Featured
-
-
Article
| Open AccessUnraveling the energy storage mechanism in graphene-based nonaqueous electrochemical capacitors by gap-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Graphene is widely used as an electrode material but the understanding of its interface with electrolyte remains elusive. Here, authors employ gap-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and find that the charging mechanism shifts from co-ion desorption to ion exchange as the number of graphene layers increase.
- Xiao-Ting Yin
- , En-Ming You
- & Jia-Wei Yan
-
Article
| Open AccessDesigned wrinkles for optical encryption and flexible integrated circuit carrier board
Current wrinkling processes for pattern formation cannot be easily controlled, resulting in deformation or detachment of patterns from substrates. Here, Zhong et al. report a wrinkling strategy for creating patterned structures with long-range order and resistant to force relaxation.
- Shilong Zhong
- , Zhaoxiang Zhu
- & Xudong Chen
-
Article
| Open AccessEnvironmental damping and vibrational coupling of confined fluids within isolated carbon nanotubes
Nanotubes exhibit high vibrational coupling to the environment but lack a theoretical description. Vacuum-isolated, suspended double walled nanotubes provide a damping model for mass coupling, offering new nanomechanics and nanofluidics insights.
- Yu-Ming Tu
- , Matthias Kuehne
- & Michael S. Strano
-
Article
| Open AccessLight-driven C–H activation mediated by 2D transition metal dichalcogenides
C–H activation in long-chain organic molecules remains largely unexplored. Here, the authors report light-driven C–H activation mediated by 2D TMDCs and the resultant synthesis of luminescent carbon dots.
- Jingang Li
- , Di Zhang
- & Yuebing Zheng
-
Article
| Open AccessNon-invasive and noise-robust light focusing using confocal wavefront shaping
The Authors use a double modulation of both excitation and emission light to correct aberration and demonstrate imaging through thick scattering tissue. The approach is noise-robust and can image weak fluorescent neurons inside a thick brain slice.
- Dror Aizik
- & Anat Levin
-
Article
| Open Access200 GHz single chip microsystems for dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced NMR spectroscopy
Cutting the cost and complexity of the microwave devices is crucial for expanding the applications of DNP enhanced NMR. Researchers introduce microsystems where the generation/detection of 200 GHz microwaves occur locally on a 1 mm2 silicon chip.
- Nergiz Sahin Solmaz
- , Reza Farsi
- & Giovanni Boero
-
Article
| Open AccessIn-situ and wavelength-dependent photocatalytic strain evolution of a single Au nanoparticle on a TiO2 film
The wavelength-dependent structural deformations of nanoparticles during photocatalysis are poorly understood. Here, the authors present the photocatalytic strain evolution of a single Au nanoparticle using 3D Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging.
- Sung Hyun Park
- , Sukyoung Kim
- & Joonseok Lee
-
Article
| Open Access3D oxygen vacancy distribution and defect-property relations in an oxide heterostructure
Authors apply atom probe tomography to image and quantify the 3D distribution of oxygen vacancies in (LuFeO3)9/(LuFe2O4)1 superlattices, linking local variations in chemical composition to the emergent multiferroic properties.
- Kasper A. Hunnestad
- , Hena Das
- & Dennis Meier
-
Article
| Open AccessAg–thiolate interactions to enable an ultrasensitive and stretchable MXene strain sensor with high temporospatial resolution
This work proposes a cracking control strategy using MXene and silver nanowire composite films to achieve a stretchable strain sensor system with high resolution, range, sensitivity, speed, and stability
- Yang Liu
- , Zijun Xu
- & Jiajie Liang
-
Article
| Open AccessFeld-induced modulation of two-dimensional electron gas at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface by polar distortion of LaAlO3
Understanding two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface to electrical stimuli remains incomplete. Here, the authors reveal that the lattice flexibility of LaAlO3 and its varied polar distortions under electric fields as central to 2DEG dynamics.
- Jinsol Seo
- , Hyungwoo Lee
- & Sang Ho Oh
-
Article
| Open AccessConsecutive multimaterial printing of biomimetic ionic hydrogel power sources with high flexibility and stretchability
Electric eels are an excellent example of harnessing ion-concentration gradient for power generation. Here, authors demonstrate an automatic and high-throughput consecutive multi-material printing strategy to fabricate electric-eel-inspired ionic hydrogel power sources with high stretchability.
- Pei He
- , Junyu Yue
- & Dichen Li
-
Article
| Open AccessBulk-suppressed and surface-sensitive Raman scattering by transferable plasmonic membranes with irregular slot-shaped nanopores
Characterizing surfaces by Raman spectroscopy is limited by the competition of surface and bulk Raman responses. Here the authors use nanoporous plasmonic membranes to enhance surface Raman signals while suppressing bulk contributions.
- Roman M. Wyss
- , Günter Kewes
- & Sebastian Heeg
-
Article
| Open AccessJohnson-noise-limited cancellation-free microwave impedance microscopy with monolithic silicon cantilever probes
The authors introduce a new approach to microwave impedance microscopy, eliminating once-indispensable specialized probes and cancellation circuits. Using monolithic silicon probes and a streamlined architecture, they achieve 0.26 zF/√Hz sensitivity and 15 nm resolution with drift-free operation.
- Jun-Yi Shan
- , Nathaniel Morrison
- & Eric Y. Ma
-
Article
| Open AccessMicro-optical elements from optical-quality ZIF-62 hybrid glasses by hot imprinting
Hybrid MOF-glasses can be shaped and processed in analogy to conventional glasses. Here, microstructures are formed by thermal imprinting, whilst preserved porosity of the material enables its further use in responsive optics.
- Oksana Smirnova
- , Roman Sajzew
- & Lothar Wondraczek
-
Article
| Open AccessA bioinspired surface tension-driven route toward programmed cellular ceramics
Three-dimensional architecture engineering allows for higher performance ceramics with more diverse applications. Here, the authors report a simple and efficient manufacturing process for cellular ceramics in programmed cell-based 3D configurations.
- Ying Hong
- , Shiyuan Liu
- & Zhengbao Yang
-
Article
| Open AccessUsing scalable computer vision to automate high-throughput semiconductor characterization
While materials synthesis methods have seen advancements in speed and efficiency, characterization techniques have lagged behind. Here, authors design automated computer vision algorithms to accurately characterize hundreds of materials in minutes.
- Alexander E. Siemenn
- , Eunice Aissi
- & Tonio Buonassisi
-
Article
| Open AccessVortex entropy and superconducting fluctuations in ultrathin underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x superconductor
The authors study the vortex entropy in ultrathin flakes of the underdoped cuprate superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x by measuring both magneto-resistivity and Nernst effect. They find that, while the superfluid phase stiffness varies linearly with Tc, the vortex entropy decreases exponentially at lower Tc.
- Shuxu Hu
- , Jiabin Qiao
- & Ding Zhang
-
Article
| Open AccessMulti-objective Bayesian active learning for MeV-ultrafast electron diffraction
Due to the complex, nonlinear and correlated nature of accelerator systems, electron beam property optimisation is a time-consuming process. Here, the authors utilise multi-objective Bayesian active learning for speeding up online beam tuning at MeV ultrafast electron diffraction facility.
- Fuhao Ji
- , Auralee Edelen
- & Robert Joel England
-
Article
| Open AccessRedox dynamics and surface structures of an active palladium catalyst during methane oxidation
Palladium-based catalysts are highly effective for the complete oxidation of methane. Here, the authors employ operando transmission electron microscopy, near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations to investigate the active state and catalytic function of Pd nanoparticles in methane oxidation.
- Shengnan Yue
- , C. S. Praveen
- & Xing Huang
-
Article
| Open AccessA zinc oxide resonant nano-accelerometer with ultra-high sensitivity
The authors report a zinc oxide resonant nano-accelerometer with sensitivity up to 16.818 kHz/g, which is attributed to the nano-resonators using zinc oxide nanowires and the optimized microleverages and push-pull structures.
- Pengfei Xu
- , Dazhi Wang
- & Yan Cui
-
Article
| Open AccessPhotoinduced dynamics during electronic transfer from narrow to wide bandgap layers in one-dimensional heterostructured materials
One-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures can realize atomically thin transistor junctions. Here, the authors study electron transfer in such layered structures using ultrafast diffraction and spectroscopy as well as theoretical simulations.
- Yuri Saida
- , Thomas Gauthier
- & Masaki Hada
-
Article
| Open AccessProgrammed multimaterial assembly by synergized 3D printing and freeform laser induction
A freeform multimaterial assembly process (FMAP) is demonstrated, synchronizing laser induction with 3D printing for seamlessly integrating multimaterials into 3D objects, enabling streamlined, flexible, and precise electronic device fabrication.
- Bujingda Zheng
- , Yunchao Xie
- & Jian Lin
-
Article
| Open AccessZero-field J-spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei
Zero to ultralow-field NMR provides chemical information in the absence of a high magnetic field but it is difficult to measure molecules with quadrupolar nuclei due to their fast relaxation. This study examines zero-field J-spectra from isotopologues of ammonium cations, with quadrupolar nuclei, revealing the presence of a primary isotope effect of −58 mHz.
- Román Picazo-Frutos
- , Kirill F. Sheberstov
- & Danila A. Barskiy
-
Article
| Open AccessHybrid architectures for terahertz molecular polaritonics
Metasurface-based architectures enhance light-matter interactions between a terahertz photonic mode and glucose vibrational resonance. This platform allows new physical and chemical properties of hybrid light-matter states to be exploited.
- Ahmed Jaber
- , Michael Reitz
- & Jean-Michel Ménard
-
Article
| Open AccessSingle molecule delivery into living cells
Controlled manipulation of cultured cells by delivery of exogenous macromolecules is a cornerstone of experimental biology. Here, the authors describe a platform to deliver defined numbers of macromolecules into cultured cell lines at single molecule resolution.
- Chalmers C. Chau
- , Christopher M. Maffeo
- & Paolo Actis
-
Article
| Open AccessThe role of microstructure in the thermal fatigue of solder joints
Thermal fatigue frequently leads to failure in electronic solder joints. Here, the authors measure and quantitatively explain how microstructure affects thermal fatigue in a ball grid array package and propose optimum microstructures for thermal fatigue resistance.
- J. W. Xian
- , Y. L. Xu
- & C. M. Gourlay
-
Article
| Open AccessMolecular fingerprinting of biological nanoparticles with a label-free optofluidic platform
Biosensing tools to detect multiple analytes in a high-throughput manner are still hindered by many limitations. Here, the authors present a label-free optofluidic platform integrating digital holography and microfluidics for analyte detection, allowing for the fingerprinting of heterogenous biological samples.
- Alexia Stollmann
- , Jose Garcia-Guirado
- & Romain Quidant
-
Article
| Open AccessPolar Bloch points in strained ferroelectric films
Authors predict polar Bloch points with negative capacitance in tensile-strained ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO3 film by phase-field simulations, observing their polarization structures by scanning transmission electron microscopic imaging.
- Yu-Jia Wang
- , Yan-Peng Feng
- & Xiu-Liang Ma
-
Article
| Open AccessCorrelating activities and defects in (photo)electrocatalysts using in-situ multi-modal microscopic imaging
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 AccessFlash heating process for efficient meat preservation
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 AccessSemantic regularization of electromagnetic inverse problems
Solving ill-posed inverse problems require regularisation based on prior knowledge, which is formulated mathematically or learned from data. Here, the authors demonstrated the concept of semantic regularisation based on large language model to circumvent the current limitation.
- Hongrui Zhang
- , Yanjin Chen
- & Lianlin Li
-
Article
| Open AccessRevealing the three-dimensional arrangement of polar topology in nanoparticles
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 AccessA filtering reconfigurable intelligent surface for interference-free wireless communications
A filtering reconfigurable intelligent surface is presented with sharp frequency-selecting and 2-bit phase-shifting properties, offering to advance the development of wireless communications with anti-interference and signal-manipulation abilities.
- Jing Cheng Liang
- , Lei Zhang
- & Tie Jun Cui
-
Article
| Open Access3D printing with a 3D printed digital material filament for programming functional gradients
3D printing of functional gradients often requires specialized equipment and costly materials, constraining scalability. Here, using a conventional desktop FDM printer, authors present a 3D printing strategy using a filament that is itself 3D-printed to produce functional gradients.
- Sang-Joon Ahn
- , Howon Lee
- & Kyu-Jin Cho
-
Article
| Open AccessTopologically trivial gap-filling in superconducting Fe(Se,Te) by one-dimensional defects
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 AccessThree-dimensional domain identification in a single hexagonal manganite nanocrystal
The authors present a 3D determination of the ferroelectric domain structure in a hexagonal yttrium manganite nanocrystal using multi-peak Bragg coherent x-ray diffraction imaging and reconstructing the full displacement field and strain tensor
- Ahmed H. Mokhtar
- , David Serban
- & Marcus C. Newton
-
Article
| Open AccessImaging 3D chemistry at 1 nm resolution with fused multi-modal electron tomography
The authors demonstrate 3D chemical imaging of organic and inorganic materials near or below one-nanometer resolution using multi-modal electron tomography, by fusing elastic and inelastic scattering signals.
- Jonathan Schwartz
- , Zichao Wendy Di
- & Robert Hovden
-
Article
| Open AccessDynamic acoustic optimization of pulse tube refrigerators for rapid cooldown
Pulse tube refrigerators are a critical enabling technology for many disciplines that require low temperatures, including quantum computing. Here, the authors show that dynamically optimizing the acoustic parameters of the refrigerator can improve conventional cooldown speeds up to 3.5 times.
- Ryan Snodgrass
- , Vincent Kotsubo
- & Joel Ullom
-
Article
| Open AccessAtomic-scale observation of localized phonons at FeSe/SrTiO3 interface
The authors characterize the phonon modes at the FeSe/SrTiO3 interface with atomically resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy and correlate them with accurate atomic structure in an electron microscope. They find several phonon modes highly localized at the interface, one of which engages in strong interactions with the electrons in FeSe.
- Ruochen Shi
- , Qize Li
- & Peng Gao
-
Article
| Open Access3D printable strong and tough composite organo-hydrogels inspired by natural hierarchical composite design principles
The preparation of composite hydrogels can allow for mechanical properties to be enhanced, and hierarchical structures can be effective. Here, the authors report improved mechanical properties by the addition of ceramic platelets to an organohydrogel in direct ink writing.
- Quyang Liu
- , Xinyu Dong
- & Wei Zhai
-
Article
| Open AccessControlled condensation by liquid contact-induced adaptations of molecular conformations in self-assembled monolayers
Surface condensation is predetermined and is typically adjusted by chemical or topographical surface modification. Here, the authors report on a strategy to control the surface condensation behavior by adjusting molecular conformations in self-assembled monolayers.
- Guoying Bai
- , Haiyan Zhang
- & Yufeng Liu
-
Article
| Open AccessBeyond nothingness in the formation and functional relevance of voids in polymer films
Voids are known to impact the properties of materials, but the nanovoids also present are less well understood than macroscopic voids. Here, the authors utilise 3D imaging and graph theory to study nanovoid formation and impact on material properties.
- Falon C. Kalutantirige
- , Jinlong He
- & Qian Chen
-
Article
| Open AccessLow-nuclearity CuZn ensembles on ZnZrOx catalyze methanol synthesis from CO2
The ideal metal selection and atomic-level arrangement for catalysts in CO2 hydrogenation are still uncertain. Here, copper is identified as the most effective promoter for enhancing ZnZrOx catalysts when precisely structured into CuZn ensembles, offering new insights for designing superior catalysts for CO2-based methanol synthesis.
- Thaylan Pinheiro Araújo
- , Georgios Giannakakis
- & Javier Pérez-Ramírez
-
Article
| Open AccessVapor-induced phase-separation-enabled versatile direct ink writing
The extrusion-based three-dimensional printing of polymers, metals, and composites requires elevated temperatures and may lead to diverse undesirable defects on printed parts. Here, the authors develop a vapor-induced phase separation printing technique to construct polymeric, metallic, and composite parts by using a polymer as a binder.
- Marc Sole-Gras
- , Bing Ren
- & Yong Huang
-
Article
| Open AccessWide field-of-hearing metalens for aberration-free sound capture
Achieving a wide angular response in single layer acoustic metalenses is challenging. By leveraging perfect acoustic symmetry conversion, the authors realize an aberration free metalens with a wide field-of-hearing, up to 140 degrees.
- Dongwoo Lee
- , Beomseok Oh
- & Junsuk Rho
-
Article
| Open AccessRewritable printing of ionic liquid nanofilm utilizing focused ion beam induced film wetting
With a helium focused ion beam, an ionic liquid can undergo induced wetting to flow into a desired pattern on a surface in a controllable, rewriteable manner. Combined with electrochemical deposition, patterned solid materials can be produced.
- Haohao Gu
- , Kaixin Meng
- & Hao Wang
-
Article
| Open AccessObservation of Kekulé vortices around hydrogen adatoms in graphene
Kekulé vortices in hexagonal lattices can host fractionalized charges at zero magnetic field, but have remained out of experimental reach. Here, the authors report a Kekulé vortex in the local density states of graphene around a chemisorbed hydrogen adatom.
- Yifei Guan
- , Clement Dutreix
- & Vincent T. Renard
-
Article
| Open AccessCrosslinking-induced patterning of MOFs by direct photo- and electron-beam lithography
Precise and scalable patterning is essential for the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in solid-state electronics and photonics. Here, the authors report on resistance-free, direct photo- and electron-beam lithography of MOF films using crosslinking chemistry.
- Xiaoli Tian
- , Fu Li
- & Jinghong Li
-
Article
| Open AccessDeuteration-enhanced neutron contrasts to probe amorphous domain sizes in organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction films
The use of conventional X-ray scattering techniques is challenging to detect donor-acceptor contrast within amorphous intermixing regions. Here, the authors apply neutron scattering and targeted deuteration to enhance the contrast by one order of magnitude and reveal short-range aggregations of d-Y6.
- Guilong Cai
- , Yuhao Li
- & Xinhui Lu