Materials science articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here the authors identify a generic coupling in phase-separated liquids between motility and phase equilibria perturbations: phase-separated droplets swim to their dissolution. This suggests alternative transport mechanism for biomolecular condensates.

    • Etienne Jambon-Puillet
    • , Andrea Testa
    •  & Eric R. Dufresne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solid polymer electrolytes containing N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) exhibit improved Li+ conductivity but poor cycle life due to incompatibility between the Li metal anode and DMF. Here, the authors report a polymer electrolyte composited with Hofmann-DMF complex that achieves both high Li+ conductivity and long cycle life.

    • Yanfei Zhu
    • , Zhoujie Lao
    •  & Guangmin Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Physicochemical heterogeneity poses a significant constraint in photocatalyst advancement. Here the authors introduce a multimodal optical microscopy platform to assess activity and defects concurrently in photoelectrocatalysts, revealing that disorder can unexpectedly enhance local photoelectrocatalytic performance in certain instances.

    • Camilo A. Mesa
    • , Michael Sachs
    •  & Raj Pandya

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The self-assembly of nanocrystals into checkerboard lattice patterns is difficult to control. Here, the authors investigate the formation of such patterns from hydrophilic/hydrophobic bifunctionalized Ag nanocubes and use multiscale simulations to understand the effects of physical forces.

    • Yufei Wang
    • , Yilong Zhou
    •  & Andrea R. Tao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) by a soft-template methodology is challenging. Here, the authors attach the soft templates to the COFs backbone via ion bonds, avoiding crystallization incompatibilities and allowing subsequent removal of the template by ion exchange for enhanced U(VI)/Th(IV) adsorption performance.

    • Ningning He
    • , Yingdi Zou
    •  & Lijian Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors study a YbCoIn5/CeCoIn5/YbRhIn5 heterostructure. Using non-reciprocity in the second harmonic transport response, they demonstrate the existence of a specific form of finite-momentum pairing called a helical superconducting state, where the phase of the order parameter is spontaneously spatially modulated.

    • T. Asaba
    • , M. Naritsuka
    •  & Y. Matsuda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dual wavelength vat photopolymerization has emerged as a powerful approach to create multimaterial objects but require changing the resin during the printing process. Here, the authors develop a method of dual-wavelength 3D printing that can directly access multicolor parts without requiring changing of resin feedstocks or introduction of new materials during the printing process.

    • Kyle C. H. Chin
    • , Grant Ovsepyan
    •  & Andrew J. Boydston

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Granular materials exhibit yielding behaviors rather different from glasses that can be elastic. Here, Yuan et al. show a cross-over from creep to diffusive dynamics in three-dimensional granular systems under cyclic shear and that the relaxation process depends on the roughness of the constituent particles.

    • Ye Yuan
    • , Zhikun Zeng
    •  & Yujie Wang

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    The knowledge gained from industrial catalysis benefits advancements of nanocatalytic medicines. Here the authors review the similarities, differences and connections in catalytic reactions between industrial and medical applications to support deep understanding and rational design of nanocatalytic medicines.

    • Zhaokui Jin
    • , Lingdong Jiang
    •  & Qianjun He

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The inherent instability of poly(sulfur) renders the conversion of elementary sulfur into sulfur-rich polymers challenging which limits the use of this industrial by-product. Here, the authors demonstrate that inorganic sulfur can be utilized by copolymerizing with cyclic disulfides, producing high-performance thermoplastic elastomers with self-healing ability and degradability.

    • Yuanxin Deng
    • , Zhengtie Huang
    •  & Da-Hui Qu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, authors propose a flash Joule heating-based process for meat preservation, enabled by the formation of a thin, microbe-inactivated, and dehydrated layer on the surface. The method is energetically efficient and shown to significantly extend the food shelf life while maintaining food freshness.

    • Yimin Mao
    • , Peihua Ma
    •  & Liangbing Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite the use of amine-functionalized polymers as metal adsorbents, they are generally ineffective at recovering precious metals. Here the authors prepare a star-shaped, hydrazide-functionalized polymer as a recoverable standalone adsorbent with high precious metal adsorption capability/selectivity and practical feasibility.

    • Seung Su Shin
    • , Youngkyun Jung
    •  & Jung-Hyun Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Low-dimensional ferroelectric systems are predicted to have topologically nontrivial polar structures, such as vortices or skyrmions. Here authors present atomic-scale 3D topological polar structures in BaTiO3 nanoparticles using atomic electron tomography and revealed their size-dependent transitions.

    • Chaehwa Jeong
    • , Juhyeok Lee
    •  & Yongsoo Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors report the observation of an interlayer plasmon polaron in heterostructures composed of graphene and monolayer WS2. This is manifested in the ARPES spectra as a strong quasiparticle peak accompanied by several carrier density-dependent shake-off replicas around the WS2 conduction band minimum.

    • Søren Ulstrup
    • , Yann in ’t Veld
    •  & Jyoti Katoch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stabilizing non-trivial magnetic spin textures at room temperature remains challenging. Here, the authors propose introducing magnetic atoms into the van der Waals gap of 2D magnets Fe3GaTe2 to stabilize the magnetic spin textures beyond skyrmion.

    • Hongrui Zhang
    • , Yu-Tsun Shao
    •  & Ramamoorthy Ramesh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polarization reversal dynamics in sliding ferroelectrics is important for the application in slidetronics. Here, the authors observe the interlayer directional sliding induced polarization switching with simultaneous hysteresis response in γ-InSe:Y.

    • Fengrui Sui
    • , Haoyang Li
    •  & Chungang Duan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Previous measurements of FeSe0.45Te0.55 found one-dimensional (1D) defects that were interpretated as domain walls hosting propagating Majorana topological modes. Here, the authors reveal that these 1D defects correspond to sub-surface debris and show that the filling of the superconducting gap on these defects is topologically trivial.

    • A. Mesaros
    • , G. D. Gu
    •  & F. Massee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular switches are ubiquitous in the biochemistry regulatory network. Here, the authors construct synthetic molecular switches controlled by DNA-modifying enzymes such as DNA polymerase and nicking endonuclease to control and cascade assembly and disassembly.

    • Hong Kang
    • , Yuexuan Yang
    •  & Bryan Wei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The efficient encapsulation of guests by coordination cages in the solid state is prevented by their flexibility, dynamicity, and metal-ligand bond reversibility. Here, the authors report coordination cages integrated into poly(ionic liquid)s to control swelling and mechanical properties of the gels and develop efficient and regenerable supramolecular separation materials.

    • Xiang Zhang
    • , Dawei Zhang
    •  & Mingyuan He

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photochromic materials suffer from degradation when exposed to harsh chemical environments, but this can be overcome by providing chemical shielding via superomniphobicity. Here, the authors show the design rationale and careful materials selection for fabrication of color morphing surfaces that can simultaneously display excellent chemical resistance.

    • Adil Majeed Rather
    • , Sravanthi Vallabhuneni
    •  & Arun Kumar Kota

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Zn batteries suffer from low voltage due to the high redox potential of the Zn anode and the low potential of traditional cathodes. Here, the authors develop a polymer hetero-electrolyte, which allows separated Zn and Li reversibility and achieves a 2.4 V-Zn battery based on the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode.

    • Ze Chen
    • , Tairan Wang
    •  & Chunyi Zhi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spin-momentum locking is a fundamental property of condensed matter systems. Here, the authors evidence parallel Weyl spin-momentum locking of multifold fermions in the chiral topological semimetal PtGa.

    • Jonas A. Krieger
    • , Samuel Stolz
    •  & Niels B. M. Schröter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrochemical-mechanical issues bring challenges but create new opportunities to design innovative all-solid-state batteries. Here, the authors propose to use the (de)lithiation-stress-creep synergistic time-dependent evolution to boost the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state batteries.

    • Xiaolin Xiong
    • , Ting Lin
    •  & Liumin Suo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Room-temperature phosphorescence usually occurs immediately after the removal of excitation. Here the authors achieve combined instant and delayed phosphorescence through introduction of phosphines into carbazole emitters.

    • Guang Lu
    • , Jing Tan
    •  & Hui Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic tunnel junctions consist of two magnetic layers, separated by a thin insulator. The simplicity belies the industrial importance: magnetic tunnel junctions have a very wide variety of applications in contemporary society. Here, Fu et al present a magnetic tunnel junction composed of single van der Waals magnetic insulator, CrI3, exhibiting remarkably low power consumption.

    • ZhuangEn Fu
    • , Piumi I. Samarawickrama
    •  & Jifa Tian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silicon-integrated graphene photodetectors exhibit promising bandwidths at telecom wavelengths, but their responsivity is usually limited. Here, the authors report the wafer-scale fabrication of waveguide-integrated detectors based on twisted bilayer graphene, showing responsivities up to 0.65 A/W and 3-dB bandwidths >65 GHz.

    • Qinci Wu
    • , Jun Qian
    •  & Hailin Peng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Plastic pollution severely threatens the resilience of nature. Here, the authors utilize the spore-forming, polymer-degrading bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, as a living filler to develop biocomposite thermoplastic polyurethane with improved mechanical properties and biodegradation.

    • Han Sol Kim
    • , Myung Hyun Noh
    •  & Jonathan K. Pokorski

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Previous studies of the effects of strain on charge density waves have mostly focused on uniaxial strain. Here the authors use a biaxial-strain device to demonstrate switching of the charge density wave orientation, as well as a strong linear increase of the transition temperature while the gap seems to saturate.

    • A. Gallo–Frantz
    • , V. L. R. Jacques
    •  & D. Le Bolloc’h

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