Featured
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Direct imaging of single-molecule electrochemical reactions in solution
Optical imaging of single-molecule electrochemical reactions in aqueous solution enables super-resolution electrochemiluminescence microscopy, which can be used to monitor the adhesion dynamics of live cells with high spatiotemporal resolution.
- Jinrun Dong
- , Yuxian Lu
- & Jiandong Feng
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Cellular fluidics
Cellular fluidics provides a platform of unit-cell-based, three-dimensional structures for the deterministic control of multiphase flow, transport and reaction processes.
- Nikola A. Dudukovic
- , Erika J. Fong
- & Eric B. Duoss
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Localization atomic force microscopy
A localization algorithm is applied to datasets obtained with conventional and high-speed atomic force microscopy to increase image resolution beyond the limits set by the radius of the tip used.
- George R. Heath
- , Ekaterina Kots
- & Simon Scheuring
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Long-range nontopological edge currents in charge-neutral graphene
Nanoscale imaging of edge currents in charge-neutral graphene shows that charge accumulation can explain various exotic nonlocal transport measurements, bringing into question some theories about their origins.
- A. Aharon-Steinberg
- , A. Marguerite
- & E. Zeldov
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Correlative operando microscopy of oxygen evolution electrocatalysts
Mapping the operational chemical, physical and electronic structure of an oxygen evolution electrocatalyst at the nanoscale links the properties of the material with the observed oxygen evolution activity.
- J. Tyler Mefford
- , Andrew R. Akbashev
- & William C. Chueh
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A single-molecule van der Waals compass
The orientation of a rotating para-xylene molecule in the nanochannel of a zeolite framework can be visualised by electron microscopy to determine the host–guest van der Waals interaction inside the channel.
- Boyuan Shen
- , Xiao Chen
- & Fei Wei
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A quantum magnetic analogue to the critical point of water
The pressure dependence and magnetic field dependence of the specific heat of a quantum magnet, SrCu2(BO3)2, demonstrate that its phase diagram contains a line of first-order transitions terminating at a critical point, in analogy with water.
- J. Larrea Jiménez
- , S. P. G. Crone
- & F. Mila
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Determining the three-dimensional atomic structure of an amorphous solid
A method that achieves atomic-resolution tomographic imaging of an amorphous solid enables detailed quantitative characterization of the short- and medium-range order of the three-dimensional atomic arrangement.
- Yao Yang
- , Jihan Zhou
- & Jianwei Miao
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Measurement of gravitational coupling between millimetre-sized masses
A direct measurement of the gravitational coupling between two 1-mm-radius gold spheres with masses below 100 mg using a torsional pendulum is reported.
- Tobias Westphal
- , Hans Hepach
- & Markus Aspelmeyer
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High-resolution X-ray luminescence extension imaging
Using lanthanide-doped nanomaterials and flexible substrates, an approach that enables flat-panel-free, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging is demonstrated and termed X-ray luminescence extension imaging.
- Xiangyu Ou
- , Xian Qin
- & Xiaogang Liu
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Single-defect phonons imaged by electron microscopy
State-of-the-art electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope maps the detailed phonon spectra of single defects in silicon carbide
- Xingxu Yan
- , Chengyan Liu
- & Xiaoqing Pan
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Xolography for linear volumetric 3D printing
By combining the use of photoswitchable photoinitators and intersecting light beams, objects and complex systems can be produced rapidly with higher definition than is possible using state-of-the art macroscopic volumetric methods.
- Martin Regehly
- , Yves Garmshausen
- & Stefan Hecht
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The Philae lander reveals low-strength primitive ice inside cometary boulders
When the Philae lander bounced on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, it exposed primitive icy-dust material within cometary boulders; the intrinsic strength and porosity of this material is reported.
- Laurence O’Rourke
- , Philip Heinisch
- & Holger Sierks
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Bennu’s near-Earth lifetime of 1.75 million years inferred from craters on its boulders
Analysis of the size and depth of craters on boulders on the asteroid (101955) Bennu indicates that Bennu has been in near-Earth space for 1.75 ± 0.75 million years.
- R.-L. Ballouz
- , K. J. Walsh
- & D. S. Lauretta
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Penning trap mass measurements of the deuteron and the HD+ molecular ion
Penning trap mass spectrometry is used to measure the masses of the deuteron and the HD+ ion with unprecedented precision, reducing the uncertainty of the proton mass reference value.
- Sascha Rau
- , Fabian Heiße
- & Klaus Blaum
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Additive manufacturing of silica aerogels
A direct ink writing protocol for silica aerogels enables 3D printing of lightweight, miniaturized objects with complex shapes, with the possibility to easily add functionality by incorporating nanoparticles.
- Shanyu Zhao
- , Gilberto Siqueira
- & Wim J. Malfait
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A mobile robotic chemist
A mobile robot autonomously operates analytical instruments in a wet chemistry laboratory, performing a photocatalyst optimization task much faster than a human would be able to.
- Benjamin Burger
- , Phillip M. Maffettone
- & Andrew I. Cooper
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Chemical gradients in human enamel crystallites
Hydroxylapatite crystallites in human dental enamel show gradients in chemical composition, with a layer of magnesium enrichment on each side of a core rich in sodium, fluoride and carbonate ions.
- Karen A. DeRocher
- , Paul J. M. Smeets
- & Derk Joester
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Imaging single glycans
An imaging method combining soft-landing electrospray ion beam deposition and low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy resolves the structures of glycans at sub-nanometre resolution, revealing the connectivity of glycan chains and the types of linkages.
- X. Wu
- , M. Delbianco
- & K. Kern
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Controlling free electrons with optical whispering-gallery modes
The coupling between light and relativistic free electrons is enhanced through phase matching of electrons with optical whispering-gallery modes in dielectric microspheres and through extended modal lifetimes.
- Ofer Kfir
- , Hugo Lourenço-Martins
- & Claus Ropers
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Coherent interaction between free electrons and a photonic cavity
The strong interaction of coherent free electrons with a photonic-crystal cavity enables the measurement of the lifetimes of the cavity modes and provides a technique for multidimensional near-field imaging and spectroscopy.
- Kangpeng Wang
- , Raphael Dahan
- & Ido Kaminer
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Short-range order and its impact on the CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy
Metal alloys consisting of three or more major elemental components show enhanced mechanical properties, which are now shown to be correlated with short-range order observed with electron microscopy.
- Ruopeng Zhang
- , Shiteng Zhao
- & Andrew M. Minor
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Engineering covalently bonded 2D layered materials by self-intercalation
The intercalation of native atoms into bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides during growth generates ultrathin, covalently bonded materials into which ferromagnetic ordering can be introduced.
- Xiaoxu Zhao
- , Peng Song
- & Kian Ping Loh
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Detection of metastable electronic states by Penning trap mass spectrometry
Penning trap mass spectrometry is used to measure the electronic transition energy from a long-lived metastable state to the ground state in highly charged rhenium ions with a precision of 10−11.
- R. X. Schüssler
- , H. Bekker
- & K. Blaum
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Observations of grain-boundary phase transformations in an elemental metal
Atomic-resolution observations combined with simulations show that grain boundaries within elemental copper undergo temperature-induced solid-state phase transformation to different structures; grain boundary phases can also coexist and are kinetically trapped structures.
- Thorsten Meiners
- , Timofey Frolov
- & Christian H. Liebscher
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Review Article |
Single-particle spectroscopy for functional nanomaterials
Single-particle spectroscopic techniques that provide insights into the fundamental photophysical properties of functional nanomaterials are reviewed.
- Jiajia Zhou
- , Alexey I. Chizhik
- & Dayong Jin
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Enhancing crystal growth using polyelectrolyte solutions and shear flow
A method of growing crystals that does not require undisturbed solutions involves adding polyelectrolytes to the starter solution and shearing (that is, stirring).
- Jian-Ke Sun
- , Yaroslav I. Sobolev
- & Bartosz A. Grzybowski
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An orbital water-ice cycle on comet 67P from colour changes
Spectral analysis of the VIRTIS dataset shows two opposite seasonal colour cycles in the coma and on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, indicating an orbital water-ice cycle.
- Gianrico Filacchione
- , Fabrizio Capaccioni
- & Stefano Mottola
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Synchrotron infrared spectroscopic evidence of the probable transition to metal hydrogen
The probable transition of hydrogen to its metal state near 425 GPa is observed, with the required high pressures created using a toroidal diamond anvil cell.
- Paul Loubeyre
- , Florent Occelli
- & Paul Dumas
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Design and synthesis of multigrain nanocrystals via geometric misfit strain
Heteroepitaxy is used to precisely control the growth of Mn3O4 shells on the faces of a Co3O4 nanocube crystal, producing uniform grain boundary defects and highly ordered multigrain nanostructures.
- Myoung Hwan Oh
- , Min Gee Cho
- & Taeghwan Hyeon
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Archimedean lattices emerge in template-directed eutectic solidification
Directional solidification of a simple AgCl-KCl lamellar eutectic material is modified by the presence of a pillar template, leading to disordered, trefoil, quatrefoil, cinquefoil and hexafoil mesostructures.
- Ashish A. Kulkarni
- , Erik Hanson
- & Paul V. Braun
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Atomic imaging of the edge structure and growth of a two-dimensional hexagonal ice
Real-space imaging of the edge structures and growth of a two-dimensional ice on a gold substrate is achieved using noncontact atomic-force microscopy with a carbon monoxide tip.
- Runze Ma
- , Duanyun Cao
- & Ying Jiang
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Atomic-scale imaging of a 27-nuclear-spin cluster using a quantum sensor
An individual electron is used as a quantum sensor to realize atomic-scale magnetic resonance imaging.
- M. H. Abobeih
- , J. Randall
- & T. H. Taminiau
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Letter |
Crosslinking ionic oligomers as conformable precursors to calcium carbonate
The crosslinking of oligomeric precursors, controlled by a capping agent, enables the production of moulded crystalline calcium carbonate with continuous structures.
- Zhaoming Liu
- , Changyu Shao
- & Ruikang Tang
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Real-space charge-density imaging with sub-ångström resolution by four-dimensional electron microscopy
A real-space imaging technique that combines scanning transmission electron microscopy with an angle-resolved pixellated fast-electron detector is used to image the charge distribution in SrTiO3, BiFeO3 and the junction between them.
- Wenpei Gao
- , Christopher Addiego
- & Xiaoqing Pan
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Carrier-resolved photo-Hall effect
A carrier-resolved photo-Hall technique is developed to extract properties of both majority and minority carriers simultaneously and determine the critical parameters of semiconductor materials under light illumination.
- Oki Gunawan
- , Seong Ryul Pae
- & Byungha Shin
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Letter |
Constraints on the superconducting order parameter in Sr2RuO4 from oxygen-17 nuclear magnetic resonance
17O nuclear magnetic resonance measurements on Sr2RuO4 reveal a drop of the Knight shift in the superconducting state, contradicting previous work and imposing tight constraints on the order parameter symmetry of the system.
- A. Pustogow
- , Yongkang Luo
- & S. E. Brown
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Force-induced conformational changes in PIEZO1
Cryo-electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy reveal that PIEZO1 can reversibly deform its shape towards a planar structure, which may explain how the PIEZO1 channel is gated in response to mechanical stimulation.
- Yi-Chih Lin
- , Yusong R. Guo
- & Simon Scheuring
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Letter |
Quantifying inactive lithium in lithium metal batteries
Titration gas chromatography is developed as an analytical method of distinguishing between lithium metal and lithium compounds within a cycled battery and assessing the amount of unreacted metallic lithium available.
- Chengcheng Fang
- , Jinxing Li
- & Ying Shirley Meng
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Letter |
Position and momentum mapping of vibrations in graphene nanostructures
Investigation of a free-standing graphene monolayer using a technique based on transmission electron microscopy allows identification of atomic vibrations characteristic of the bulk or the edge of the sample.
- Ryosuke Senga
- , Kazu Suenaga
- & Thomas Pichler
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Letter |
Thermal conductance of single-molecule junctions
The thermal conductance of single-molecule junctions is measured using picowatt-resolution calorimetric scanning probes and is found to be nearly independent of the length of the alkanedithiol molecules studied.
- Longji Cui
- , Sunghoon Hur
- & Edgar Meyhofer
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Letter |
Observing crystal nucleation in four dimensions using atomic electron tomography
Atomic electron tomography captures crystal nucleation in four dimensions in FePt nanoparticles, with the observed early-stage nucleation not consistent with classical nucleation theory.
- Jihan Zhou
- , Yongsoo Yang
- & Jianwei Miao
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Letter |
Tracking the precession of single nuclear spins by weak measurements
Periodic weak measurements of just a few carbon-13 nuclear spins in diamond demonstrate sensitive, high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at the molecular level.
- K. S. Cujia
- , J. M. Boss
- & C. L. Degen
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Letter |
Needle-like structures discovered on positively charged lightning branches
Radio interferometric observations of lightning over the Netherlands reveal small needle-shaped plasma structures associated with the positive leader channels, explaining why cloud-to-ground lightning connects to the ground multiple times.
- B. M. Hare
- , O. Scholten
- & P. Zucca
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Letter |
Extreme-ultraviolet refractive optics
A refractive lens and a refractive prism for extreme-ultraviolet radiation have been developed that use the deflection of the radiation in an inhomogeneous jet of atoms.
- L. Drescher
- , O. Kornilov
- & B. Schütte
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Letter |
Three-dimensional collective charge excitations in electron-doped copper oxide superconductors
Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering on electron-doped copper oxide superconductors reveals a three-dimensional charge collective mode, which has properties suggestive of the long-sought acoustic plasmon.
- M. Hepting
- , L. Chaix
- & W. S. Lee
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Letter |
Hundred-fold enhancement in far-field radiative heat transfer over the blackbody limit
Rates of radiative heat transfer between sub-wavelength planar membranes are experimentally and theoretically shown to exceed the blackbody limit in the far field by more than two orders of magnitude.
- Dakotah Thompson
- , Linxiao Zhu
- & Edgar Meyhofer
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Letter |
A Brownian quasi-crystal of pre-assembled colloidal Penrose tiles
A lithographic patterning and release method is used to create a dense, fluctuating, Brownian system of mobile colloidal kite- and dart-shaped Penrose tiles over large areas that retains quasi-crystalline order.
- Po-Yuan Wang
- & Thomas G. Mason