Communications Materials

Memristors are nonlinear dynamic devices with applications in memory and neuromorphic computing. As memristors scale down to sub-2 nanometer thickness, atomic design is crucial for controlling switching dynamics. Here, we show the design of sub-2 nanometer MgO/Ga2O3/Al2O3 memristors with a bilayer structure consisting of a switching layer and an oxygen vacancy layer using in vacuo atomic layer de…

Abstract Lithium-ion (LiBs) and sodium-ion batteries (NaBs) are vital for energy storage but suffer at low temperatures due to electrolyte solidification, low ionic conductivity, and high interfacial resistance. Organic electrode materials offer advantages such as low cost, tunable structures, and flexibility, yet are limited by poor conductivity and solubility. Here, we report a facilely synthes…

Abstract Quantum magnonics leverages the quantum properties of magnons to advance nanoscale quantum information technologies. Ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet (YIG), valued for its exceptionally low magnetic damping, is typically grown as thin films on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) for lattice matching. However, paramagnetic GGG introduces additional damping at low temperatures due to substrat…

Abstract Owing to their exceptional chemical and electronic tunability, metal–organic frameworks can be designed to develop magnetic ground states — however, the typically weak exchange interactions mediated by the diamagnetic organic ligands result in ordering temperatures confined to the cryogenic limit. The itinerant magnetic ground state realized in the chromium-based framework Cr(tri) 2 (CF …

The integration of large language models (LLMs) with domain-specific computational tools provides a pathway to streamline and enhance materials science workflows. This paper introduces MatSciAgent, a multi-agent framework supporting tasks such as materials data retrieval, continuum simulation, crystal structure generation, and molecular dynamics simulation. At its core is a master agent that inte…

Quantitatively determining a material’s tendency to gain or lose electrons is crucial for triboelectric devices but remains challenging. Here, we introduce a dual-reference triboelectric sensor integrated with deep learning to rapidly estimate surface potential. An unknown material is contacted with two reference surfaces of opposite triboelectric polarity, producing paired electrical signals tha…

Metal oxides are used in a broad array of technological applications. However, only a small subset of oxide materials are semiconducting, which limits the range of chemical compositions available for engineering. Here we demonstrate a strategy for driving insulating metal oxides into a semiconducting state with ultra-low thermal conductivity (less than 1 W/m/K) by introducing configurational entr…

Achieving both low voltage loss and efficient charge generation remains a major challenge in advancing high-performance organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Here, we show that photovoltaic cells using PTNT1-F—a dithienonaphthobisthiadiazole (TNT)-based polymer recently developed by our group—exhibit a notably low nonradiative voltage loss (∆Vnr) of 0.18 V, suggesting a minimal driving force for charge g…

Superstructure with emitting Quantum Dots (QD) as building blocks can bring new avenues to rational design in the synthesis of desired QD based functional materials with novel optical properties. Here we report one pot colloidal synthesis of self assembled flower like superstructures from InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs having yellow emission with photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 87 %. Such highly emis…

The fabrication and advancement of multifunctional nanomaterials have long been a focus of attention in applied research. This is primarily attributed to their ability to integrate multiple desirable properties into a single material system, which not only enhances operational efficiency but also reduces the reliance on complex multi-component systems. Using a facile physical approach, we synthes…

Abstract The oxidation state control of polyvalent cations within materials is a pivotal determinant of their macroscopic properties and practical functionalities, from persistent and stress-stimulated luminescence, to energy storage and photocatalytic activity. Nonetheless, the resulting redox state is highly sensitive to synthetic conditions, and quantifying techniques aimed at its determinatio…

Abstract Fast pixelated detectors in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) enable acquisition of a two-dimensional diffraction pattern at every probe position, known as four-dimensional STEM (4D-STEM). In 4D-STEM, each measured intensity has dual character, forming a pixel in diffraction space, and equally a pixel in real space. Applying binary masks in diffraction space is often used …

A pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) has recently been discovered in the nodal-line ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6. The electronic phase transition is accompanied by anomalies in the magnetic ordering temperature and the anomalous Hall conductivity, which peak at or near the critical pressure of the IMT. We perform density functional theory (DFT) calculations as a function of pressure to…

Abstract The development of high-efficiency thermal insulation materials is crucial for terrestrial and space applications under extreme conditions. Synthetic aerogels, featuring porosities up to 99%, can reach the values of ~10 mW m −1 K −1 under vacuum. However, whether natural materials can achieve this performance remains an open question. Here, we report lunar agglutinates from the Chang’E-5…

Silicon on insulator technology requires precise control of buried oxide layers and the associated heat transfer across interfaces. Current approaches struggle to predict oxygen distribution and layer thickness after implantation and annealing, and they face challenges in computing interfacial thermal resistance under complex conditions. Here we show a computational framework that integrates mach…

Abstract Liquid crystal (LC)-aqueous interfaces were shown to respond to the phospholipid interactions via optically observable ordering transitions; however, past attempts lack the quantification of the transport and fusion kinetics of the vesicles at the interfaces. Herein, we investigated the response of flowing LC-aqueous interfaces upon fusion of the vesicles formed by pure 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-…

Abstract Titanium alloys owe their superior fatigue performance to a lack of extrinsic nucleation sites for cracking, but this also results in difficulty in developing fine, 10 nm scale precipitates to provide fatigue strength. Conventional Ti alloys used for large components such as jet engine discs must instead develop a hierarchical microstructure through successive waves of nucleation. Here w…