Reviews & Analysis

The critical temperature of most superconductors varies with the density of charge carriers, which in turn is most easily tuned by chemical doping. The observation that a specially fabricated two-dimensional superconductor maintains the same critical temperature regardless of doping raises some important questions.

Pristine graphitic surfaces seem to be more hydrophilic than previously assumed because of the unexpected influence of the quick adsorption of hydrocarbons from air.

A study on the subtle interplay between electronic structure and structural defects now explains why the suppression of conduction in the insulating state of bilayer graphene is not as strong as might be expected. It also reveals the possibility of creating graphene-based nanoscale systems with unique electronic properties.

The discovery of a ferroelectric-like structural transition in metallic LiOsO₃ identifies a new class of materials with unconventional properties, providing an exotic playground for theorists and experimentalists.

Advances in materials science and layout design have enabled the realization of flexible and multifunctional electronic devices. Two demonstrations of electronic skins, which combine temperature and pressure sensing with integrated thermal actuators and organic displays, unveil the potential of these devices for robotics and clinical applications.

Semiconductor devices that convert light of arbitrary polarization into a flow of electron spin have now been demonstrated using an approach that is applicable to any semiconductor material.

The search for materials with colossal permittivity for use in capacitors has been met with limited success. A newly discovered co-doped titanium oxide material has an extremely high permittivity and negligible dielectric losses, and is likely to enable further scaling in electronic and energy-storage devices.

Cells at the edges of migrating epithelial sheets pull themselves towards unfilled space regardless of their direction of motion.

In addition to manipulating the charge or spin of electrons, another way to control electric current is by using the 'valley' degree-of-freedom of electrons. The first demonstration of the generation, transport and detection of valley-polarized electrons in bulk diamond now opens up new opportunities for quantum control in electronic devices.

The entropic repulsion between tethered molecular brushes at fluid interfaces templates the mixing of otherwise incompatible macromolecules.

A general approach for decorating nanoparticles with a highly dense shell of DNA linkers expands the range of building blocks that can be used for DNA-mediated nanoparticle self-assembly.

Experiments and simulations show that coherent twin boundaries, commonly believed to be perfect, are riddled with kinks and other defects.

Elucidating the relationship between the structure and magnetism of quasicrystals has long been a challenge. The discovery of an extended family of binary icosahedral quasicrystals with localized magnetic moments may be an important step in shedding light on this issue.

Photoexcited diamond can inject highly energetic electrons in solution and promote the catalysis of a broad range of chemical reactions.

In all likelihood, cheap and bright white organic light-emitting diodes will someday light up our homes. Three-dimensional models can now simulate the dynamics of charges and excitons governing the operation of these light sources and predict their performance with molecular precision.

Fabricating thin films of organic semiconductors that have molecular order across large areas has proved challenging. Now, three complementary approaches — molecular design, fluid-flow control and the use of nucleating agents — offer unprecedented opportunities for next-generation optoelectronic applications.