News & Views in 2008

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  • The complex electronic properties of alkali-doped fullerides derive from the interplay between competing interactions. Fine control of the doping levels and thickness of fulleride films makes it possible to tune relevant parameters.

    • Olle Gunnarsson
    News & Views
  • Peptide-functionalized polymer nanoparticles target and bind to articular cartilage tissue, making them promising drug-delivery vehicles.

    • Lori Setton
    News & Views
  • Building blocks of DNA self-assemble into nanostructures in a kinetically controlled way. The versatile molecular system can be programmed to perform diverse dynamic functions.

    • William Shih
    News & Views
  • The biologically inspired toolbox is well and truly open. From three-dimensional DNA assemblies to active catalysts inside the confines of a virus — biomolecules are finding a second, unnatural life.

    • Bogdan Dragnea
    News & Views
  • When a wire coat hanger is bent it becomes mechanically stronger because of the imperfections that are introduced. In situ electron microscopy now shows that small metal structures are strengthened not by adding but by removing imperfections.

    • Kevin J. Hemker
    • William D. Nix
    News & Views
  • The observation of long relaxation times and high-fidelity preparation promote the spin of a hole in a semiconductor quantum dot to the best position to be a contender for the role of a solid-state qubit.

    • Guido Burkard
    News & Views
  • The adhesive proteins secreted by mussels are the inspiration behind a versatile approach to the surface modification of a wide range of inorganic and organic materials, resulting in the fabrication of multifunctional coatings for a variety of applications.

    • J. Herbert Waite
    News & Views
  • The structure of Nafion, the polymer electrolyte membrane used in some fuel cells, has been extensively debated over recent decades. Now, a model reveals the nanoscale arrangement that could explain the excellent transport properties of the material.

    • Olivier Diat
    • Gérard Gebel
    News & Views
  • The observation of sliding charge-density waves challenges the established interpretation of the insulator–metal transition in manganites.

    • Taka-hisa Arima
    News & Views
  • Unearthed after millions of years, diamondoid molecules are being studied for their possible use in single-molecule transistors, for field-emission displays and for their downright fascinating electronic properties.

    • Alex de Lozanne
    News & Views
  • In a major departure from their humble origins as ultrathin monolayers, optical metamaterials have now advanced to three-dimensional bulk media exhibiting both electric and magnetic activity.

    • Gennady Shvets
    News & Views