Reviews & Analysis

As metal–organic frameworks move towards practical application, data for an expanded range of physical properties are needed. Molecular-level modelling and data science can play an important role.

Angle-resolved photo-emission spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that different types of three-dimensional charge-order pattern are realized in distinct members of a newly discovered family of superconductors with underlying kagome lattices.

A transition from three- to two-dimensional magnon transport in ultrathin yttrium iron garnet films reveals giant spin conductivity at room temperature.

Coupling charge transfer with molecular protonation processes yields electronic systems that display negative differential conductance, an effect that can be harnessed to implement a wide range of device configurations from logic gates to synaptic behaviour.

Spectral shifts in transient photoluminescence measurements performed with a confocal microscope allow tracking of charge carrier mobilities in polycrystalline halide perovskites.

Encoding information redundantly in a three-spin-qubit silicon device together with a novel quantum gate can protect against common errors.

Pine cones deform ultraslowly as humidity changes, which is mostly driven by the spring-shaped and square microtubular heterostructure of the vascular bundles. This mechanism inspires the development of soft actuators with imperceptible but efficient motion under environmental stimuli.

Scientists have designed a foldable, mechanical analogue of integrated circuits that could be used as a platform to fabricate intelligent metamaterials.

Two-dimensional electrons on the surface of an electride are found to exhibit a phase transition from a normal Fermi liquid to an interesting quantum liquid, which is probably a quantum version of an electronic crystal beyond the melting point.

Engineering inter-triplet exchange coupling allows spin mixing between singlet and quintet manifolds in triplet–triplet pair states in metal–organic frameworks, demonstrating increased room-temperature triplet-fusion rates under relatively small applied magnetic fields.

Additive manufacturing imparts defects in as-built titanium alloy microstructures, which form internally twinned nanoprecipitates with heat treatment to yield attractive mechanical properties.

Twisted bilayer graphene is epitaxially grown between two adjacent Cu(111) surfaces, with the twist angle controlled by the rotation of the Cu foils as designed.

This Review discusses the progress in and potential pathways for incorporating two-dimensional materials into silicon platforms, from integrated devices to monolithic circuits.

Designing highly ordered and ultrathin nanoporous membranes achieves superior water flux, while maintaining high selectivity for NaCl rejection.

Resonant X-ray scattering experiments have revealed a charge-ordered phase next to the recently discovered superconducting phase in layered nickelates — in remarkable analogy to the cuprate high-temperature superconductors.

In the absence of biochemical gradients, cancer cell migration over fibrillar isotropic collagen can occur by a mechanical self-steering process involving asymmetric matrix deformation from the rear.

Ensemble-level experimental evidence of exciton fine-structure splitting in perovskite quantum dots has been demonstrated, correlated to the intrinsic symmetry of these nanocrystals.