A new approach for science - p923

doi:10.1038/nmat2322

Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election is good news for researchers.

Full Text - A new approach for science | PDF (176 KB) - A new approach for science

Nanopores, nanomotors, negative refraction... - p925

doi:10.1038/nmat2323

Full Text - Nanopores, nanomotors, negative refraction... | PDF (207 KB) - Nanopores, nanomotors, negative refraction...

Iron-based superconductors: Unity or diversity? - pp927 - 928

Steven A. Kivelson & Hong Yao

doi:10.1038/nmat2325

Does the high-temperature superconductivity observed in the newly discovered iron pnictides represent another example of the same essential physics responsible for superconductivity in the cuprates, or does it embody a new mechanism?

Full Text - Iron-based superconductorsUnity or diversity? | PDF (167 KB) - Iron-based superconductorsUnity or diversity?

Material witness: Juggling with liquids - p928

Philip Ball

doi:10.1038/nmat2320

Full Text - Material witnessJuggling with liquids | PDF (134 KB) - Material witnessJuggling with liquids

Superconductivity: Squash and sandwiches - pp929 - 930

Erio Tosatti

doi:10.1038/nmat2327

Externally applied pressure induces superconductivity in the layer compound 1T-TaS₂. Similarities to, and differences from, other superconducting systems promise exciting future experiments on this old, but suddenly rejuvenated, compound.

Full Text - SuperconductivitySquash and sandwiches | PDF (141 KB) - SuperconductivitySquash and sandwiches

Glass and mineral corrosion: Dynamics and durability - pp930 - 932

William H. Casey

doi:10.1038/nmat2326

The durability of glasses and minerals in water has traditionally been predicted using models that ignore the molecular details. Now the surface structure dynamics are shown to play an integral role in their aqueous corrosion.

Full Text - Glass and mineral corrosionDynamics and durability | PDF (287 KB) - Glass and mineral corrosionDynamics and durability

Tissue engineering: Polymers flex their muscles - pp932 - 933

Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann

doi:10.1038/nmat2328

Accordion-like honeycomb scaffolds support the formation of anisotropically contracting heart tissue in vitro, opening up possibilities in the area of cardiac tissue repair.

Full Text - Tissue engineeringPolymers flex their muscles | PDF (179 KB) - Tissue engineeringPolymers flex their muscles

Polymer dynamics: Floored by the rings - pp933 - 935

Tom McLeish

doi:10.1038/nmat2324

The tube model can explain how mutually entangled polymer chains move and interact, but it relies on the loose ends of chains to generate relaxation. Ring polymers have no ends — so how do they relax?

Full Text - Polymer dynamicsFloored by the rings | PDF (313 KB) - Polymer dynamicsFloored by the rings

Let the Sun shine - p935

doi:10.1038/nmat2337

Full Text - Let the Sun shine | PDF (97 KB) - Let the Sun shine

Crystal structure prediction from first principles - pp937 - 946

Scott M. Woodley & Richard Catlow

doi:10.1038/nmat2321

Abstract - | Full Text - Crystal structure prediction from first principles | PDF (1,301 KB) - Crystal structure prediction from first principles

Ultrahigh stress and strain in hierarchically structured hollow nanoparticles - pp947 - 952

Z. W. Shan, G. Adesso, A. Cabot, M. P. Sherburne, S. A. Syed Asif, O. L. Warren, D. C. Chrzan, A. M. Minor & A. P. Alivisatos

doi:10.1038/nmat2295

Nanocrystalline materials usually exhibit high strength and their deformation caused by stress is limited. Nanocrystalline CdS with spherical and hierarchical shell geometry is shown not only to withstand extreme stresses, but also to deform considerably before failure.

Abstract - | Full Text - Ultrahigh stress and strain in hierarchically structured hollow nanoparticles | PDF (2,491 KB) - Ultrahigh stress and strain in hierarchically structured hollow nanoparticles | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Mechanical properties | Nanoscale materials

Structural and magnetic phase diagram of CeFeAsO_{1- x}F_x and its relation to high-temperature superconductivity - pp953 - 959

Jun Zhao, Q. Huang, Clarina de la Cruz, Shiliang Li, J. W. Lynn, Y. Chen, M. A. Green, G. F. Chen, G. Li, Z. Li, J. L. Luo, N. L. Wang & Pengcheng Dai

doi:10.1038/nmat2315

According to a neutron-scattering study of the structural and magnetic properties of the pnictide CeFeAsO_1-xF_x, the phase diagram of this material shows considerable similarities with the high-T_c cuprate superconductors. These results are an important addition to the effort to find out where superconductivity in these iron–arsenic alloys arises.

Abstract - | Full Text - Structural and magnetic phase diagram of CeFeAsO1- xFx and its relation to high-temperature superconductivity | PDF (807 KB) - Structural and magnetic phase diagram of CeFeAsO1- xFx and its relation to high-temperature superconductivity | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Superconductors

From Mott state to superconductivity in 1T-TaS₂ - pp960 - 965

B. Sipos, A. F. Kusmartseva, A. Akrap, H. Berger, L. Forró & E. Tuti

doi:10.1038/nmat2318

Superconductivity is a complex and fascinating phenomenon, made more so by its coexistence with other collective electronic states. A study of the layered compound 1T-TaS₂ under pressure enables the various states of the material to be investigated and compared with other commonly studied layered superconductors.

Abstract - | Full Text - From Mott state to superconductivity in 1T-TaS2 | PDF (2,337 KB) - From Mott state to superconductivity in 1T-TaS2

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Superconductors

Electronic two-terminal bistable graphitic memories - pp966 - 971

Yubao Li, Alexander Sinitskii & James M. Tour

doi:10.1038/nmat2331

Carbon-based structures are being intensively investigated for their use in electronic devices. A pronounced non-volatile switching is now observed in two-terminal devices made from graphitic sheets. The highly reliable switching mechanism is explained by the local breaking and rejoining of atomic bonds in the sheets.

Abstract - | Full Text - Electronic two-terminal bistable graphitic memories | PDF (890 KB) - Electronic two-terminal bistable graphitic memories | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Semiconductors | Nanoscale materials

A map for phase-change materials - pp972 - 977

Dominic Lencer, Martin Salinga, Blazej Grabowski, Tilmann Hickel, Jörg Neugebauer & Matthias Wuttig

doi:10.1038/nmat2330

Phase-change materials are widely used as non-volatile memories, for example in optical data storage, but the search for improved phase-change materials has proved difficult. Based on a fundamental understanding of their bonding characteristics, a systematic prediction of phase-change properties has now become possible.

Abstract - | Full Text - A map for phase-change materials | PDF (490 KB) - A map for phase-change materials | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Semiconductors | Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials

Insight into silicate-glass corrosion mechanisms - pp978 - 983

Céline Cailleteau, Frédéric Angeli, François Devreux, Stéphane Gin, Jacques Jestin, Patrick Jollivet & Olivier Spalla

doi:10.1038/nmat2301

Understanding the corrosion mechanism of aqueous silicate glass is crucial for the long-term durability of nuclear waste glasses. This mechanism is generally thought to be associated with chemical affinity, but it is now demonstrated that morphological transformations also have an important role in the leaching kinetics of these glasses.

Abstract - | Full Text - Insight into silicate-glass corrosion mechanisms | PDF (1,393 KB) - Insight into silicate-glass corrosion mechanisms | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Glasses | Porous materials | Surface and thin films

Hierarchical nanofabrication of microporous crystals with ordered mesoporosity - pp984 - 991

Wei Fan, Mark A. Snyder, Sandeep Kumar, Pyung-Soo Lee, Won Cheol Yoo, Alon V. McCormick, R. Lee Penn, Andreas Stein & Michael Tsapatsis

doi:10.1038/nmat2302

Zeolite nanocrystals with three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous structures are important for designing molecularly accessible and selective catalysts. With a single zeolite synthesis procedure, uniform nanocrystals and crystal zeolites with ordered imprinted mesoporosity can now be obtained.

Abstract - | Full Text - Hierarchical nanofabrication of microporous crystals with ordered mesoporosity | PDF (1,599 KB) - Hierarchical nanofabrication of microporous crystals with ordered mesoporosity | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Catalytic materials | Porous materials | Surface and thin films

Single-molecule nanocatalysis reveals heterogeneous reaction pathways and catalytic dynamics - pp992 - 996

Weilin Xu, Jason S. Kong, Yun-Ting E. Yeh & Peng Chen

doi:10.1038/nmat2319

Nanomaterials are effective catalysts for many chemical reactions, however, their catalytic properties are most often determined by ensembles of nanoparticles, and so far only averaged results have been measured. Now, the heterogeneous reactivity and the surface structure dynamics of individual gold nanoparticles are revealed by monitoring single fluorogenic reactions.

Abstract - | Full Text - Single-molecule nanocatalysis reveals heterogeneous reaction pathways and catalytic dynamics | PDF (312 KB) - Single-molecule nanocatalysis reveals heterogeneous reaction pathways and catalytic dynamics | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Catalytic materials | Nanoscale materials

Unexpected power-law stress relaxation of entangled ring polymers - pp997 - 1002

M. Kapnistos, M. Lang, D. Vlassopoulos, W. Pyckhout-Hintzen, D. Richter, D. Cho, T. Chang & M. Rubinstein

doi:10.1038/nmat2292

How do entangled polymer rings relax? Linear polymers can ease their stress because their chains have ends, but cyclic polymers do not. Even trace amounts of linear chains dominate the mechanical properties if present as impurities. Investigation of carefully purified ring polymers reveals they exhibit self-similar dynamics and a power-law stress relaxation.

Abstract - | Full Text - Unexpected power-law stress relaxation of entangled ring polymers | PDF (370 KB) - Unexpected power-law stress relaxation of entangled ring polymers

Subject Category: Polymers

Accordion-like honeycombs for tissue engineering of cardiac anisotropy - pp1003 - 1010

George C. Engelmayr, Jr, Mingyu Cheng, Christopher J. Bettinger, Jeffrey T. Borenstein, Robert Langer & Lisa E. Freed

doi:10.1038/nmat2316

Construction of tissue-engineering scaffolds that mimic cardiac anisotropy is a challenge. Now, accordion-like honeycomb scaffolds have been created that can form tissue grafts with preferentially aligned heart cells, and with mechanical properties that closely resemble the anisotropy of native myocardium.

Abstract - | Full Text - Accordion-like honeycombs for tissue engineering of cardiac anisotropy | PDF (1,552 KB) - Accordion-like honeycombs for tissue engineering of cardiac anisotropy | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Polymers | Biomedical materials