂, showing average subthreshold slopes down to 2.3 mV/dec and on/off ratios of ~10⁶ at room temperature and bias voltages <1 V.

Skyrmion bubbles consist of a centre magnetization pointing up or down, and a swirling vortex magnetic texture, either clockwise or anticlockwise around this. Here, Yao et al use a three-dimensional imaging approach to study this magnetic texture, and show that while the in-plane vortex-like texture changes easily, the centre magnetic direction, the polarity, is retained, leading to a reversed chirality.

3D depth sensing with structured light enables simultaneous imaging of multiple objects, but has limited field of view and low efficiency. Here, the authors demonstrate 3D imaging with scattered light from a metasurface composed of periodic supercells, covering a 180° field of view with a high-density dot array.

Topological materials hold great promise for dissipationless information transmission. Here, the authors create Chern insulator junctions between domains with different Chern numbers in MnBi₂Te₄ to realize the basic operation of a topological circuit.

The use of light in driving the magnetization of materials has great technological potential, as well as allowing for insights into the fast dynamics of magnetic systems. Here, the authors combine CrI₃, a van der Waals magnet, with WSe₂, and demonstrate all optical switching of the resulting heterostructure.

Semiconductors with large Landé g-factors allow for both highly spin-polarized states, and precise control of the spin dynamics. Here, the authors make superlattices of two semiconductors, InSb, and InAsSb, and by tuning the conduction and valence band overlap, achieve a Landé g-factor of 104.

The accumulation of single-function sensors can increase the complexity of virtual reality systems. Here, Shen et al. exploit the intrinsic anisotropy of tellurium nanowires to design a multi-function pressure and temperature sensor, which can be used as tactile experience in the virtual world.

Metal chalcogenides have shown promising performances for renewable hydrogen evolution and such activities are sensitive to the material electronic structures. Here, authors modulate the electronic properties of molybdenum sulfide in 1T'''-MoS₂ for hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis.

Understanding 3D interfacial strain at the atomic level has been a long-sought challenge in the field of core-shell nanomaterials. Here, the authors address this challenge by revealing the full 3D atomic structures of Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles

Graphite, one of the oldest known dry lubricants, loses its friction-reducing properties in dry environments. Here, the authors show that this effect is associated with both chemical modifications of the surfaces and a structural transformation of the graphite to turbostratic carbon.

Multiterminal Josephson junctions may provide a novel way to realize topologically non-trivial band structures in an n-dimensional phase space. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate the proposed necessary conditions to measure these states.

The assembly of atomically precise clusters into ordered superstructures enables new functional material designs. Here, the authors propose a strategy for linear arrangements of AgCu clusters and explore the consequent transfer and coupling of magnetic spins.

Known examples of negative refraction in metamaterials do not distinguish between positive and negative angles of incidence. Here, the authors show that it is possible to break this symmetry using an asymmetric unit cell, and demonstrate it using a mechanical metamaterial working at GHz frequencies.

Computing, memories, and digital electronics are based on the operation principle of bi-stable systems. Here, Yaish et al. report the unusual non-linear behaviour of buckled up carbon nanotubes mechanical resonators, which allows high electrical frequency tunability and snap-through bi-stability.

Probing fundamental quantum systems and their phase change is interesting. Here the authors demonstrate the existence of mobile quantum solid phase composed of dimerized ³He atoms and topology-induced vacancies using ³He adsorbed on carbon nanotube.

In this work, lamellar graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet membranes are constructed for gas separation. Benefiting from their high-density intrinsic in-plane nanopores and broader permeable interlayer channels, the proposed membranes exhibit high H₂ permeance with good selectivity of multiple gas mixtures.

Chiroptic materials made of self-assembled nanomaterials are essential for advanced optical applications. Here, the authors show that macroscopic grinding can break the symmetry in achiral superlattices of inorganic nanorods, generating chiral superstructures.

While single atom catalysis offers high efficiency for materials use, different possible atomic configurations yield differing activities. Here, authors modulate single-atom Os coordinations to show a volcano relationship between oxidation state and H₂ evolution electrocatalytic activities.

What is an optimal parameter landscape and geometric layout for a quantum processor so that its qubits are sufficiently protected for idling and simultaneously responsive enough for fast entangling gates? Quantum engineers pondering the dilemma might want to take a look on tools developed for many-body localization.

While passive solar-driven evaporative systems promise higher economic and environmental sustainability in water treatment, many challenges remain for their effective adoption. Here, the author identifies three main pillars and corresponding issues which future research should focus on to bring these technologies to the next maturity level.

This work experimentally demonstrates nano-electromechanically tunable asymmetric dielectric metasurfaces. The metasurfaces enable large phase tuning, high reflection, a wavelength-scale pixel size, and electrical control of diffraction patterns.

Designing an efficient platform that enables verbal communication without vocalization remains a challenge. Here, the authors propose a silent speech interface by utilizing a deep learning algorithm combined with strain sensors attached near the subject’s mouth, able to collect 100 words and classify at a high accuracy rate.

Naturally derived biopolymers attracted great interest to construct photonic materials but traditional processing commonly results in non-uniform organization across largescale areas. Here, the authors report a uniform biophotonic organization of cellulose nanocrystals decorated with superparamagnetic nanoparticles enabling transformation from helicoidal cholesteric to uniaxial nematic phase with near-perfect orientation.

Experimentally probing the orbital population is highly desirable to resolve the redox mechanism of cathodes materials. Here the authors quantify the orbital populations of Co and O in LiCoO₂ and identify the ligand-to-metal charge transfer.

Fabrication of metasurfaces with nanoscale structures is inefficient for large areas. Here, the authors introduce patterned pulse laser lithography for creating structured arrays with sub-wavelength feature on large-area thin films under ambient conditions.

Direct observation of electric field effects in the water dissociation reaction remains elusive. Here, the authors report an exponential acceleration of the reaction as function of the interfacial electric field using graphene electrodes decorated with Pt.

Plasmonic hydrogen sensors have limited sensitivity due to broad spectral features. Here, the authors use a particle swarm optimization algorithm to inversely design a plasmonic metasurface based on a periodic array of Pd nanoparticles, and demonstrate hydrogen detection limit of 250 ppb.

Combining sonodynamic properties and NIR fluorescence into a single material is desired for deep tissue applications. Here, the authors report on carbon dot sono-sensitizers engineered with a narrow bandgap and coated with cancer cell membrane for targeted NIR guided sonodynamic cancer therapy.

X-ray activated afterglow nanomaterials are desirable components for advanced optoelectronic applications. Here, the authors present pathways to modulate the stimulus-responsive color emissions in lanthanide-doped fluoride core-shell nanoparticles.

A coherent quantum link between distant quantum processors is desirable for scaling up of quantum computation. Noiri et al. demonstrate a strategy to link distant quantum processors in silicon, by implementing a shuttling-based two-qubit gate between spin qubits in a Si/SiGe triple quantum dot.

Under an applied current, chiral antiferromagnets, such as Mn₃Sn, can produce a spin-polarized current. Here, by varying the thickness of a buffering layer, the authors show that this spin-polarized current can drive self-induced switching in polycrystalline Mn₃Sn.

Mimicking human vision with metasurfaces, the authors propose a new paradigm for high field of view and ultrafast LiDAR, achieving performances also relevant for the next generation of imaging system for ADAS and robotic systems.

Although light-driven water vapor splitting may avoid material stability challenges for renewable fuel production, material performances lag behind solution-based studies. Here, authors incorporate metal hydroxides layers into particulate photocatalysts to enhance water vapor splitting activities.

Hydrogenation is a treatment for chronic inflammation caused by high glucose levels in diabetic ulcers, However, current therapies have limitations. Here, the authors report on the creation of a visible light photocatalytic agent which depletes glucose in the wound and generates hydrogen to aid in diabetic wound healing.

DNA origami can be coated in a layer of silica to improve chemical and thermal stability however; it is unclear if this is a surface or interpenetrating layer. Here, the authors use in situ small-angle X-ray scattering to study silica deposition and observe internal silica formation resulting in DNA origami condensation and structure shrinkage.