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| Open AccessCurrent-induced switching of a van der Waals ferromagnet at room temperature
Fe3GaTe2 is a van der Waals material with a Curie temperature well above room temperature, making it an attractive material for integration into spintronic devices. Here, Kajale et al demonstrate spin-orbit torque induced switching of the magnetization of Fe3GaTe2, above room temperature, using a Pt spin Hall layer.
- Shivam N. Kajale
- , Thanh Nguyen
- & Deblina Sarkar
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Article
| Open AccessVO2 memristor-based frequency converter with in-situ synthesize and mix for wireless internet-of-things
Frequency converters for wireless internet of things applications typically require separate circuits for different functions, causing energy and performance inefficiencies. Using an epitaxially grown VO2 memristor array, Liu et al. present a frequency converter with in-situ frequency synthesis and mix functionality.
- Chang Liu
- , Pek Jun Tiw
- & Yuchao Yang
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Article
| Open AccessA compressive hyperspectral video imaging system using a single-pixel detector
The authors showcase a video-rate hyperspectral imager based on a single-pixel photodetector that can achieve high-throughput hyperspectral video recording at a low bandwidth. Specifically, they propose a joint spatial-spectral encoding scheme which can encode the scene into highly compressed single-pixel measurements and obtain temporal correlation at the same time.
- Yibo Xu
- , Liyang Lu
- & Kevin F. Kelly
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Article
| Open AccessA microfluidic platform integrating functional vascularized organoids-on-chip
Vascularization remains a significant challenge in organoid technology. Here, the authors develop a microfluidic platform that enhances organoid growth, function and maturation, by establishing functional perfusable vascular networks.
- Clément Quintard
- , Emily Tubbs
- & Xavier Gidrol
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Article
| Open AccessChiral active particles are sensitive reporters to environmental geometry
There hasn’t been much experimental attention to the interaction of chiral active particles with complex environments. Chan et al. propose an interesting granular particle system based on natural plant seeds to examine the transport of chiral active matter in complex surroundings.
- Chung Wing Chan
- , Daihui Wu
- & Rui Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessUltrabroadband high-resolution silicon RF-photonic beamformer
The Authors report a novel architecture of photonic beamformer capable of achieving broadband operation and a high number of pointing angles. We demonstrate the operation of a 5-bit beamformer capable of providing 32 pointing angles in the 10−30 GHz range.
- Pablo Martinez-Carrasco
- , Tan Huy Ho
- & José Capmany
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Article
| Open AccessVascular network-inspired fluidic system (VasFluidics) with spatially functionalizable membranous walls
Functional features in the spatiotemporal regulation of blood chemistry are not much explored. Here authors show vascular network-inspired fluidics, functionalizable for different region-specific trans-wall transport to regulate fluids over space and time.
- Yafeng Yu
- , Yi Pan
- & Ho Cheung Shum
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Article
| Open AccessIntegrating hydrogen utilization in CO2 electrolysis with reduced energy loss
Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising method of producing sustainable chemicals and fuels, yet is highly energy intensive. Here, the authors couple CO2 electrolysis with hydrogen oxidation using a Ni(OH)2/NiOOH auxiliary electrode to enhance energy efficiency.
- Xiaoyi Jiang
- , Le Ke
- & Ning Yan
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Article
| Open AccessDurable Janus membrane with on-demand mode switching fabricated by femtosecond laser
Janus membranes are highly valued for their unique water unidirectional transportation capabilities. Here, authors report an on-demand mode-switching strategy that significantly enhances the durability of the Janus membrane.
- Zehang Cui
- , Yachao Zhang
- & Yanlei Hu
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Perspective
| Open AccessPerformance metrics to unleash the power of self-driving labs in chemistry and materials science
Assessing the performance of self-driving labs (SDLs) is challenging due to the specificities of each experiment. In this Perspective, the authors review recent literature of SDLs for materials science and chemistry and suggest how to report SDL performance more effectively.
- Amanda A. Volk
- & Milad Abolhasani
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Article
| Open AccessModeling early pathophysiological phenotypes of diabetic retinopathy in a human inner blood-retinal barrier-on-a-chip
Here the authors develop perfusable inner blood-retinal barrier-specific microvascular networks with human primary retinal microvascular cells. They show that chronic diabetic stimulation leads to the generation of early hallmarks of diabetic retinopathy, including pericyte and capillary dropout, ghost vessels, and inflammation.
- Thomas L. Maurissen
- , Alena J. Spielmann
- & Héloïse Ragelle
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| Open AccessBiporous silica nanostructure-induced nanovortex in microfluidics for nucleic acid enrichment, isolation, and PCR-free detection
Efficient enrichment and isolation of pathogens are crucial for accurate and sensitive disease identification. Here, the authors present a chip equipped with biporous nanofilms that induces a nanovetex in a microfluidic channel for nucleic acid enrichment, isolation, and detection.
- Eunyoung Jeon
- , Bonhan Koo
- & Joonseok Lee
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Article
| Open Accessβ-Variational autoencoders and transformers for reduced-order modelling of fluid flows
Reduced-order models provide better understanding for complex spatio-temporal dynamics of fluid flows with high numbers of degrees of freedom and non-linear interactions. The authors propose a variational autoencoder and transformer framework for learning the temporal dynamics of the nonlinear reduced-order models relevant for fluid dynamics, weather forecasting, and biomedical engineering.
- Alberto Solera-Rico
- , Carlos Sanmiguel Vila
- & Ricardo Vinuesa
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Article
| Open AccessManufacturing of high strength and high conductivity copper with laser powder bed fusion
Copper produced by laser additive manufacturing often faces challenges with either low strength or low conductivity. Here, the authors present a design strategy to introduce uniformly dispersed nanoprecipitates during solidification, enhancing the strength while maintaining high conductivity.
- Yingang Liu
- , Jingqi Zhang
- & Ming-Xing Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessPerfect circular polarization of elastic waves in solid media
The authors introduce a method for non-destructive testing based on circularly polarized ultrasound in solids, enabled by metamaterials, allows for detecting internal defects regardless of their orientation. This innovation will redefine ultrasonic non-destructive examination.
- Jeseung Lee
- , Minwoo “Joshua” Kweun
- & Yoon Young Kim
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Article
| Open AccessBiomimetic mercury immobilization by selenium functionalized polyphenylene sulfide fabric
The abatement of elemental mercury remains an enormous challenge for public health and ecosystems. Here, inspired by the seleno-mercury antagonism effect in biological systems, the authors developed an ideal Hg0 adsorbent with a record-high adsorption capacity of 1621.9 mg g−1.
- Hailong Li
- , Fanyue Meng
- & Jianping Yang
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Article
| Open AccessOptimizing multi-user indoor sound communications with acoustic reconfigurable metasurfaces
Indoor sound fields are disordered due to reflections and multiple scattering, which scrambles acoustic communication. Here, based on tunable metasurfaces and communication theories, the authors demonstrate multi-channel, multi-spectral, cross-talk-free acoustic communication in a room.
- Hongkuan Zhang
- , Qiyuan Wang
- & Guancong Ma
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Article
| Open AccessDiffusive kinks turn kirigami into machines
Kinks define boundaries between distinct configurations of a material. Here, the authors reveal the emergence of propagating kinks in purely dissipative kirigami and show that such structures can shape-change into different textures depending on how fast they are stretched enabling basic mechanical tasks.
- Shahram Janbaz
- & Corentin Coulais
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Article
| Open AccessA 3D printable tissue adhesive
Tissue adhesives have received significant interest for their clinical utility but are typically incompatible with advanced manufacturing methods. Here, the authors introduce a 3D printable tissue adhesive for the fabrication of patches and devices for diverse biomedical applications.
- Sarah J. Wu
- , Jingjing Wu
- & Xuanhe Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessLarge-area, untethered, metamorphic, and omnidirectionally stretchable multiplexing self-powered triboelectric skins
Stretchable sensor networks with multiplexing designs can result in misrecognition due to electrical signal interferences from the sensing nodes and internal circuits. Here, Shao et al. show an untethered triboelectric electronic skin with an elastic composite-based shield layer for lower misrecognition rate.
- Beibei Shao
- , Ming-Han Lu
- & Ying-Chih Lai
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Article
| Open AccessElemental partitioning-mediated crystalline-to-amorphous phase transformation under quasi-static deformation
The transformation induced plasticity phenomenon is usually diffusionless. Here, the authors introduce elemental partitioning mediated crystalline-to-amorphous phase transformation in a crystal-glass nanolaminated composite, realizing ultrahigh strength and large plasticity.
- Ge Wu
- , Chang Liu
- & Zhi-Wei Shan
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Article
| Open AccessHydraulic-driven adaptable morphing active-cooling elastomer with bioinspired bicontinuous phases
Low thermal conduction and conformability of traditional rigid heat sinks limit their adoption in flexible electronics and soft robotics. Here, authors report a liquid metal skeleton-based active-cooling elastomer with high thermal conductivity, stretchability, and hydraulic-driven adaptable morphing.
- Dehai Yu
- , Zhonghao Wang
- & Zhizhu He
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Article
| Open AccessData-centric artificial olfactory system based on the eigengraph
Sensitivity-dependent data analysis methods disrupted the development of artificial olfactory technologies. Here, authors present a data-centric artificial olfactory system based on eigengraph that reflects the intrinsic electrochemical interaction.
- Seung-Hyun Sung
- , Jun Min Suh
- & Seong Chan Jun
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Article
| Open AccessRe-evaluation of battery-grade lithium purity toward sustainable batteries
Due to recent fluctuations in lithium prices, the instability of lithium-ion batteries prices is on the rise. Here, through a re-evaluation of purity criteria, the authors report that the presence of magnesium impurity in lithium precursor actually improves cathode performance, economics, and environmental aspects.
- Gogwon Choe
- , Hyungsub Kim
- & Yong-Tae Kim
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Article
| Open AccessChallenging thermodynamics: combining immiscible elements in a single-phase nano-ceramic
Elemental immiscibility limits the development of solid solution materials. Here, authors create a nonequilibrium flame aerosol method to mix nearly any pair of metal elements in a single-phase nano-ceramic. Also, an exsolution behavior is presented to produce active and stable nanoparticles.
- Shuo Liu
- , Chaochao Dun
- & Mark T. Swihart
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Article
| Open AccessShape-recovery of implanted shape-memory devices remotely triggered via image-guided ultrasound heating
Focused ultrasound could be used to change the geometry of implanted shape-memory medical devices noninvasively. Here, the authors demonstrate this concept on large animal models, showing device removal and trigger drug release.
- Yang Zhu
- , Kaicheng Deng
- & William R. Wagner
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Article
| Open AccessInterplay of the forces governing steroid hormone micropollutant adsorption in vertically-aligned carbon nanotube membrane nanopores
Micropollutant removal in polymeric nanofiltration membranes is difficult to characterise due to pore heterogeneity. A force interplay framework was developed to describe adsorption in VaCNT membranes with defined nanopores, providing insight for the design of membranes with improved selectivity.
- Minh N. Nguyen
- , Melinda L. Jue
- & Andrea I. Schäfer
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| Open AccessAnti-friction gold-based stretchable electronics enabled by interfacial diffusion-induced cohesion
Stretchable electronics require high interfacial strength between the inert metal and elastomer components for durable interconnection applications. Cao et al. show a chemical modification-free interfacial diffusion-induced cohesion strategy, using hydrophilic polyurethane to induce hydrogen bonding of gold grains.
- Jie Cao
- , Xusheng Liu
- & Ming Liu
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Article
| Open AccessDevelopment of multifunctional membranes via plasma-assisted nonsolvent induced phase separation
The structures and properties of membranes depend strongly on their preparation methods. Here, the authors present a plasma-assisted nonsolvent-induced phase separation method that allows to tailor the physicochemical and electrical characteristics of PVDF membranes for various applications.
- Yueh-Han Huang
- , Meng-Jiy Wang
- & Tai-Shung Chung
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Article
| Open AccessMechanically resilient hybrid aerogels containing fibers of dual-scale sizes and knotty networks for tissue regeneration
Aerogels are suitable for soft tissue engineering, but often come with brittleness. Here the authors develop a hybrid aerogel with micro- and nanofiber networks that optimizes tensile moduli and fracture energies and show that these materials are super-elastic, fostering rapid tissue ingrowth and allowing minimally invasive procedures.
- S. M. Shatil Shahriar
- , Alec D. McCarthy
- & Jingwei Xie
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Article
| Open AccessPrinted smart devices for anti-counterfeiting allowing precise identification with household equipment
The authors introduce a flexible laser printing method for synthesizing integrated optical and electric Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs). The PUF devices can be read out by simple household equipment and show high uniqueness and stability.
- Junfang Zhang
- , Rong Tan
- & Felix F. Loeffler
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Article
| Open AccessUnravelling the amorphous structure and crystallization mechanism of GeTe phase change memory materials
The structure of an ideal glass, crystallisation mechanism, nanoscale effects, and even parallels to organic chemistry can be drawn by conceptualizing the amorphous GeTe structure as a superposition of Te and Ge lattices with atom-specific dynamics.
- Simon Wintersteller
- , Olesya Yarema
- & Maksym Yarema
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Article
| Open AccessWaterproof and ultraflexible organic photovoltaics with improved interface adhesion
Waterproof flexible organic solar cells without compromising mechanical flexibility and conformability remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate in-situ growth of hole-transporting layer to strengthen interfacial and thermodynamic adhesion for better waterproofness in 3 μm-thick devices.
- Sixing Xiong
- , Kenjiro Fukuda
- & Takao Someya
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Article
| Open AccessDeepFocus: fast focus and astigmatism correction for electron microscopy
High-throughput electron microscopy demands minimal human intervention and high image quality. Here, authors introduce DeepFocus, a data-driven method for aberration correction in electron microscopy, robust for low SNR images, fast and easily adaptable to microscopes and samples. Peer Review Information: Nature Communications thanks Yang Zhang and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
- P. J. Schubert
- , R. Saxena
- & J. Kornfeld
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Article
| Open AccessUnraveling the rate-determining step of C2+ products during electrochemical CO reduction
The electrochemical reduction of CO for sustainable fuel production has gained attention, but the reaction mechanism needs further clarification. Here the authors delve into the discussion regarding whether the rate-determining step for the generation of multi-carbon products is the C-C coupling or the hydrogenation of CO, and provide evidence for dimerization of two *CO as the pivotal step in this process.
- Wanyu Deng
- , Peng Zhang
- & Jinlong Gong
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Article
| Open AccessWell-defined in-textile photolithography towards permeable textile electronics
It is challenging to achieve simultaneous robustness, permeability and high electrical performance when patterning textile electronics. Here, the authors report an in-textile photolithography method for precise metal patterns while maintaining the 3D porous structure for wearable textile electronics.
- Pengwei Wang
- , Xiaohao Ma
- & Zijian Zheng
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Article
| Open AccessA strong fracture-resistant high-entropy alloy with nano-bridged honeycomb microstructure intrinsically toughened by 3D-printing
Developing superior structural materials has been challenging because of the inherent conflict between their strength and toughness. Here, the authors use 3D-printing to produce a high-entropy alloy with a microstructure resembling nano-bridged honeycomb structure with good strength and toughness.
- Punit Kumar
- , Sheng Huang
- & Robert O. Ritchie
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Article
| Open AccessSustainable biomimetic solar distillation with edge crystallization for passive salt collection and zero brine discharge
Conventional desalination processes generate clean water and reject brine to sea, which is harmful to the aquatic life. Here, the authors propose a low- cost scalable and foldable mangrove-mimetic device for solar thermal distillation and passive salt collection without brine discharge.
- Mohamed A. Abdelsalam
- , Muhammad Sajjad
- & TieJun Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessEfficient conversion of propane in a microchannel reactor at ambient conditions
The activation of propane at mild conditions is challenging. Now a microfluidic reaction system with a Cu microtube serving as both the catalyst and the microchannel reactor can selectively convert propane to propylene at room temperature and ambient pressure.
- Chunsong Li
- , Haochen Zhang
- & Qi Lu
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Article
| Open AccessAdaptive tactile interaction transfer via digitally embroidered smart gloves
Adaptive tactile interactions transfer across users, space, and time, via embroidered smart gloves is reported by the authors. The scalable fabrication and adaptive computation pipeline enable tactile occlusion alleviation, human skills transfer, and interactive teleoperation.
- Yiyue Luo
- , Chao Liu
- & Wojciech Matusik
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Article
| Open AccessAn actor-model framework for visual sensory encoding
Encoding and downsampling images is key for visual prostheses. Here, the authors show that an actor-model framework using the inherent computation of the retinal network yields better performance in downsampling images compared to learning-free methods.
- Franklin Leong
- , Babak Rahmani
- & Diego Ghezzi
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Article
| Open AccessFinding the gap: neuromorphic motion-vision in dense environments
Inspired by insects in nature, the authors develop a neuromorphic robotic system with obstacle avoidance, tunnel centering and gap crossing capabilities. Their robotic system accomplishes these multiple capabilities by steering towards regions of low apparent motion.
- Thorben Schoepe
- , Ella Janotte
- & Elisabetta Chicca
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Article
| Open AccessBioinspired handheld time-share driven robot with expandable DoFs
Handheld robots are limited in controllable degrees of freedom, which can result in lower dexterity for clinical applications. Here, Wang et al. report a handheld time-share driven robot with one motor that powers multiple motion modules for high-dextrous operation.
- Yunjiang Wang
- , Xinben Hu
- & Haoran Jin
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Article
| Open AccessDirect 4D printing of ceramics driven by hydrogel dehydration
Four-dimensional (4D) printing ceramics is a challenge due to their weak deformability. Here, the authors report a hydrogel-dehydration-driven direct 4D printing approach, enabling simple and efficient manufacturing of various complex ceramic objects
- Rong Wang
- , Chao Yuan
- & Qi Ge
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Perspective
| Open AccessRoadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics
In order to complete the transition to the era of large-scale integration, silicon photonics will have to overcome several challenges. Here, the authors outline what these challenges are and what it will take to tackle them.
- Sudip Shekhar
- , Wim Bogaerts
- & Bhavin J. Shastri
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Article
| Open AccessA drug-free cardiovascular stent functionalized with tailored collagen supports in-situ healing of vascular tissues
The efficacy of drug-eluting stents remains limited due to delayed reendothelialization, impaired intimal remodeling, and potentially increased late restenosis. Here the authors propose a one-produces-multi stent coating, a drug-free strategy that supports in situ healing of vascular tissues, as demonstrated in rabbit and porcine models.
- Haoshuang Wu
- , Li Yang
- & Yunbing Wang
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Article
| Open AccessToward grouped-reservoir computing: organic neuromorphic vertical transistor with distributed reservoir states for efficient recognition and prediction
Existing neuromorphic hardware, focusing mainly on shallow-reservoir computing, is challenged in providing adequate spatial and temporal scales characteristic for effective computing. Here, Gao et al. report an ultra-short channel organic neuromorphic vertical transistor with distributed reservoir states.
- Changsong Gao
- , Di Liu
- & Huipeng Chen
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Article
| Open AccessLNP-RNA-engineered adipose stem cells for accelerated diabetic wound healing
Adipose stem cells are promising therapeutic agents in tissue regeneration. Here the authors develop a lipid nanoparticle/RNA engineering platform to enhance the protein production of these cells, which demonstrate superior healing efficacy in a mouse model of diabetic cutaneous wounds.
- Yonger Xue
- , Yuebao Zhang
- & Yizhou Dong
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Article
| Open AccessPowering AI at the edge: A robust, memristor-based binarized neural network with near-memory computing and miniaturized solar cell
The authors present an AI engine with 32,768 memristors powered by a miniature solar cell. This circuit exploits near-memory computing, naturally adjusting its accuracy depending on the illumination level, and paves the way for self-powered AI.
- Fadi Jebali
- , Atreya Majumdar
- & Jean-Michel Portal