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Multiple layers of diamond-like carbon films are shown to act as moisture barriers when conformally deposited on carbon fibre reinforced polymers used in space applications.
Although acceptor-doped barium zirconate is a promising conductor for electrolysers or fuel cells, our understanding of the relationship between proton motion and conductivity is limited. Our simulations now suggest a generic nanoscale percolation mechanism for high mobility in other oxides.
Strain can modify properties, but to prevent cracking is limited to films below a critical thickness. Here, by inserting atomic layers into a ferroelectric superlattice, chemical pressure is generated in thicker films, with enhanced figure of merit for tuneable millimetre-wave dielectrics.
Single-stranded DNA encoders containing polyadenine domains endow colloidal gold nanoparticles with programmable bond valence, orthogonality and reconfigurability, thus achieving post-synthetic control over colloidal structures.
Stretchable and self-healing light-emitting capacitors operating at low frequency and low voltage have been realized using a transparent elastomeric dielectric with high permittivity.
Using core–shell particles represents an effective design strategy for improving the performance of noble metal catalysts, but their stabilities can suffer during reactions. Atomically thin Pt shells are shown to stabilize titanium tungsten carbide cores, even at highly oxidizing potentials.
Production of olefins from biomass-derived γ-valerolactone could lead to sustainable chemical processes, but catalysts suffer from deactivation due to water. Here, a MFI-type zeolite doped with Nb(v) and Al(iii) shows >99% yield at 320 °C and catalyst stability over 180 hours.
A multi-messenger combination of atomic force microscopy, scanning near-field optical microscopy and magnetic force microscopy demonstrates a strain-modulated photoinduced ferromagnetic metallic state in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3.
Biocompatible and degradable silk materials with programmable mechanical properties can be directly obtained from regenerated amorphous silk using thermal moulding.
An n-type semiconducting polymer is used to realize an organic electrochemical transistor working as a glucose sensor and an all-polymer enzymatic biofuel cell able to power the sensor itself.
Lamin mutations responsible for muscular dystrophy are shown to reduce nuclear envelope stability, resulting in mechanically induced nuclear envelope rupture, DNA damage and activation of DNA damage response pathways that lead to muscle cell death. Preventing nuclear envelope damage by reducing cytoskeletal forces on the nucleus improves muscle fibre health and function.
Anticancer drugs such as Taxol can affect microtubule dynamics and organization in cells. Direct visualization of the action of such drugs has shown that they can trigger local and cooperative changes in microtubule lattice and induce formation of stable microtubule regions that promote rescues.
Ion-selective membranes are widely used for water purification and electrochemical energy devices but designing their pore architectures is challenging. Membranes with narrow channels and hydrophilic functionality are shown to exhibit salt ions transport and selectivity towards small organic molecules.
Orthogonal self-assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers and polyoxometallates followed by calcination allows the formation of cross-stacked multilayer 3D arrays of tungsten oxide nanowires.
The ultrafast response of a pyroelectric sensor with near-infrared responsivity is demonstrated by combining a pyroelectric thermal detector with wavelength-selective nanoparticle absorbers.
The atomic displacements that generate ferroelectricity in materials commonly fit a double-well potential energy surface. Here, ferroelectricity in two-dimensional CuInP2S6 is shown to fit a quadruple well due to the van der Waals gap between layers of this material.
Platinum catalysts are widely used for oxygen reduction reactions in electrochemical devices but scalability is restricted by scarcity, cost and vulnerability to poisoning. Zirconium nitride nanoparticles now exhibit an oxygen reduction performance with similar activity to that of Pt on carbon.
The bending stiffness of few-layer graphene is shown to decrease significantly with the bending angle due to shear and slip between the atomic layers, which culminate in superlubric behaviour as the bending angle further increases.
Photopolymerization-induced phase separation of resins enables the high-resolution 3D printing of glass oxides with intricate shapes and distinct chemical composition.