Articles in 2010

As a liquid approaches its glass transition its dynamics slow down and simultaneously the material becomes more heterogeneous. A static structural heterogeneity, now shown to be widely present in glass-forming liquids, is suggested to be the origin of this dynamic heterogeneity that links structural parameters to the glass transition.

The ability to exert control over domains in multiferroic materials is important in terms of the potential use of these materials. In the multiferroic YMnO₃, structural considerations lead to an unusual cloverleaf pattern of ferroelectric domains, where the domain walls are electrically insulating.

The origin of the effect that a magnetic field has on various electronic properties of organic semiconductors is still controversial. It is now shown that substituting hydrogen for deuterium in conducting polymers changes the response to a magnetic field substantially, proving the essential part played by hyperfine interaction in this effect.

Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) is used to silence genes and treat conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus. Safe and efficient delivery, however, is proving problematic. A new class of biologically active siRNA polyelectrolyte complexes based on chemically self-crosslinked siRNA is presented, which shows greatly enhanced gene-silencing efficiencies in vitro and in vivo without significantly eliciting an immune response.

The ability to control the surface chemistry of silicon is important for microelectronic applications. Chemical species can now be stabilized on Si(111) surfaces using a partially alkoxylated surface as a nanopatterning template.

Capacitive energy storage is technologically attractive because of its short charging times and its ability to deliver more power than batteries. The capacitive charge-storage properties of mesoporous films of MoO₃ with iso-oriented grains now lead to pseudocapacitive materials that offer increased energy density while still maintaining high power density.