13 November 2023 | Open Access Environmental memory boosts group formation of clueless individuals Indirect coordination among individuals through the environment typically requires some basic levels of communication and information processing. Dias et al. introduce a coordination mechanism that emerges in a population of clueless individuals, facilitated by environmental memory, culminating in group formation. Cristóvão S. Dias, Manish Trivedi & Giorgio Volpe Article 13 November 2023 | Open Access Mitigating stimulated Brillouin scattering in multimode fibers with focused output via wavefront shaping The authors demonstrate a high-power delivery through a highly multimode optical fiber by shaping the incident wavefront of a laser beam to strongly suppress the stimulated Brillouin scattering in the fiber and simultaneously control the output beam profile. Chun-Wei Chen, Linh V. Nguyen & Hui Cao Article 13 November 2023 | Open Access Melting and defect transitions in FeO up to pressures of Earth’s core-mantle boundary Multi-technique synchrotron measurements support the viability of solid FeO-rich structures at Earth’s mantle base. An order-disorder transition identified in the iron defect structure of FeO may lead to unique physical properties in the region. Vasilije V. Dobrosavljevic, Dongzhou Zhang & Jennifer M. Jackson Article 13 November 2023 | Open Access Impact of vaccinations, boosters and lockdowns on COVID-19 waves in French Polynesia In this study, the authors develop a mathematical modelling framework to estimate the impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination on COVID-19 incidence. The model accounts for changes in SARS-CoV-2 variant and population immunity, and here they use it to investigate epidemic dynamics in French Polynesia. Lloyd A. C. Chapman, Maite Aubry & Adam J. Kucharski Article 13 November 2023 | Open Access Evidence for charge delocalization crossover in the quantum critical superconductor CeRhIn5 Heavy-fermion superconductors feature a magnetic quantum critical point linked to the Kondo effect breakdown. Wang et al. use pressure-dependent Hall measurements to identify a crossover energy scale, confirming this in pure CeRhIn5, while revealing a shift to spin density wave criticality with Sn-doping. Honghong Wang, Tae Beom Park & Tuson Park Article 13 November 2023 | Open Access The carbonyl-lock mechanism underlying non-aromatic fluorescence in biological matter Recent experimental evidence shows a new type of intrinsic fluorescence in biomolecules void of aromatic chemical compounds whose origin is unclear. Here, the authors use non-adiabatic AIMD simulations to show a potential carbonyl-lock mechanism originating this phenomenon. Gonzalo Díaz Mirón, Jonathan A. Semelak & Uriel N. Morzan Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Dynamic construction of refractive index-dependent vibrations using surface plasmon-phonon polaritons Molecular vibrations serve as valuable signatures for the constituent elements and bonding in compounds. Here, using Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption spectroscopy, the authors study refractive index dependent vibrations of surface phonon polaritons and surface plasmon platform, targeting dynamic biomonitoring. Hong Zhou, Zhihao Ren & Chengkuo Lee Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Data-driven discovery of electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction using active motifs-based machine learning Conventional ab initio calculations and machine learning provide limited information on catalytic activity and selectivity and often show discrepancy with experimental results. Here, the authors report a high-throughput virtual screening strategy to identify active and selective catalysts, leading to the discovery of Cu-Ga and Cu-Pd catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. Dong Hyeon Mok, Hong Li & Seoin Back Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Synthesis of dienes from pyrrolidines using skeletal modification Saturated N-heterocyclic pyrrolidines are common in natural products and medicinal compounds, but reconstruction of their skeletal structures to access new chemical space is a challenging. Here, the authors report a skeletal modification strategy for conversion of polar cyclic pyrrolidines into nonpolar linear dienes through a N-atom removal and deconstruction process. Haitao Qin, Ting Guo & Hongjian Lu Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Resorbable barrier polymers for flexible bioelectronics Resorbable bioelectronic devices have potential as tools for monitoring physiological parameters, but short functional lifetimes have slowed translation. Here, the authors report succinate-based copolyesters with barrier properties able to extend the functional lifetime of devices. Samantha M. McDonald, Quansan Yang & Matthew L. Becker Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Diatomic iron nanozyme with lipoxidase-like activity for efficient inactivation of enveloped virus Enveloped viruses encased within a lipid bilayer membrane are highly contagious and cause diseases like influenza and COVID-19, so strategies for their prevention and inactivation are needed. Here, the authors develop a diatomic iron nanozyme with lipoxidase-like activity for the inactivation of enveloped viruses, where the diatomic iron sites destroy the viral envelope via lipid peroxidation. Beibei Li, Ruonan Ma & Yadong Li Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access An on-demand bioresorbable neurostimulator Despite promising advantages, bioresorbable electronics face practical limitations due to unpredictable device lifetimes. Here, the authors introduce an on-demand bioresorbable neurostimulator powered by biosafe ultrasound to treat peripheral nerve injury and neuropathies. Dong-Min Lee, Minki Kang & Sang-Woo Kim Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Topological magnons driven by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the centrosymmetric ferromagnet Mn5Ge3 Magnons are excitations of magnetic materials that can have topological properties similar to those of electrons. Here, the authors show that the magnons of the bulk ferromagnet Mn5Ge3 are topological and can be controlled with a magnetic field. M. dos Santos Dias, N. Biniskos & S. Lounis Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Direct observation of intrinsic room-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D layered CuCrP2S6 CuCrP2S6 is a potential candidate for realizing low-dimensional multiferroicity. Here, authors report direct observation of robust out-of-plane ferroelectricity in the two-dimensional van der Waals layered CuCrP2S6 at room temperature down to 2.6 nm and study its origin from an atomic perspective. (299 in total) Weng Fu Io, Sin -Yi Pang & Jianhua Hao Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Condensation of preformed charge density waves in kagome metals The mechanism of the charge density wave in AV3Sb5 kagome metals is still actively discussed. Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, the authors propose a mechanism of the transition based on the condensation of preformed charge-ordered states and resolve several outstanding experimental issues. Changwon Park & Young-Woo Son Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Holographic codes from hyperinvariant tensor networks The quantum error-correcting codes formed by tensor network models of holography have so far failed to produce the expected correlation functions in the boundary states. Here, the authors fill this gap by modifying a previously proposed model of hyperinvariant tensor networks. Matthew Steinberg, Sebastian Feld & Alexander Jahn Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Nanomedicine-based co-delivery of a calcium channel inhibitor and a small molecule targeting CD47 for lung cancer immunotherapy Lung cancer is characterized by an immunosuppressive microenvironment, limiting responses to immunotherapies. Here the authors report the design of a pH-responsive nanomedicine for the co-delivery of a T-type calcium channel inhibitor and of a small molecule targeting CD47, promoting anti-tumor immune responses in orthotopic lung cancer preclinical models. Yuedong Guo, Qunqun Bao & Jianlin Shi Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Lung SORT LNPs enable precise homology-directed repair mediated CRISPR/Cas genome correction in cystic fibrosis models Roughly 10% of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients still have no effective medicine to take. Lung Selective Organ Targeting (SORT) Lipid Nanoparticles can efficiently deliver Cas9 mRNA, sgRNA, and donor ssDNA templates for precise homology-directed repair-mediated gene correction in ex vivo and in vivo CF models. Tuo Wei, Yehui Sun & Daniel J. Siegwart Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Constructing temporal networks with bursty activity patterns Many real-world systems are characterized by bursty dynamics with interchanging periods of intense activity and quiescence. The authors propose a method to construct temporal networks that match a given activity pattern, and apply it to empirical bursty patterns. Anzhi Sheng, Qi Su & Joshua B. Plotkin Article 11 November 2023 | Open Access Relational visual representations underlie human social interaction recognition Humans are adept at recognizing social interactions in visual scenes. Here, the authors develop a computational model of this ability, and show that humans can make complex social interaction judgments using relational visual representations. Manasi Malik & Leyla Isik Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Visualizing ultrafast photothermal dynamics with decoupled optical force nanoscopy Diving deep into material insights, the authors introduce the ‘Decoupled Optical Force Nanoscopy’. This innovation uncovers the physical origins of light induced forces and captures dynamic thermal details with unparalleled nanometer precision. Hanwei Wang, Sean M. Meyer & Yang Zhao Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Exploiting redundancy in large materials datasets for efficient machine learning with less data Big data is crucial for machine learning, but the redundancies in the datasets are rarely studied. Here the authors reveal significant redundancy in large materials datasets, showing that up to 95% of data can be removed without impacting prediction accuracy. Kangming Li, Daniel Persaud & Jason Hattrick-Simpers Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Thermo-responsive chiral micelles as recyclable organocatalyst for asymmetric Rauhut-Currier reaction in water Developing eco-friendly chiral organocatalysts with the combined advantages of homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous processes is challenging. Here, the authors present, a family of amphiphilic one handed helical polyisocyanides bearing phosphine pendants which self-assembled into well-defined chiral micelles in water and show thermo-responsiveness Lei Xu, Li Zhou & Zong-Quan Wu Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Site-selected in situ polymerization for living cell surface engineering Constructing polymer-based mimics on the surface of cells has potential to manipulate cell behavior, but precise control of grafting sites is challenging. Here, the authors report a method for site selected radical polymerization on cell surfaces by metabolic labelling. Yihong Zhong, Lijia Xu & Huangxian Ju Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Hierarchically manufactured chiral plasmonic nanostructures with gigantic chirality for polarized emission and information encryption The application of chiral metamaterials is limited by the fabrication of large-area chiral plasmonic structures with high dissymmetry factors. Here, the authors overcome this limitation imparting extrinsic chirality to hierarchical nanostructured polymer substrates with application in quantum and security enhanced optical communications. Yoon Ho Lee, Yousang Won & Joon Hak Oh Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Unraveling the optoelectronic properties of CoSbx intrinsic selective solar absorber towards high-temperature surfaces The efficiency of CoSbx (where 2 < x < 3) as a selective solar absorber is investigated. Here, authors demonstrate that CoSbx endows broadband solar absorption (0.96) and simultaneous low emissivity (0.18), making it a promising material for use in solar energy systems. Anastasiia Taranova, Kamran Akbar & Alberto Vomiero Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Precursor region with full phonon softening above the charge-density-wave phase transition in 2H-TaSe2 The authors study the charge-density-wave (CDW) compound 2H-TaSe2 by inelastic x-ray scattering combined with photoemission spectroscopy. They find evidence for a precursor region above the CDW transition temperature, which is characterized by an overdamped phonon mode and is not detectable by photoemission. Xingchen Shen, Rolf Heid & Frank Weber Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Extended X-ray absorption fine structure of dynamically-compressed copper up to 1 terapascal Dynamic compression experiments enable material studies in regimes relevant for planetary science, but temperature is difficult to measure in these challenging conditions. Here, the authors report on temperature, density, pressure, and structure of dynamically compressed Cu up to 1 TPa determined from extended x-ray absorption fine structure and velocimetry. H. Sio, A. Krygier & Y. Ping Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Operando Li metal plating diagnostics via MHz band electromagnetics Internal growth of Li-metal deposition is critical for evaluating the state of safety in lithium-ion batteries. Here the authors show a Li-metal detection method utilizing high-frequency electromagnetics, which can be assembled as a sensor for monitoring cycle-by-cycle growth of Li-metal plating. Masanori Ishigaki, Keisuke Ishikawa & Tsuyoshi Sasaki Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Observational evidence of accelerating electron holes and their effects on passing ions Electron holes with drift speeds comparable to local ion thermal velocity are called slow electron holes. Here, the authors show slow electron holes with non-zero acceleration can cause net velocity change of ions passing through. Yue Dong, Zhigang Yuan & J. L. Burch Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Reentrance of interface superconductivity in a high-Tc cuprate heterostructure The authors study interface superconductivity in over-doped La2-xSrxCuO4/La2CuO4 heterostructures. As x increases, the superconductivity is killed at x = 0.8 but fully recovers at x = 1.0, a “re-entrant” superconductivity. J. Y. Shen, C. Y. Shi & J. Wu Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Time-domain observation of interlayer exciton formation and thermalization in a MoSe2/WSe2 heterostructure Here, the authors use ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy with a broadband white-light probe to simultaneously resolve interlayer charge transfer and interlayer exciton formation dynamics in a MoSe2/WSe2 heterostructure. Veronica R. Policht, Henry Mittenzwey & Stefano Dal Conte Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access Bifunctionality of dirhodium tetracarboxylates in metallaphotocatalysis Traditional metallaphotocatalysis often requires two or more separate catalysts and is considered to be costly and not tolerant towards a wide substrate scope. Here the authors realize metallaphotocatalysis with a bifunctional dirhodium tetracarboxylate as single catalyst component to merge carbenoid chemistry and 1O2 chemistry. Taoda Shi, Tianyuan Zhang & Wenhao Hu Article 10 November 2023 | Open Access A statistical framework for differential pseudotime analysis with multiple single-cell RNA-seq samples Pseudotime analysis is prevalent in single-cell RNA-seq, but it remains challenging to perform it across multiple samples and experimental conditions. Here, the authors develop Lamian, a computational framework for multi-sample pseudotime analysis that adjusts for biological and technical variation to detect gene program changes along cell trajectories and across conditions. Wenpin Hou, Zhicheng Ji & Hongkai Ji Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Electrocatalytic valorization of lignocellulose-derived aromatics at industrial-scale current densities The authors report a flow-cell system equipped with highly-electrolyte permeable Rh diffusion cathode for electrocatalytic hydrogenation of important bio-oil aromatic molecules at industrial-scale current densities. Tao Peng, Wenbin Zhang & Wei Zhao Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Observing the universal screening of a Kondo impurity Previous work on charge Kondo circuits, in which a spin is formed by two degenerate charge states of a metallic island, has been limited to transport measurements of multi-channel Kondo problems. Piquard et al. use thermodynamic measurements via a charge sensor to study the evolution of a single Kondo impurity. C. Piquard, P. Glidic & F. Pierre Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Superconducting nonlinear transport in optically driven high-temperature K3C60 The authors report ultrafast transport measurements on the photo-excited superconducting state in K3C60. They observe characteristic superconducting nonlinear current-voltage responses. E. Wang, J. D. Adelinia & A. Cavalleri Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access 2D quasi-layered material with domino structure Interlayer coupling strength classifies 2D materials into layered and non-layered types. Here authors introduce the concept of quasi-layered domino-structured materials, the interlayer of which have a synergistic blend of vdW forces and covalent bonds. Haihui Lan, Luyang Wang & Lei Fu Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Large composite fermion effective mass at filling factor 5/2 The fractional quantum Hall state at the filling factor 5/2 has been intensively studied due to its predicted non-Abelian statistics. Petrescu et al. measure the composite fermion effective mass of this state and find that it is several times larger than that in the half-filled lowest Landau level. M. Petrescu, Z. Berkson-Korenberg & G. Gervais Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Stepwise taming of triplet excitons via multiple confinements in intrinsic polymers for long-lived room-temperature phosphorescence Materials with room temperature phosphorescence have potential in a range of applications, but preparing the systems can still be challenging. Here, the authors report an intrinsically polymeric room temperature phosphorescent material, applied in crack detection. Liang Gao, Jiayue Huang & Chaolong Yang Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Improving the photovoltage of Cu2O photocathodes with dual buffer layers Increasing the photovoltage of the Cu2O photocathode plays an important role in photocatalytic water splitting. Here the authors construct a dual buffer layer to optimize the band alignment between the n-type layer and the protective layer, which improves the onset potential of the Cu2O photocathode by 0.16 V. Jinshui Cheng, Linxiao Wu & Jingshan Luo Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Metafiber transforming arbitrarily structured light Structured light has proven useful for numerous photonic applications. However, its current use in optical fibers is severely limited. The authors report a highly integrated metafiber platform based on 3D laser nanoprinting, capable of creating arbitrarily structured light. Chenhao Li, Torsten Wieduwilt & Haoran Ren Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Polymer architecture dictates multiple relaxation processes in soft networks with two orthogonal dynamic bonds Materials with tunable modulus, viscosity, and complex viscoelastic spectra are crucial in various applications but it remains challenging to design polymer networks with predicted hierarchical relaxation processes. Here, the authors synthesize networks with both pendant and telechelic architectures using mixed orthogonal dynamic bonds to understand how the network connectivity and bond exchange mechanisms govern the overall relaxation spectrum. Sirui Ge, Yu-Hsuan Tsao & Christopher M. Evans Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Local control of superconductivity in a NbSe2/CrSBr van der Waals heterostructure Two-dimensional magnets and superconductors are emerging as tunable building blocks for quantum computing and superconducting spintronic devices. Here, Jo et al. demonstrate NbSe2/CrSBr van der Waals superconducting spin valves that exhibit infinite magnetoresistance and nonreciprocal charge transport, arising from a unique metamagnetic transition in CrSBr. Junhyeon Jo, Yuan Peisen & Luis E. Hueso Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Sphingomyelin-derived nanovesicles for the delivery of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat enhance metastatic and post-surgical melanoma immunotherapy Epacadostat is a selective IDO1 inhibitor shown to promote anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical models, however it has failed in a Phase III clinical trial for treating metastatic melanoma. Here the authors design a sphingomyelin-derived nanovesicle system for epacadostat delivery with improved pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor activity when combined with a PD-1 inhibitor in melanoma preclinical models. Zhiren Wang, Wenpan Li & Jianqin Lu Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Electrocatalytic on-site oxygenation for transplanted cell-based-therapies Oxygen is the most limiting factor in cell transplantation. Here, the authors present an on-site oxygen production platform for implantable cell therapeutics via electrocatalytic water electrolysis, demonstrating the maintenance of high cell loading in hypoxic incubation and a rat model. Inkyu Lee, Abhijith Surendran & Tzahi Cohen-Karni Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Tailoring chemical composition of solid electrolyte interphase by selective dissolution for long-life micron-sized silicon anode The severe volume expansion during the lithiation of micron-sized Si in Li-ion batteries requires a solid electrolyte interphase with reinforced mechanical stability. Here, the authors propose a solvent-induced selective dissolution strategy to regulate the mechanical properties of the interphase. Yi-Fan Tian, Shuang-Jie Tan & Yu-Guo Guo Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Fabrication of robust and cost-efficient Hoffmann-type MOF sensors for room temperature ammonia detection Developing fast-responsive NH3 sensors at room temperature is challenging. Here the authors developed robust Hoffmann-type MOF based NH3 sensors with a low detection limit (25 ppb) and quick response (5 s). The sensors exhibit high NH3 selectivity, stability, and easy recovery. Sa Wang, Yu Fu & Zhenjie Zhang Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Ceramic thin-film composite membranes with tunable subnanometer pores for molecular sieving Ceramic membranes are a promising alternative to polymeric membranes for selective separations, given their ability to operate under harsh chemical conditions. Here authors demonstrate a molecular-level design of ceramic membranes with tunable subnanometer pores. Xuechen Zhou, Rahul Shevate & Menachem Elimelech Article 09 November 2023 | Open Access Large area inkjet-printed OLED fabrication with solution-processed TADF ink Low-cost manufacturing of large-scale thermally activated delayed fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes has been restricted due to their incompatibility with solution processing techniques. Here, authors develop inkjet printing ink formulation to fabricate patterns without use of lithography. Chandra Kant, Atul Shukla & Monica Katiyar