A fundamental problem - p511

doi:10.1038/nmat2218

Some materials scientists think that the United Kingdom's decision to cut funding for 'big physics' is benefiting them. Here's why it isn't.

Full Text - A fundamental problem | PDF (196 KB) - A fundamental problem

Print and perish? - pp512 - 514

Joerg Heber

doi:10.1038/nmat2215

Although the Internet has fundamentally changed the way we communicate, science publishing is remarkably hesitant in making full use of the potential offered by new technology.

Full Text - Print and perish? | PDF (471 KB) - Print and perish?

A review of Physical Review - pp515 - 516

Interview with Gene Sprouse

doi:10.1038/nmat2216

The American Physical Society is the largest publisher in physics. Nature Materials talks to Gene Sprouse, Editor-in-Chief of APS publications.

Full Text - A review of Physical Review | PDF (197 KB) - A review of Physical Review

Looking, seeing, sensing - p517

doi:10.1038/nmat2217

Full Text - Looking, seeing, sensing | PDF (203 KB) - Looking, seeing, sensing

Nanobiology: Particles slip cell security - pp519 - 520

Tian Xia, Leonard Rome & Andre Nel

doi:10.1038/nmat2213

Nanoparticles with alternating striations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic ligands cross the cell membrane by a direct mechanism — a route that delivers them to the main compartment of the cell while leaving the membrane undisrupted.

Full Text - NanobiologyParticles slip cell security | PDF (242 KB) - NanobiologyParticles slip cell security

Organic electronics: When TTF met TCNQ - pp520 - 521

John R. Kirtley & Jochen Mannhart

doi:10.1038/nmat2211

The observation of metallic conductivity at interfaces between layers of organic insulators opens the way to the realization of a wide range of electronic systems that cannot be prepared in bulk organic materials.

Full Text - Organic electronicsWhen TTF met TCNQ | PDF (482 KB) - Organic electronicsWhen TTF met TCNQ

See also: Article by Alves et al.

Material Witness: Materials matchmaking - p522

Philip Ball

doi:10.1038/nmat2210

Full Text - Material WitnessMaterials matchmaking | PDF (123 KB) - Material WitnessMaterials matchmaking

Polymers: Facing the flip side - pp522 - 523

J. Campbell Scott

doi:10.1038/nmat2212

A blend of ferroelectric and semiconducting polymers provides a potential route to a memory technology compatible with low-cost printed electronics.

Full Text - PolymersFacing the flip side | PDF (230 KB) - PolymersFacing the flip side

Stimuli-responsive polymers: Engineering interactions - pp523 - 525

Alshakim Nelson

doi:10.1038/nmat2214

Materials that respond to their external environment require creative molecular design — much inspiration comes from the natural world.

Full Text - Stimuli-responsive polymersEngineering interactions | PDF (310 KB) - Stimuli-responsive polymersEngineering interactions

The role of interparticle and external forces in nanoparticle assembly - pp527 - 538

Younjin Min, Mustafa Akbulut, Kai Kristiansen, Yuval Golan & Jacob Israelachvili

doi:10.1038/nmat2206

Abstract - | Full Text - The role of interparticle and external forces in nanoparticle assembly | PDF (1,598 KB) - The role of interparticle and external forces in nanoparticle assembly

Subject Categories: Glasses | Colloids

Charge-order fluctuations in one-dimensional silicides - pp539 - 542

Changgan Zeng, P. R. C. Kent, Tae-Hwan Kim, An-Ping Li & Hanno H. Weitering

doi:10.1038/nmat2209

One-dimensional metals are predicted to exhibit charge-order fluctuations and become insulators at low temperature. Experiments on silicide nanowires grown on silicon reveal that fluctuations in the narrowest wires determine the electronic properties, and can be exploited in nanoelectronic devices.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Charge-order fluctuations in one-dimensional silicides | PDF (1,073 KB) - Charge-order fluctuations in one-dimensional silicides | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Nanoscale materials

Photonic metamaterials by direct laser writing and silver chemical vapour deposition - pp543 - 546

Michael S. Rill, Christine Plet, Michael Thiel, Isabelle Staude, Georg von Freymann, Stefan Linden & Martin Wegener

doi:10.1038/nmat2197

Metamaterials enable a number of intriguing photonic functionalities from superlensing to cloaking. The demonstration of truly three-dimensional metamaterials by a direct laser writing process offers the possibility of complex photonic functionalities at optical frequencies.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Photonic metamaterials by direct laser writing and silver chemical vapour deposition | PDF (625 KB) - Photonic metamaterials by direct laser writing and silver chemical vapour deposition

Subject Categories: Semiconductors | Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials

Organic non-volatile memories from ferroelectric phase-separated blends - pp547 - 550

Kamal Asadi, Dago M. de Leeuw, Bert de Boer & Paul W. M. Blom

doi:10.1038/nmat2207

Although ferroelectric polarization is of interest for the development of non-volatile memories, the read-out of the polarization state is destructive. The blending of semiconducting and ferroelectric polymers in a phase-separated network achieves non-volatile memory arrays that can be read out non-destructively.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Organic non-volatile memories from ferroelectric phase-separated blends | PDF (267 KB) - Organic non-volatile memories from ferroelectric phase-separated blends | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Polymers | Electronic materials

See also: News and Views by Scott

Determining the aluminium occupancy on the active T-sites in zeolites using X-ray standing waves - pp551 - 555

Jeroen A. van Bokhoven, Tien-Lin Lee, Michael Drakopoulos, Carlo Lamberti, Sebastian Thie & Jörg Zegenhagen

doi:10.1038/nmat2220

The occupation of specific crystallographic sites by tetrahedrally coordinated aluminium atoms in zeolites has a strong influence on their catalytic and separation performance. X-ray standing waves are now used to directly and unambiguously determine the distribution and ordering of aluminium on active sites in a microporous scolecite system.

First Paragraph - | Full Text - Determining the aluminium occupancy on the active T-sites in zeolites using X-ray standing waves | PDF (827 KB) - Determining the aluminium occupancy on the active T-sites in zeolites using X-ray standing waves | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Catalytic materials | Porous materials | Characterisation and analytical techniques

Direct observation of a local structural mechanism for dynamic arrest - pp556 - 561

C. Patrick Royall, Stephen R. Williams, Takehiro Ohtsuka & Hajime Tanaka

doi:10.1038/nmat2219

Cooled liquids that fail to reach their thermodynamic ground state either form gels or glasses. Their formation is thought to be promoted by stable local atomic structures. The role of these local structures has now been verified in experiments that also show that their structural variety is much larger than expected.

Abstract - | Full Text - Direct observation of a local structural mechanism for dynamic arrest | PDF (1,026 KB) - Direct observation of a local structural mechanism for dynamic arrest | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Glasses | Colloids

Phase instability induced by polar nanoregions in a relaxor ferroelectric system - pp562 - 566

Guangyong Xu, Jinsheng Wen, C. Stock & P. M. Gehring

doi:10.1038/nmat2196

Relaxor ferroelectrics, which show a strong dependence of electric polarization on the applied electric field, are promising for applications such as sensors and actuators. Neutron-scattering experiments now establish a direct link between the unique piezoelectric properties of relaxors and local clusters of randomly oriented polarization specific to these materials.

Abstract - | Full Text - Phase instability induced by polar nanoregions in a relaxor ferroelectric system | PDF (814 KB) - Phase instability induced by polar nanoregions in a relaxor ferroelectric system | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Ceramics | Electronic materials

Sidewall oxide effects on spin-torque- and magnetic-field-induced reversal characteristics of thin-film nanomagnets - pp567 - 573

O. Ozatay, P. G. Gowtham, K. W. Tan, J. C. Read, K. A. Mkhoyan, M. G. Thomas, G. D. Fuchs, P. M. Braganca, E. M. Ryan, K. V. Thadani, J. Silcox, D. C. Ralph & R. A. Buhrman

doi:10.1038/nmat2204

Nanomagnets are very promising structures for magnetic data storage. However, it is found that during exposure to ambient oxygen for processing, a nanomagnet develops a sidewall oxide layer that is detrimental for its magnetic properties. The problem can be solved by deposition of a metal layer (aluminium) that reduces and almost eliminates the problem.

Abstract - | Full Text - Sidewall oxide effects on spin-torque- and magnetic-field-induced reversal characteristics of thin-film nanomagnets | PDF (539 KB) - Sidewall oxide effects on spin-torque- and magnetic-field-induced reversal characteristics of thin-film nanomagnets | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Magnetic materials | Nanoscale materials

Metallic conduction at organic charge-transfer interfaces - pp574 - 580

Helena Alves, Anna S. Molinari, Hangxing Xie & Alberto F. Morpurgo

doi:10.1038/nmat2205

The electronic properties of interfaces between two different solids can differ strikingly from those of the constituent materials, as demonstrated by the high conductivity at the interface between insulating perovskite oxide layers. Metallic conductivity is now observed at the interface between organic insulators, which promises new scientific developments for organic electronics.

Abstract - | Full Text - Metallic conduction at organic charge-transfer interfaces | PDF (690 KB) - Metallic conduction at organic charge-transfer interfaces

Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Molecular electronics

See also: News and Views by Kirtley & Mannhart

Guided and fluidic self-assembly of microstructures using railed microfluidic channels - pp581 - 587

Su Eun Chung, Wook Park, Sunghwan Shin, Seung Ah Lee & Sunghoon Kwon

doi:10.1038/nmat2208

Fabrication of complex two-dimensional patterns is now possible using 'rails' as a guiding mechanism for the self-assembly of microstructures within fluidic channels. The method is efficient, and heterogeneous systems, for example patterns of different living cells for tissue engineering, can be made with high precision.

Abstract - | Full Text - Guided and fluidic self-assembly of microstructures using railed microfluidic channels | PDF (1,067 KB) - Guided and fluidic self-assembly of microstructures using railed microfluidic channels | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Polymers | Design synthesis and processing

Surface-structure-regulated cell-membrane penetration by monolayer-protected nanoparticles - pp588 - 595

Ayush Verma, Oktay Uzun, Yuhua Hu, Ying Hu, Hee-Sun Han, Nicki Watson, Suelin Chen, Darrell J. Irvine & Francesco Stellacci

doi:10.1038/nmat2202

The structural organization of surface groups on nanoparticles is proven to be important for cell membrane penetration. Nanoparticles coated with alternating ribbon-like arrangements of hydrophobic and anionic ligands penetrate membranes without causing disruption. These design rules may have implications for toxicity issues and drug delivery applications of nanomaterials.

Abstract - | Full Text - Surface-structure-regulated cell-membrane penetration by monolayer-protected nanoparticles | PDF (1,604 KB) - Surface-structure-regulated cell-membrane penetration by monolayer-protected nanoparticles | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Biological materials | Biomedical materials

See also: News and Views by Xia et al.