Article 13 October 2023 | Open Access Molecular mechanism of decision-making in glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis Heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are different glycosaminoglycan chains that are attached to core proteins via the same linker tetrasaccharide, and it was unclear how core proteins are specifically modified with HS or CS. Here, the authors determine that the CS-initiating glycosyltransferase CSGALNACT2 is promiscuous, whereas the HS-initiating glycosyltransferase EXTL3 selects only certain core proteins for modification. Douglas Sammon, Anja Krueger & Erhard Hohenester Comment 12 October 2023 | Open Access Process integration and future outlook of 2D transistors 2D semiconductors have been proposed as a potential option to replace or complement silicon electronics at the nanoscale. Here, the authors discuss the recent progress and remaining challenges that need to be addressed by the academic and industrial research communities towards the commercialization of 2D transistors. Kevin P. O’Brien, Carl H. Naylor & Uygar Avci Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Universal machine learning for the response of atomistic systems to external fields External fields, despite their significant influence on chemical processes, have been largely ignored in current machine learning potentials. Here, the authors introduce a field-induced model that captures system-field interactions rigorously. Yaolong Zhang & Bin Jiang Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Floquet non-Abelian topological insulator and multifold bulk-edge correspondence The authors propose an implementation of Floquet non-Abelian topological insulators in a 1D three-band system with parity-time symmetry. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the bulk-edge correspondence is multifold and follows the multiplication rule of a quaternion group. Tianyu Li & Haiping Hu Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Electroluminescence and hyperphosphorescence from stable blue Ir(III) carbene complexes with suppressed efficiency roll-off Deep-blue emitters and corresponding light-emitting devices are still in the progress to meet industrial standards. Here, the authors report catalytic interconversion of isomeric iridium(III) complexes and achieve true-blue emission and operational half-lifetime of over 10,000 h for tandem devices. Jie Yan, Dong-Ying Zhou & Yun Chi Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Cascaded metasurfaces for high-purity vortex generation The authors demonstrate an efficient way to generate high-purity vortex beams by applying optical neural networks to cascaded phase-only metasurfaces. Specifically, they present record-high-quality Laguerre-Gaussian (LGp,l) optical modes with polynomial orders p = 10 and l = 200 with purity in p, l and relative conversion efficiency of 96%, 85%, and 70%, respectively. Feng Mei, Geyang Qu & Shumin Xiao Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Bi-enzymatic chemo-mechanical feedback loop for continuous self-sustained actuation of conducting polymers Owing to their interesting applications from soft robotics to biomedicine, methodologies to produce artificial actuators are desirable. Herein the authors develop an autonomous soft bioelectrochemical actuator with self-sustained motion triggered by spontaneous enzymatic reactions. Serena Arnaboldi, Gerardo Salinas & Alexander Kuhn Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Integrated urban water management by coupling iron salt production and application with biogas upgrading Effective urban water management requires technological solutions that enable system-wide gains via a holistic approach. Here, authors propose an integrated system where an iron-oxidising electrochemical cell upgrades biogas while producing FeCO3 and subsequently uses the salt in wastewater treatment. Zhetai Hu, Lanqing Li & Zhiguo Yuan Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Acoustic frequency atomic spin oscillator in the quantum regime Realising a quantum-backaction-limited oscillator in the acoustic frequency range would have applications in sensing and metrology. Here, the authors reach this goal by demonstrating destructive interference between quantum back-action noise and shot noise down to sub-kHz range in a warm atomic vapor cell. Jun Jia, Valeriy Novikov & Eugene S. Polzik Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Dynamic and transformable Cu12 cluster-based C-H···π-stacked porous supramolecular frameworks The assembly of cluster-based π-stacked porous supramolecular frameworks presents daunting challenges. Here, the authors report a dynamic and transformable supramolecular framework based on Cu12 cluster and C-H···π-stacking with permanent porosity Chengkai Zhang, Zhi Wang & Di Sun Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Stamped production of single-crystal hexagonal boron nitride monolayers on various insulating substrates The growth of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on insulating substrates could promote high-end applications of 2D (opto-)electronic devices, but remains difficult to achieve. Here, the authors report a stamp-like growth-transfer technique to produce inch-sized single-crystal hBN and graphene monolayers on various insulating substrates. Fankai Zeng, Ran Wang & Xiaozhi Xu Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Ampere-hour-scale soft-package potassium-ion hybrid capacitors enabling 6-minute fast-charging Fast charging of electrochemical energy storage devices in under 10 minutes is desired but difficult to achieve in Li-ion batteries. Here, authors present an ampere-hour-scale potassium-ion hybrid capacitor, combining the merits of a battery and capacitor, and demonstrate a 6-minute charging time. Huanxin Li, Yi Gong & Shenglian Luo Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Manipulating Li2S2/Li2S mixed discharge products of all-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries for improved cycle life All-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries may avoid some of the drawbacks of their liquid electrolyte counterparts. Here, the authors elucidate the composition of discharge products in all-solid-state cells using spectroscopic techniques and propose a strategy to control the discharge product. Jung Tae Kim, Adwitiya Rao & Xueliang Sun Article 12 October 2023 | Open Access Deposition and water repelling of temperature-responsive nanopesticides on leaves Weak adhesion is a common hindrance to efficient utilization of pesticides in agricultural applications. Here, authors demonstrate leaf-adhesive tebuconazole nanopesticides which can be water-dispersed via flash nanoprecipitation using temperature-responsive copolymers PDMAEMA-b-PCL as the carrier. Jie Tang, Xiaojing Tong & Yisheng Xu Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Catalytic 4-exo-dig carbocyclization for the construction of furan-fused cyclobutanones and synthetic applications Aromatic ring fused cyclobutanone is a strained motif with broad applications. Here, the authors report a catalytic 4- exo-dig process, which proved successful to access furan-fused cyclobutanones that can serve as versatile synthetic blocks. Kemiao Hong, Yi Zhou & Xinfang Xu Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Fast generation of Schrödinger cat states using a Kerr-tunable superconducting resonator Schrodinger’s cat states constitute an important resource for quantum information processing, but present challenges in terms of scalabilty and controllability. Here, the authors exploit fast Kerr nonlinearity modulation to generate and store cat states in superconducting circuits in a more scalable way. X. L. He, Yong Lu & Z. R. Lin Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Integrated reconstructive spectrometer with programmable photonic circuits Recent years have seen a growing need for miniaturized spectroscopic tools. Here, authors present a novel integrated spectrometer with programmable photonic circuits, achieving record-high resolution and bandwidth via only a few filtering components. Chunhui Yao, Kangning Xu & Richard Penty Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Visible light-triggered selective C(sp2)-H/C(sp3)-H coupling of benzenes with aliphatic hydrocarbons The direct and selective coupling between unactivated C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H bonds is widely recognized as one of the most challenging tasks in organic synthesis. Here, the authors present an iron halidepromoted photochemical aerobic oxidation strategy for achieving such transformations. Qian-Yu Li, Shiyan Cheng & Lei Gong Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Electrically programmable magnetic coupling in an Ising network exploiting solid-state ionic gating Arranging nanomagnets into a two-dimensional lattice provides access to a rich landscape of magnetic behaviours. Control of the interactions between the nanomagnets after fabrication is a challenge. Here, Yun et al demonstrate all-electrical control of magnetic couplings in a two-dimensional array of nanomagnets using ionic gating. Chao Yun, Zhongyu Liang & Zhaochu Luo Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access A low-power vertical dual-gate neurotransistor with short-term memory for high energy-efficient neuromorphic computing Dendritic computing is a promising approach to enhance the processing capability of artificial neural networks. Here, the authors report the development of a neurotransistor based on a vertical dual-gate electrolyte-gated transistor with short-term memory characteristics, a 30 nm channel length, a low read power of ~3.16 fW and read energy of ~30 fJ for dendritic computing. Han Xu, Dashan Shang & Ming Liu Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Creating tunable lateral optical forces through multipolar interplay in single nanowires It is a significant challenge to create an interface-free lateral optical force under the illumination of a single polarized plane wave. Here, the authors provide a minimalist paradigm to address this challenge by exploiting multipolar interplay in a single elongated particle. Fan Nan, Francisco J. Rodríguez-Fortuño & Xiaohao Xu Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Multiple reaction pathway on alkaline earth imide supported catalysts for efficient ammonia synthesis The presence of electrically active defects on the surface of the support has been shown to be effective for N2 activation. Here the authors discover that electron-rich polyanionic NH2− defect allows for efficient ammonia synthesis via multiple reaction pathway by incorporating various affordable transition metals. Zichuang Li, Yangfan Lu & Tian-Nan Ye Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access High-temperature electrothermal remediation of multi-pollutants in soil Soil contamination is a pressing environmental concern due to increasing anthropogenic activity. Here, the authors developed a rapid and energy-efficient electrothermal process that simultaneously removes heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil. Bing Deng, Robert A. Carter & James M. Tour Article 11 October 2023 | Open Access Meteorological drivers of resource adequacy failures in current and high renewable Western U.S. power systems Sundar and colleagues characterize large-scale circulation patterns that drive resource adequacy failures in the Western U.S. at increasing wind and solar penetrations by integrating power system and synoptic meteorology methods. They find that at 60% renewable penetration and across analyzed weather years, three high pressure patterns drive nearly all resource adequacy failures. Srihari Sundar, Michael T. Craig & Flavio Lehner Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Supramolecular catalysis with ethers enabled by dual chalcogen bonding activation The activation of ethers by weak interactions in supramolecular catalysis remains challenging. Here, the authors describe an activation mode based on dual Se···π and Se···O bonding, that can activate benzylic as well as allylic ether C-O σ-bonds to achieve cyclization, coupling and elimination reactions. Zhiguo Zhao, Yuanling Pang & Yao Wang Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Fully automatic transfer and measurement system for structural superlubric materials A critical step to enable practical structural superlubricity (SSL) applications is to enable high throughput to both fabrication and performance evaluation. Here, the authors demonstrate an automated system for efficient and multiple SSL materials transfer and tribological measurement. Li Chen, Cong Lin & Ming Ma Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access PdCu nanoalloy decorated photocatalysts for efficient and selective oxidative coupling of methane in flow reactors Efficient and stable photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane to C2 products is revealed by Tang’s group via synergistic effects of a PdCu nanoalloy cocatalyst which achieves high TONPdCu of 12642 and TOFPdCu of 116 h−1 with >100 hour stability. Xiyi Li, Chao Wang & Junwang Tang Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Predicting discrete-time bifurcations with deep learning Critical transitions and qualitative changes of dynamics in cardiac, ecological, and economical systems, can be characterized by discrete-time bifurcations. The authors propose a deep learning framework that provides early warning signals for critical transitions in discrete-time experimental data. Thomas M. Bury, Daniel Dylewsky & Gil Bub Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Chirality-induced avalanche magnetization of magnetite by an RNA precursor Homochirality, a key feature of life, has unknown origins. Magnetic mineral surfaces can act as chiral agents, but are only weakly magnetized by nature. Here, the authors report the uniform magnetization of magnetite by an RNA precursor that spreads across the surface like an avalanche. S. Furkan Ozturk, Deb Kumar Bhowmick & Dimitar D. Sasselov Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Colossal negative magnetoresistance in field-induced Weyl semimetal of magnetic half-Heusler compound Half-Heusler alloys containing rare earth ions have attracted interest due to combination of band-inversion and magnetism. Ueda et al study less studied trivial semiconductor HoAuSn, and show that it undergoes a magnetic field induced transition to a Weyl semimetal state, with a large reduction in the resistance. Kentaro Ueda, Tonghua Yu & Yoshinori Tokura Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access First demonstration of in-memory computing crossbar using multi-level Cell FeFET Designing efficient in-memory-computing architectures remains a challenge. Here the authors develop a multi-level FeFET crossbar for multi-bit MAC operations encoded in activation time and accumulated current with experimental validation at 28nm achieving 96.6% accuracy and high performance of 885 TOPS/W. Taha Soliman, Swetaki Chatterjee & Hussam Amrouch Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Photothermally heated colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles driven by silica-encapsulated plasmonic heat sources Photothermal solution heating with nanoscale heat sources is an efficient alternative to conventional heating methods. Here, the authors use silica-encapsulated gold nanoparticles to drive the colloidal synthesis of iron oxide, silver, and palladium nanoparticles at lower temperatures. Aritra Biswas, Nir Lemcoff & Yossi Weizmann Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Synthesis of piperidines and pyridine from furfural over a surface single-atom alloy Ru1CoNP catalyst The synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles from biomass is scarcely known. Here, the authors report a strategy for the N-heterocyclic piperidines synthesis by one-pot amination of the bio-based furfural utilizing a Ru1CoNP/HAP surface single-atom alloy catalyst. Haifeng Qi, Yurou Li & Tao Zhang Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Light-driven nucleation, growth, and patterning of biorelevant crystals using resonant near-infrared laser heating Natural biominerals deposit with precise spatial and temporal control, but such control is difficult to replicate artificially. Here, the authors start, steer, and stop the crystallization of biorelevant minerals by user-defined light patterns. Marloes H. Bistervels, Balázs Antalicz & Willem L. Noorduin Article 10 October 2023 | Open Access Structure-based design of a phosphotyrosine-masked covalent ligand targeting the E3 ligase SOCS2 SH2 domains are challenging to target using small molecules. Here, the authors develop phosphotyrosine-based covalent ligands of the E3 ligase SOCS2 using structure-based design. A pro-drug approach yields cell active inhibitors that block SOCS2 substrate recruitment. Sarath Ramachandran, Nikolai Makukhin & Alessio Ciulli Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Porphene and porphite as porphyrin analogs of graphene and graphite Here the authors report Zn porphene, a member of a new organic metalloporphene family. Similar to graphene, these also are fully conjugated 2D polymers, but are composed of fused metalloporphyrin rings. Thomas F. Magnera, Paul I. Dron & Josef Michl Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Phase regulation enabling dense polymer-based composite electrolytes for solid-state lithium metal batteries Polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) with residual solvents are appealing for room-temperature battery operations. Here, the authors present a phase regulation approach to achieve a dense electrolyte and enhance ionic conductivity through the incorporation of MoSe2 sheets. Qian Wu, Mandi Fang & Yingying Lu Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Crystal dissolution by particle detachment Crystal dissolution has been predominately viewed as a process of ion-by-ion detachment into a surrounding solvent. Here, the authors report an alternative mechanism of dissolution by particle detachment. Guomin Zhu, Benjamin A. Legg & James J. De Yoreo Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Asymmetric formal sp2-hydrocarbonations of dienes and alkynes via palladium hydride catalysis Sp2 carbon nucleophiles are generally not considered for transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrofunctionalizations of unsaturated bonds due to challenges in cleaving corresponding inert sp2 C-H bonds. Here, the authors report a protocol to achieve asymmetric formal sp2 hydrocarbonations, including hydroalkenylation, hydroallenylation and hydroketenimination of both 1,3-dienes and alkynes via hydroalkylation and Wittig reaction cascade Ming-Qiao Tang, Zi-Jiang Yang & Zhi-Tao He Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Cloaking a qubit in a cavity Circuit QED with strongly driven cavities is a powerful framework for quantum technologies, but often undesired effects on the qubit are introduced. Here, by using an external tone tailored to destructively interfere with the cavity field, the authors show how a transmon can be protected from these unwanted effects. Cristóbal Lledó, Rémy Dassonneville & Alexandre Blais Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Concretized structural evolution supported assembly-controlled film-forming kinetics in slot-die coated organic photovoltaics The film-forming kinetics for large-area devices remains unclear for organic solar cells. Here, the authors propose assembly-controlled kinetics with the assembly determined by molecular configuration and tuned via external effects, contributing to the screening of device fabrication conditions. Hao Zhang, Chenyang Tian & Zhixiang Wei Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Electronic Janus lattice and kagome-like bands in coloring-triangular MoTe2 monolayers 2D materials with Kagome lattices have attracted significant interest due to their exotic electronic properties. Here, the authors report the synthesis and characterization of a 2D MoTe2 phase characterized by a colouring-triangular lattice (a Kagome variant), showing evidence of Dirac-like and flat electronic bands. Le Lei, Jiaqi Dai & Wei Ji Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Induced photoelectron circular dichroism onto an achiral chromophore An achiral molecule can acquire a chiral spectroscopic signature when interacting with a chiral host. Here, the authors report the asymmetry in the electron distribution following ionisation of phenol complexed by chiral methyloxirane, which reflects an induced chirality onto the achiral phenol. Etienne Rouquet, Madhusree Roy Chowdhury & Anne Zehnacker Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Joining of metallic glasses in liquid via ultrasonic vibrations Under-liquid joining of metals has far-reaching implications for energy storage, space exploration, offshore mining and defense. Here, the authors report an alternative method to join metallic glasses firmly under water, seawater, flammable alcohol and even cryogenic liquid nitrogen. Luyao Li, Xin Li & Jiang Ma Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Record ages of non-Markovian scale-invariant random walks Record ages characterise rare and extreme events in stochastic processes, however, their evaluation is challenging when interaction with environment and memory effects are present in the random walk. The authors determine the statistics of record ages for a broad class of non-Markovian random walks and reveal their general features. Léo Régnier, Maxim Dolgushev & Olivier Bénichou Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Surfactant-free interfacial growth of graphdiyne hollow microspheres and the mechanistic origin of their SERS activity The 2D carbon allotrope graphdiyne possesses a direct band gap, high charge carrier mobility, and uniformly distributed pores. Here, the authors report the surfactant-free growth of graphdiyne hollow microspheres and investigate the origin of their SERS activity. Lu Zhang,, Wencai Yi, & Lanqun Mao Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Dual-modal piezotronic transistor for highly sensitive vertical force sensing and lateral strain sensing Developing mechanical sensors with two working modes for detecting vertical force and lateral strain is challenging. Here, Ge et al. report a piezotronic transistor with protrusions that enable dual-modal functionality and improve sensing performance. Rui Ge, Qiuhong Yu & Yong Qin Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Electrostatic force promoted intermolecular stacking of polymer donors toward 19.4% efficiency binary organic solar cells The low structural order of conjugated polymers limits their photovoltaic properties in organic solar cells. Here, the authors report a conjugated molecule as molecular bridge via electrostatic force for enhancing intermolecular packing, achieving certified efficiency close to 19% in binary devices. Zirui Gan, Liang Wang & Tao Wang Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access Carrier multiplication in perovskite solar cells with internal quantum efficiency exceeding 100% While there has been evidence of strong carrier multiplication effects in halide perovskites, studies in actual solar cells are lacking. Here, the authors demonstrate such effects with a low threshold of 2Eg and a high efficiency of 99.4%, realizing unbiased internal quantum efficiency up to 160%. Yue Wang, Senyun Ye & Tze Chien Sum Article 09 October 2023 | Open Access In vivo noninvasive systemic myography of acute systemic vasoactivity in female pregnant mice The assessment of selective therapeutics targeted to treat altered vasoactivity, a major characteristic of cardiovascular and oncological diseases, is still challenging due to unknown whole-body selectivity. Here the authors demonstrate that photoacoustic tomography has the potential to capture significant acute vasodilation of major arteries and vasculature selectivity. Kristie Huda, Dylan J. Lawrence & Carolyn L. Bayer