21 December 2023 | Open Access Selective amide bond formation in redox-active coacervate protocells Coacervate droplets are promising protocells that sequester nutrients, but how new peptides could be synthesized inside coacervates remains a mystery. Here, the authors develop redox-active coacervates that facilitate the formation of new peptide bonds. Jiahua Wang, Manzar Abbas & Evan Spruijt Article 21 December 2023 | Open Access Stoichiometry validation of supramolecular complexes with a hydrocarbon cage host by van ’t Hoff analyses “van ’t Hoff, the first Nobel laureate, invented a double-arrow formalism to define equilibria in 1884. Here, the authors apply his accompanying method, the van ’t Hoff plot, to a modern problem to decide the stoichiometry of supramolecular complexes.” Toshiya M. Fukunaga, Yuzuka Onaka & Hiroyuki Isobe Article 21 December 2023 | Open Access Magnetic order in 2D antiferromagnets revealed by spontaneous anisotropic magnetostriction Van der Waals antiferromagnets offer a unique platform for studying magnetism in reduced dimensions, however, the low dimensionality, combined with lack of net magnetization, renders investigation challenging with conventional experimental probes. Here, Houmes et al show how van der Waals antiferromagnets can be investigated via the resonances of a vibrating rectangular membranes of this material. Maurits J. A. Houmes, Gabriele Baglioni & Herre S. J. van der Zant Article 21 December 2023 | Open Access A broad-spectrum gas sensor based on correlated two-dimensional electron gas Gas sensors typically detect only few specific gases; the authors show a broad-spectrum sensor based on correlated 2-dimensional electron gas (C-2DEG), which detects various gases quantitatively and measures partial pressures, through a purely physical mechanism. Yuhao Hong, Long Wei & Zhaoliang Liao Article 21 December 2023 | Open Access Solvent-pair surfactants enabled assembly of clusters and copolymers towards programmed mesoporous metal oxides A solvent-pair surfactants enabled assembly method is developed to achieve a general and programmable synthesis of mesoporous metal oxides via the association of POMs with block copolymers through indirect interaction. Wenhe Xie, Yuan Ren & Yonghui Deng Article 21 December 2023 | Open Access Janus particles with tunable patch symmetry and their assembly into chiral colloidal clusters Janus particles commonly exhibit a high-symmetry patch, constraining the range of possible assemblies. Here, the authors devise a synthetic approach to fine-tune the patch symmetry in Janus particles and showcase the assembly of these particles into chiral colloidal clusters. Tianran Zhang, Dengping Lyu & Yufeng Wang Comment 20 December 2023 | Open Access On the need for an anticolonial perspective in engineering education and practice We examine the call for decolonising academic disciplines, and the extent which this applies to engineering. We argue that anticolonial endeavours should systematically recognise colonial legacy in contemporary science and technology, and reframe technological innovation in light of neocolonial extraction and exploitation. Srinjoy Mitra, Suvobrata Sarkar & Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access An updated nuclear-physics and multi-messenger astrophysics framework for binary neutron star mergers The Nuclear-physics and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics framework, NMMA, combines multiple information from neutron stars and neutron star mergers. Here, the authors show an update of the NMMA framework to constrain neutron star equation of state by simultaneously analyzing multi-messenger observations. Peter T. H. Pang, Tim Dietrich & Chris Van Den Broeck Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access 3D microprinting of inorganic porous materials by chemical linking-induced solidification of nanocrystals 3D microprinting is considered a next generation manufacturing process for microscale components. Here, authors develop a generalised microscale 3D printing method to produce purely inorganic nanocrystal-linked porous materials that exhibit excellent functionality and hierarchical porosity. Minju Song, Yoonkyum Kim & Jae Sung Son Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor:acceptor blends enables aqueous processing of water-insoluble conjugated polymers Chemical approaches to improve aqueous dispersions of conjugated polymers are limited by the feasibility of modifying the backbone or lead to poor performance. Here, Liu et al. show that ground-state electron transfer in donor:acceptor blends aids aqueous dispersion, for high conductivity and solubility. Tiefeng Liu, Johanna Heimonen & Simone Fabiano Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Extendable piezo/ferroelectricity in nonstoichiometric 2D transition metal dichalcogenides Nonstoichiometric transition metal dichalcogenides break symmetry, enabling piezo/ferroelectric effects. Here, the authors propose an approach to integrate these properties with diverse 2D materials, advancing multifunctional materials and devices. Yi Hu, Lukas Rogée & Shu Ping Lau Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Full hardware implementation of neuromorphic visual system based on multimodal optoelectronic resistive memory arrays for versatile image processing In-sensor and near-sensor computing are emerging as the next-generation computing paradigm, for high-density and low-power sensory processing. Here, the authors report a fully hardware-implemented artificial visual system for versatile image processing based on multimodal-multifunctional optoelectronic resistive memory devices with optical and electrical resistive switching modes. Guangdong Zhou, Jie Li & Shukai Duan Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access High quality factor metasurfaces for two-dimensional wavefront manipulation Wavefront manipulation with metasurfaces is typically limited to low quality factors. Here, the authors show how higher-order Mie modes can be leveraged to design high quality factor optical metasurfaces for wavefront manipulation in two dimensions. Claudio U. Hail, Morgan Foley & Harry A. Atwater Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Probing optical anapoles with fast electron beams Optical anapoles in nanoresonators result in strong suppression of the electromagnetic radiation, which is challenging to detect in ideal settings. Here, the authors show that fast electrons are a powerful tool to circumvent this challenge due to their ability to access dark modes. Carlos Maciel-Escudero, Andrew B. Yankovich & Timur O. Shegai Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Engineering a synthetic energy-efficient formaldehyde assimilation cycle in Escherichia coli One-carbon substrates are attractive feedstocks for circular bioeconomy. Here, the authors design an erythrulose monophosphate (EuMP) cycle for formaldehyde assimilation, demonstrate the activity of the core reactions in E. coli, and show its integration with pathway reactions existed in pentose phosphate pathway and glycolysis. Tong Wu, Paul A. Gómez-Coronado & Hai He Article 20 December 2023 | Open Access Epidemic graph diagrams as analytics for epidemic control in the data-rich era Approaches for assessing epidemic risks meet challenges when dealing with high-resolution data available nowadays, that includes behaviors, disease progression, and interventions. The authors propose an analytical framework to compute the epidemic threshold for arbitrary models of diseases, interventions, and hosts contact patterns. Eugenio Valdano, Davide Colombi & Vittoria Colizza Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access 3D printing of self-healing personalized liver models for surgical training and preoperative planning High-fidelity personalized anatomical models can offer invaluable support for precision medicine. Here, the authors show the 3D printing of self-healing liver models, which can be resected in a trial and-error manner for surgical training to enhance the safety of hepatic surgery. Yahui Lu, Xing Chen & Yuhua Zhang Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access A hard molecular nanomagnet from confined paramagnetic 3d-4f spins inside a fullerene cage Shortening the inter-spin distance is an effective way to enhance magnetic coupling. However, it is typically challenging to change the inter-ion distance in most magnetic systems. Here, Huang et al present a strategy for enhancing magnetic interactions, by confining a molecular magnetic system inside a carbon fullerene cage, leading to enhanced magnetic properties. Chenli Huang, Rong Sun & Song Gao Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access Ultra-narrow inhomogeneous spectral distribution of telecom-wavelength vanadium centres in isotopically-enriched silicon carbide Several solid-state defect platforms have been proposed for application as a spin-photon interface in quantum communication networks. Here the authors report spin-selective optical transitions and narrow inhomogeneous spectral distribution of V centers in isotopically-enriched SiC emitting in the telecom O-band. Pasquale Cilibrizzi, Muhammad Junaid Arshad & Cristian Bonato Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access Folk arts-inspired twice-coagulated configuration-editable tough aerogels enabled by transformable gel precursors Aerogels attract considerable attention in various emerging fields in recent decades, but low density and weak mechanical performance make their configuration-editing capability challenging. Here the authors establish an efficient twice-coagulated strategy to fabricate configuration-editable tough aerogels enabled by transformable gel precursors. Lishan Li, Guandu Yang & Xuetong Zhang Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access Strongly interacting matter exhibits deconfined behavior in massive neutron stars Neutron stars contain matter at extremely high densities, the properties of which are reflected in the corresponding equation of state (EoS). Here, the authors argue that the inferred properties of the neutron-star-matter EoS point to the likely presence of deconfined quark matter in the cores of the most massive stable neutron stars. Eemeli Annala, Tyler Gorda & Aleksi Vuorinen Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access Modulation of the morphotropic phase boundary for high-performance ductile thermoelectric materials Power factor and figure-of-merit values are normally low in flexible thermoelectric materials. Here, the authors fabricate high-performance ductile thermoelectric materials with high power factor and figure-of-merit values near the morphotropic phase boundary in Ag2Se-Ag2S pseudobinary compound. Jiasheng Liang, Jin Liu & Xun Shi Article 19 December 2023 | Open Access Direct-to-biology, automated, nano-scale synthesis, and phenotypic screening-enabled E3 ligase modulator discovery Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic that can lead to proteasomal degradation of target proteins. Here, the authors combine nano-scale, automated synthesis and cell-based, direct-to-biology screening, allowing them to discover and profile Molecular Glues (MGs) degrading substrates via the Cereblon E3 ubiquitin ligase. Zefeng Wang, Shabnam Shaabani & Alexander Dömling Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Roll-to-plate 0.1-second shear-rolling process at elevated temperature for highly aligned nanopatterns In this work, authors demonstrate a 0.1-second shear rolling process capable of shearing without peeling up to 280 °C. This enables roll-to-plate fabrication of highly and unidirectionally aligned sub−10 nm block copolymer patterns over large wafer areas. Junghyun Cho, Jinwoo Oh & Jeong Gon Son Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Orbital perspective on high-harmonic generation from solids Here the authors identify real-space contributions to the characteristics of high-harmonic generation in ReS2 and demonstrate the possibility of laser-controlled emission. They find that the spectrum is not just determined by the band structure, but also by the interference between HHG signals coming from different atoms within the unit cell. Álvaro Jiménez-Galán, Chandler Bossaer & Giulio Vampa Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Strain-driven Kovacs-like memory effect in glasses An abnormal stress memory effect is discovered in different types of glassy materials when they are subjected to a low strain after a high strain. This strategy can be used to depress the stress relaxation and increase the stability under loading. Yu Tong, Lijian Song & Jun-Qiang Wang Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Asynchronous domain dynamics and equilibration in layered oxide battery cathode The battery performance at the cell level is an integration of contributions from many active particles. Here, the authors present a direct visualization of the active cathode particles that react heterogeneously and asynchronously by using coherent multi-crystal diffraction and optical microscopy. Zhichen Xue, Nikhil Sharma & Yijin Liu Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Capturing critical gem-diol intermediates and hydride transfer for anodic hydrogen production from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural The detailed mechanism of anodic H2 production from aldehydes remains unclear. Here, authors identify two key interconvertible intermediates of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation in alkaline medium, finding H2 production via hydride transfer from one of the intermediates. Guodong Fu, Xiaomin Kang & Jing-Li Luo Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Bias-free driven ion assisted photoelectrochemical system for sustainable wastewater treatment Photoelectrochemical systems have emerged as a sustainable technology for wastewater treatment. Here, Tang et.al report a bias-free driven ion assisted photoelectrochemical system that can utilize sodium chloride in seawater as a cost-effective additive for wastewater treatment. Qi Dang, Wei Zhang & Liang Tang Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access An inorganic-rich but LiF-free interphase for fast charging and long cycle life lithium metal batteries Fluorinated interphases are often pursued as a design strategy for Li metal batteries. In contrast, here the authors show that an electrolyte with a non-fluorinated solvent and CsNO3 additive results in an LiF-free but inorganic-rich interphase that enables fast-charging of Li metal batteries. Muhammad Mominur Rahman, Sha Tan & Enyuan Hu Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Intranasal mask for protecting the respiratory tract against viral aerosols The spread of many infectious diseases substantially relies on aerosol transmission to the respiratory tract. Here, the authors design an intranasal mask with the ability to intercept viral aerosols, entrap and inactivate virus, thus preventing respiratory tract infection. Xiaoming Hu, Shuang Wang & Wei Wei Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Hydrophobically gated memristive nanopores for neuromorphic applications Designing efficient nanoscale and adaptable bioinspired memristors remains a challenge. Here, the authors develop a bioinspired hydrophobically gated memristive nanopore capable of learning, forgetting, and retaining memory through an electrowetting mechanism. Gonçalo Paulo, Ke Sun & Alberto Giacomello Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Structure and dynamics of endogenous cardiac troponin complex in human heart tissue captured by native nanoproteomics The heterogenous nature and dynamics of endogenous protein complexes pose challenges for conventional structural biology techniques. Here, the authors develop a native nanoproteomics strategy for the enrichment and subsequent native top-down mass spectrometry (nTDMS) analysis of endogenous cardiac troponin (cTn) complex directly from human heart tissue. Emily A. Chapman, David S. Roberts & Ying Ge Article 18 December 2023 | Open Access Transient fertilization of a post-Sturtian Snowball ocean margin with dissolved phosphate by clay minerals Clay minerals played a vital role in the delivery of phosphorus (P) to shallow Neoproterozoic post-Snowball glaciation marine waters. The resulting increase in P bioavailability by at least 20-fold coincided with seawater oxygenation. Ernest Chi Fru, Jalila Al Bahri & Timothy W. Lyons Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access Highly stretchable polymer semiconductor thin films with multi-modal energy dissipation and high relative stretchability Stretchable polymer semiconductors with high mechanical and electrical properties are challenging to develop. Wu et al. show that reversible molecular ordering under strain important for performance optimization and relative stretchability can be used to compare the relative strain tolerance of materials. Hung-Chin Wu, Shayla Nikzad & Zhenan Bao Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access Fast and scalable production of crosslinked polyimide aerogel fibers for ultrathin thermoregulating clothes The scalable production of polyimide aerogel fibers, promising intelligent thermal management fabrics, is limited by the slow gelation kinetics and the weak backbone. Here, the authors present a UV-enhanced dynamic gelation strategy for fast and scalable preparation of cross-linked polyimide aerogel fibers by wet spinning and cost-effective ambient pressure drying. Tiantian Xue, Chenyu Zhu & Tianxi Liu Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access Soft ferroelectret ultrasound receiver for targeted peripheral neuromodulation Neurostimulators are often bulky and uncomfortable. Researchers report a wireless, leadless, and battery-free ultrasound receiver that wraps around the target peripheral nerve and allows precise modulation of organ function, providing a framework for future bioelectronic medicines Tong Li, Zhidong Wei & Zhang-Qi Feng Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access UV-curable thiol-ene system for broadband infrared transparent objects Processing of conventional infrared-transparent materials limits their applicability. The authors demonstrate 3D printing of thiol-ene optical components with mid- and long-wave infrared transparency with applications such as reaction temperature monitoring. Piaoran Ye, Zhihan Hong & Rongguang Liang Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access Large mechanical properties enhancement in ceramics through vacancy-mediated unit cell disturbance Ceramics are very brittle and hard to be plastically deformed. Here, the authors report a unit-cell scale disturbance mechanism to improve the deformation ability of ceramics and ultimately achieve large mechanical property enhancement. Zhuo Chen, Yong Huang & Zaoli Zhang Article 16 December 2023 | Open Access Efficient industrial-current-density acetylene to polymer-grade ethylene via hydrogen-localization transfer over fluorine-modified copper Efficient electroreduction of acetylene to ethylene is crucial for industrial applications. Here, the authors reported fluorine modified copper for direct conversion of acetylene to polymer-grade ethylene in one single-pass with industrial-current-density. Lei Bai, Yi Wang & Yuen Wu