Featured
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Article
| Open AccessGiant regular polyhedra from calixarene carboxylates and uranyl
Self-assembly of multi-component systems can be used to construct discrete, well-defined, nanoscopic-sized cages. Pasqualeet al. report the self-assembly of conical-shaped carboxylic acid derivatives of calix[4]arene and calix[5]arene, and the uranyl cation UO22+into octahedral and icosahedral anionic metallocages.
- Sara Pasquale
- , Sara Sattin
- & Javier de Mendoza
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Article |
Discreteness-induced concentration inversion in mesoscopic chemical systems
The kinetics of chemical reactions occurring within confined volumes is relevant to a range of systems, including biological cells. This study examines the kinetics of reaction networks, and finds that below a critical volume there may be pairs of species whose relative concentrations invert.
- Rajesh Ramaswamy
- , Nélido González-Segredo
- & Ramon Grima
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Article |
Growth of non-phototrophic microorganisms using solar energy through mineral photocatalysis
Microbial metabolism is usually considered to be phototrophic or chemotrophic. By showing that light-induced photoelectrons from metal oxide and metal sulfides can stimulate the growth of chemoautotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, this study indicates that light may be involved in non-phototrophic microbial activity.
- Anhuai Lu
- , Yan Li
- & Hailiang Dong
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Article
| Open AccessUltrathin and lightweight organic solar cells with high flexibility
Organic solar cells are promising for technological applications, as they are lightweight and mechanically robust. This study presents flexible organic solar cells that are less than 2 μm thick, have very low specific weight and maintain their photovoltaic performance under repeated mechanical deformation.
- Martin Kaltenbrunner
- , Matthew S. White
- & Siegfried Bauer
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Article |
Past daily light cycle recorded in the strontium/calcium ratios of giant clam shells
A record of the daily light cycle in tropical regions is difficult to extract from biogenic marine carbonates such as shells. Here, the precise analysis of Sr/Ca ratios is shown in a cultivated giant clam shell, revealing variations that reflect the daily light cycle and the potential for future development of a proxy.
- Yuji Sano
- , Sayumi Kobayashi
- & Kenji Iwai
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Review Article |
The biology and chemistry of high-valent iron–oxo and iron–nitrido complexes
High-valent iron–oxo and –nitrido complexes are intermediates in the catalytic cycles of various metalloenzymes that activate dioxygen and dinitrogen. Hohenbergeret al. review the advances in the chemistry of model high-valent iron–oxo and –nitrido systems and relate them to our understanding of related enzymes.
- Johannes Hohenberger
- , Kallol Ray
- & Karsten Meyer
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Article |
Room temperature ferromagnetism in Teflon due to carbon dangling bonds
Teflon is a carbon based polymer that cannot be intrinsically ferromagnetic. This study shows that room temperature ferromagnetism can be induced in Teflon tape by applying mechanical stress such as stretching or cutting, which gives rise to dangling carbon bonds.
- Y.W. Ma
- , Y.H. Lu
- & J. Ding
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Article
| Open AccessIntracellular temperature mapping with a fluorescent polymeric thermometer and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy
Intracellular temperature mapping has not previously been achieved. Now, a fluorescent polymeric thermometer has been developed that can be used in combination with fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy to allow thermometry with spatial and temperature resolutions of 200 nm and 0.18–0.58 ° C.
- Kohki Okabe
- , Noriko Inada
- & Seiichi Uchiyama
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Article |
Fully inorganic oxide-in-oxide ultraviolet nanocrystal light emitting devices
Light-emitting diodes in the form of nanocrystals offer promise for environmental and biomedical diagnostics. Brovelliet al. present a method for realizing mechanically robust and chemically stable nanocrystals emitting light in the ultraviolet range.
- Sergio Brovelli
- , Norberto Chiodini
- & Alberto Paleari
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Article
| Open AccessGeometry analysis and systematic synthesis of highly porous isoreticular frameworks with a unique topology
Zhanget al. show that simple geometry analysis can be used to predict how linker length and length ratios affect pore shape and size of porous coordination polymers. The accuracy of the predictions is confirmed by the synthesis of a series of 13 highly porous isoreticular frameworks.
- Yue-Biao Zhang
- , Hao-Long Zhou
- & Xiao-Ming Chen
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Article |
Chemical structures of hydrazine-treated graphene oxide and generation of aromatic nitrogen doping
Parket al. use 13C and 15N solid-state NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the chemical structure of hydrazine-treated graphite oxide. Hydrazine treatment is shown to lead to the incorporation of aromatic N2moieties at the graphene edges and restore graphitic networks on the basal planes.
- Sungjin Park
- , Yichen Hu
- & Rodney S. Ruoff
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Article
| Open AccessA cobalt complex redox shuttle for dye-sensitized solar cells with high open-circuit potentials
Dye-sensitized solar cells are a promising alternative to traditional inorganic semiconductor-based solar cells. Yumet al. use a molecularly engineered cobalt complex as a redox mediator to achieve an open-circuit voltage of over 1,000 mV in a mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cell.
- Jun-Ho Yum
- , Etienne Baranoff
- & Michael Grätzel
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Article
| Open AccessPhotoswitchable gel assembly based on molecular recognition
Self-assembly through molecular recognition events is used in the production of functionalized materials. This study shows that macroscopic gel assembly can be regulated through photoisomerization of an azobenzene moiety that interacts differently with two host molecules.
- Hiroyasu Yamaguchi
- , Yuichiro Kobayashi
- & Akira Harada
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Article |
Metal-adeninate vertices for the construction of an exceptionally porous metal-organic framework
Metal‐organic framework (MOFs) with metal‐carboxylate cluster vertices and long, branched organic linkers are highly porous. Anet al. develop an alternative route to MOFs in which metal‐biomolecule clusters are used as vertices to construct a mesoporous MOF.
- Jihyun An
- , Omar K. Farha
- & Nathaniel L. Rosi
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Article
| Open AccessStable prenucleation mineral clusters are liquid-like ionic polymers
Prenucleation clusters have been observed during the early stages of calcium carbonate formation, contrary to classical models. Here, computer simulations indicate that the clusters are composed of an ionic polymer with alternating calcium and carbonate ions, and a dynamic topology of chains, branches and rings.
- Raffaella Demichelis
- , Paolo Raiteri
- & Denis Gebauer
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Article
| Open AccessTandem synthesis of alternating polyesters from renewable resources
Biomass-derived monomers are a renewable resource for the production of polymers. Robertet al. develop an auto-tandem catalytic transformation for the synthesis of aliphatic polyesters—'activated' monomers are prepared from dicarboxylic acids, which can be copolymerized with epoxides.
- Carine Robert
- , Frédéric de Montigny
- & Christophe M. Thomas
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Article |
Spin waves and magnetic exchange interactions in insulating Rb0.89Fe1.58Se2
Unlike the other iron-based superconductors, the parent compounds of the alkaline iron selenide superconductors are insulators. Dai and colleagues examine the spin-wave excitations in these materials and uncover evidence for a common magnetic origin for all iron-based superconductors.
- Miaoyin Wang
- , Chen Fang
- & Pengcheng Dai
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Article |
High pressure partially ionic phase of water ice
Dissociation of ice into an ionic solid is rare due to the high energy cost of proton transfer. In this study, structure search simulation is used to predict the formation of a partially ionic phase in ice at low temperature and high pressure, which consists of coupled alternate layers of hydroxide and hydronium.
- Yanchao Wang
- , Hanyu Liu
- & Yanming Ma
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Article
| Open AccessCoupling artificial molecular spin states by photon-assisted tunnelling
Tunnelling transitions triggered by microwave irradiation between coupled quantum dots have generally been assumed to be spin-conserving. This study shows that this condition is violated in the presence of spin–orbit coupling, thus opening new possibilities for manipulating a two–spin qubit system by microwave irradiation.
- L.R. Schreiber
- , F.R. Braakman
- & L.M.K. Vandersypen
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Article
| Open AccessElectric field-induced chemical locomotion of conducting objects
External electric fields have been used to control the motion of small objects through electrostatic repulsion. Here, electric fields are used to polarize conducting objects, triggering their movement by spatially separated electrochemical reactions leading to directionally controlled bubble evolution.
- Gabriel Loget
- & Alexander Kuhn
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Article
| Open AccessPore surface engineering in covalent organic frameworks
Covalent organic frameworks form a porous skeleton with a precise pore size and geometry, but control of the pore surface is challenging. Here, a protocol is introduced for pore surface engineering of covalent organic frameworks, allowing the control of composition and density of organic groups in the pores.
- Atsushi Nagai
- , Zhaoqi Guo
- & Donglin Jiang
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Article |
Direct stereoselective α-arylation of unmodified enals using an organocatalytic cross-coupling-like reaction
Cross-coupling reactions are widely used for creating new carbon–carbon bonds in chemical syntheses. Using the cross-coupling concept, Wang and colleagues present an organocatalytic strategy for the direct and stereoselective α-arylation of enals that occurs under mild conditions.
- Xixi Song
- , Aiguo Song
- & Wei Wang
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Article |
Differentially photo-crosslinked polymers enable self-assembling microfluidics
Leaves and tissues contain three-dimensional networks of fluidic channels, but similar artificial self-assembling systems have not yet been produced. Jamalet al. develop methods to produce three-dimensional microfluidic networks with curved geometries from the self-assembly of photopatterned polymers.
- Mustapha Jamal
- , Aasiyeh M. Zarafshar
- & David H. Gracias
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Article |
Super-resolution surface mapping using the trajectories of molecular probes
Surface characterization of soft materialsin situis challenging due to the importance of non-covalent interactions. Now, a new chemical imaging method is reported that generates images of surface interactions by combining many molecular probe trajectories.
- Robert Walder
- , Nathaniel Nelson
- & Daniel K. Schwartz
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Article |
A high-rate long-life Li4Ti5O12/Li[Ni0.45Co0.1Mn1.45]O4 lithium-ion battery
Advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have potential applications in the renewable energy and sustainable road transport fields. Junget al. have developed a lithium battery that uses pre-existing concepts but has highly competitive energy densities, life span and cycling properties.
- Hun-Gi Jung
- , Min Woo Jang
- & Bruno Scrosati
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Article |
Rational design of a binary metal alloy for chemical vapour deposition growth of uniform single-layer graphene
Graphene may be used in nanoscale electronics and devices, but the ability to synthesise uniform graphene with well-controlled layer numbers is necessary for these applications. Using a Ni–Mo alloy, this study demonstrates single-layer graphene growth with 100% surface coverage and tolerance to variations in growth conditions.
- Boya Dai
- , Lei Fu
- & Zhongfan Liu
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Article
| Open AccessTheoretical models of nonlinear effects in two-component cooperative supramolecular copolymerizations
In multi-component mixtures of self-assembling molecules, small differences in association energy between components can be amplified by nonlinear effects. This theoretical investigation of self-assembling systems rationalizes chiral amplification in cooperative supramolecular copolymerizations.
- Albert J. Markvoort
- , Huub M.M. ten Eikelder
- & E.W. Meijer
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Article
| Open AccessRedox-responsive self-healing materials formed from host–guest polymers
Stimulus-responsive hydrogels have previously been developed that display heat-, light-, pH- or redox-induced sol–gel transitions. Nakahataet al. develop a self-healing supramolecular hydrogel based on host–guest polymers in which redox potential can induce a reversible sol–gel phase transition.
- Masaki Nakahata
- , Yoshinori Takashima
- & Akira Harada
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Article |
Superconductivity at 5 K in alkali-metal-doped phenanthrene
Intercalating alkali metals into picene—a hydrocarbon with five linearly fused benzene rings—results in superconducting materials. Now, alkali-metal-doped phenanthrene, which consists of three fused benzene rings, is also found to be superconducting, opening up a broader class of organic superconductors.
- X.F. Wang
- , R.H. Liu
- & X.H. Chen
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Article |
Selective fluorescent probes for live-cell monitoring of sulphide
Molecular probes that can detect aqueous sulphides could help to elucidate their roles in biological signalling. Qianet al. develop two sulphide-selective fluorescent probes and demonstrate their ability to image free sulphide in living cells.
- Yong Qian
- , Jason Karpus
- & Chuan He
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Article |
Bottom-up synthesis of finite models of helical (n,m)-single-wall carbon nanotubes
Hoop-shaped aromatic hydrocarbons can be considered as finite models of single-wall carbon nanotubes. Hitosugiet al. describe the bottom-up synthesis of a macrocyclic tetramer of chrysene, and show that its persistent rotational isomers are finite models of chiral nanotubes.
- Shunpei Hitosugi
- , Waka Nakanishi
- & Hiroyuki Isobe
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Article |
Control of electronic conduction at an oxide heterointerface using surface polar adsorbates
The interfaces between complex oxides can play host to a range of interesting electronic phenomena. Xieet al. demonstrate that the electronic properties at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3interface can be tuned upon application of common polar solvents such as acetone, ethanol and water.
- Yanwu Xie
- , Yasuyuki Hikita
- & Harold Y. Hwang
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Article |
A mitochondria-targeted inhibitor of cytochrome c peroxidase mitigates radiation-induced death
Radiomitigating compounds could be used to protect against ionizing radiation. In this study, mitochondria-targeted oleic and stearic acid derivatives are shown to inhibit pro-apoptotic oxidative events, prevent cell death, and protect mice against lethal doses of radiation.
- Jeffrey Atkinson
- , Alexandr A. Kapralov
- & Valerian E. Kagan
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Article |
Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy maps the folding landscape of a large protein
The folding of multidomain proteins can involve metastable intermediate states. Here, a single-molecule FRET based method is developed and used to identify six metastable states in the folding landscape of the three-domain protein adenylate kinase.
- Menahem Pirchi
- , Guy Ziv
- & Gilad Haran
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Article
| Open AccessIdentification and microbial production of a terpene-based advanced biofuel
Advanced biofuels with comparable properties to petroleum-based fuels could be microbially produced from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study,Escherichia coliis engineered to produce bisabolene, the immediate precursor of bisabolane, a biosynthetic alternative to D2 diesel.
- Pamela P. Peralta-Yahya
- , Mario Ouellet
- & Taek Soon Lee
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Article
| Open AccessHigh pressure route to generate magnetic monopole dimers in spin ice
Spin ices are magnetic materials in which excitations equivalent to monopoles can occur. Using high-pressure techniques, Zhouet al. synthesize a new member of the spin ice family, Dy2Ge2O7, in which monopoles exist at higher densities, and can stabilize as dimers.
- H.D. Zhou
- , S.T. Bramwell
- & J.S. Gardner
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Article
| Open AccessA germanate transparent conductive oxide
Transparent conducting oxides are wide bandgap conductors that have found a range of applications in optoelectronic devices. In this study, Hosono and colleagues fabricate the first transparent conducting oxide based on germanium.
- Hiroshi Mizoguchi
- , Toshio Kamiya
- & Hideo Hosono
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Article |
Responsive nematic gels from the self-assembly of aqueous nanofibres
Hydrogels have a variety of applications including tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Here, liquid-crystal hydrogels are developed which transform into a fluid solution upon cooling; cells can be encapsulated in the gel at room temperature, then released at physiological temperatures.
- Zhegang Huang
- , Hyojin Lee
- & Myongsoo Lee
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Article |
Microfluidic quadrupole and floating concentration gradient
Quadrupoles have many engineering applications, but experimental observations of fluidic multipoles have not been reported. This study presents an experimental two-dimensional microfluidic quadrupole, a theoretical analysis consistent with observations, and a first application as a channel-free floating gradient generator.
- Mohammad A. Qasaimeh
- , Thomas Gervais
- & David Juncker
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Article |
Surfactant-enabled epitaxy through control of growth mode with chemical boundary conditions
Property coupling by heteroepitaxy is severely limited in material combinations with highly dissimilar bonding. This report presents a chemical boundary condition methodology to actively engineer two-dimensional film growth in such systems that otherwise collapse into island formation and rough morphologies.
- Elizabeth A. Paisley
- , Mark. D. Losego
- & Jon-Paul Maria
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Article
| Open AccessBackbone rigidity and static presentation of guanidinium groups increases cellular uptake of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides
Cell-penetrating peptides can deliver molecular cargoes into living cells, and cross biological membranes by transduction—a non-endocytic mechanism. Here, the transduction efficiency of cyclic arginine-rich peptides is shown to be higher than that of more flexible linear peptides.
- Gisela Lättig-Tünnemann
- , Manuel Prinz
- & M. Cristina Cardoso
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Article
| Open AccessField measurements suggest the mechanism of laser-assisted water condensation
Various methods have been investigated to locally control atmospheric precipitation. In this study, field experiments show that laser-induced condensation is initiated when the relative humidity exceeds 70%, and that this effect is largely a result of photochemical HNO3formation.
- S. Henin
- , Y. Petit
- & J.-P. Wolf
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Article |
Spatio-temporal focusing of an ultrafast pulse through a multiply scattering medium
Multiple scattering complicates femtosecond optics such that phase conjugation allows spatial focusing and imaging through a multiple scattering medium, but temporal control is problematic. McCabeet al. report the full spatio-temporal characterization and recompression of a femtosecond speckle field.
- David J. McCabe
- , Ayhan Tajalli
- & Béatrice Chatel
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Article
| Open AccessEvidence of superdense aluminium synthesized by ultrafast microexplosion
At extreme temperature and pressure, materials can form new dense phases with unusual physical properties. Here, laser-induced microexplosions are used to produce a superdense, stable, body-centred-cubic form of aluminium, which was previously predicted to exist at pressures above 380GPa.
- Arturas Vailionis
- , Eugene G. Gamaly
- & Saulius Juodkazis
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Article
| Open AccessNanomechanical DNA origami 'single-molecule beacons' directly imaged by atomic force microscopy
DNA origami involves the folding of long single-stranded DNA into designed structures that may aid the development of useful nanomechanical DNA devices. In this study, DNA origami pliers and forceps are shown to undergo conformational changes on single-molecule binding.
- Akinori Kuzuya
- , Yusuke Sakai
- & Makoto Komiyama
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Article
| Open AccessReverse electrowetting as a new approach to high-power energy harvesting
High-power mechanical energy harvesting could be an alternative to batteries, but efficient energy conversion technology has been missing. Here, a novel mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion method is described that is based on reverse electrowetting and is uniquely suited for high-power energy harvesting.
- Tom Krupenkin
- & J. Ashley Taylor
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Article
| Open AccessFrom computational discovery to experimental characterization of a high hole mobility organic crystal
The development of new organic semiconductors with high mobility and air stability will facilitate their widespread application. In this Article,in silicoscreening of extended oligothiophenes leads to the synthesis of a high performance semiconductor.
- Anatoliy N. Sokolov
- , Sule Atahan-Evrenk
- & Alán Aspuru-Guzik
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Article
| Open AccessMeasuring single-nanoparticle wetting properties by freeze-fracture shadow-casting cryo-scanning electron microscopy
Being able to determine the wetting properties of individual nanoparticles would aid the preparation of particles with controlled surface properties. Isaet al. develop an in situ freeze-fracture shadow-casting method and use this to determine structural and thermodynamic properties of various 10 nm particles at fluid interfaces.
- Lucio Isa
- , Falk Lucas
- & Erik Reimhult
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Article
| Open AccessStructure and compatibility of a magnesium electrolyte with a sulphur cathode
Magnesium is an ideal rechargeable battery anode material, but coupling it with a low-cost sulphur cathode, requires a non-nucleophilic electrolyte. Kimet al. prepare a non-nucleophilic electrolyte from hexamethyldisilazide magnesium chloride and aluminium trichloride, and show its compatibility with a sulphur cathode.
- Hee Soo Kim
- , Timothy S. Arthur
- & John Muldoon
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