08 March 2024 | Open Access Magnetic droplet soliton pairs A spin torque nano-oscillator consists of a free magnetic layer and a reference magnetic layer. Many works have examined the behaviour of droplet solitons in the free magnetic layer. Here, Jiang et al. extend this to pair of droplet solitons, with one in the free layer and one in the reference layer. S. Jiang, S. Chung & J. Åkerman Article 08 March 2024 | Open Access Direct observation of altermagnetic band splitting in CrSb thin films The fundamental hallmark of altermagnetism lies in the spin splitting of electronic valence bands. Here, the authors observe splitting in metallic CrSb, revealing an exceptionally large value and energetic placement just below the Fermi energy. Sonka Reimers, Lukas Odenbreit & Martin Jourdan Article 08 March 2024 | Open Access The influence of anthropogenic regulation and evaporite dissolution on earthquake-triggered ground failure Combined evidence from remote sensing, geologic, and geotechnical data reveal a previously undescribed mechanism driving earthquake-triggered surface ejecta: dissolution cavity collapse. Paula Bürgi, Eric M. Thompson & Devin Katzenstein Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Tri-system integration in metal-oxide nanocomposites via in-situ solution-processed method for ultrathin flexible transparent electrodes Fabricating flexible transparent electrodes with robust operational stability alongside electrical and mechanical properties is challenging. Here, Kim et al. develop ultrathin flexible transparent electrodes using in-situ solution-processing and unveil interface dynamics of the integrated tri-system. John Jinwook Kim, Kojima Shuji & Wallace C. H. Choy Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Selenium substitution for dielectric constant improvement and hole-transfer acceleration in non-fullerene organic solar cells Dielectric constant of non-fullerene acceptors plays a critical role in organic solar cells in terms of exciton dissociation and charge recombination. Here, authors report selenium substitution on central core of acceptors to improve dielectric constant, realizing devices with efficiency of 19.0%. Xinjun He, Feng Qi & Wallace C. H. Choy Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Ammonia marine engine design for enhanced efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions Pilot-diesel-ignition ammonia combustion engines effective adoption is still limited by high unburned emissions and low thermal efficiency. Here, authors propose an in-cylinder reforming gas recirculation concept to improve engine thermal efficiency while reducing unburned NH3, NOx, N2O and GHG emissions. Xinyi Zhou, Tie Li & Wenming Yang Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Ultrastrong to nearly deep-strong magnon-magnon coupling with a high degree of freedom in synthetic antiferromagnets Deep-strong coupling in hybrid magnonic systems is yet to be explored. Here, the authors unveil unconventional coupling properties in synthetic antiferromagnets. The systems’ high degree of freedom enables a near-realization of deep-strong coupling. Yuqiang Wang, Yu Zhang & Guoqiang Yu Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Interrogating site dependent kinetics over SiO2-supported Pt nanoparticles Kim and co-workers introduce a new ‘kinetic site deconvolution’ method to identify active sites on heterogeneous catalysts by linking reaction rates to specific adsorption environments. Taek-Seung Kim, Christopher R. O’Connor & Christian Reece Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Cholesterol-modified sphingomyelin chimeric lipid bilayer for improved therapeutic delivery Cholesterol (Chol) transfer from lipid bilayer jeopardizes membrane stability and causes premature payload leakage, yielding suboptimal efficacy. Here, the authors report a Chol-modified sphingomyelin (SM) bilayer via covalently conjugating Chol to SM, which retains Chol condensing ability and improves pharmacokinetics and therapeutic delivery of various drugs in diverse disease animal models. Zhiren Wang, Wenpan Li & Jianqin Lu Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Desymmetric homologating annulation to access chiral pentafulvenes and their application in bioimaging Polycyclic/multisubstituted pentafulvenes are of interest as they frequently occur in biologically relevant motifs, electrochromic dyes, and solar cells. Here, the authors report an enantioselective homologating annulation of cyclopent-4-ene-dione with 3-cyano-4-methylcoumarins through L-tert-leucine derived thiourea catalysis, affording a wide range of enantioenriched polycyclic multi-substituted embedded aminopentafulvenes. Sanjay Singh, Ravi Saini & Ravi P. Singh Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Fast topographic optical imaging using encoded search focal scan Quickly acquiring topographical information from a sample remains a challenge in optics. Here, the authors introduce encoded search focal scan, a technique for sub-micrometric imaging of tens of topographies per second based on collecting a reduced set of images. Narcís Vilar, Roger Artigas & Guillem Carles Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Surface hydrophobization of zeolite enables mass transfer matching in gas-liquid-solid three-phase hydrogenation under ambient pressure A modified zeolite nanoreactor with organosilanes boosts hydrogenation of aldehydes/ketones in water at ambient pressure. This method, promoting H2 and substrate mass transfer, achieves a 4.3-fold increase in reaction rate, offering a sustainable approach for organic synthesis under mild conditions. Shuai Wang, Riming Hu & Guozhu Chen Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Room temperature chirality switching and detection in a helimagnetic MnAu2 thin film Some materials have an internal degree of freedom called chirality, such as helimagnets, where the magnetic order has a helix structure with a specific chirality. Here, Masuda et al. demonstrate chirality switching and detection at room temperature in helimagnetic MnAu2 thin films. Hidetoshi Masuda, Takeshi Seki & Yoshinori Onose Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Frequency-selective perovskite photodetector for anti-interference optical communications Signal transmission without the interference from ambient light is prerequisite for optical communications. Min et al. design an asymmetric 2D-3D-2D perovskite photodetector with frequency-selective photoresponse for real-time high fidelity optical communications under strong light interference. Liangliang Min, Haoxuan Sun & Liang Li Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Neuromorphic antennal sensory system Artificial sensory systems are often limited in structure and functionality. Here, Jiang et al. report a neuromorphic antennal sensory system that achieves spatiotemporal perception of vibrotactile and magnetic stimuli, showcasing biomimetic perceptual intelligence. Chengpeng Jiang, Honghuan Xu & Wentao Xu Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Inter-site structural heterogeneity induction of single atom Fe catalysts for robust oxygen reduction Here, authors report an inter-site structural heterogeneity induced effect of hierarchical single atom Fe catalysts for robust oxygen reduction. Dynamic evolutions and insights into structure-activity relationship are presented. Peng Zhang, Hsiao-Chien Chen & Yuan Pan Article 07 March 2024 | Open Access Bioengineered amyloid peptide for rapid screening of inhibitors against main protease of SARS-CoV-2 The main protease (Mpro) plays a crucial role in the replication of SARS-CoV-2, thereby making it an attractive target for COVID-19 treatment. Here, the authors develop a colorimetric screening platform for discovering Mpro inhibitors using engineered amyloid peptide-based nanocomplexes. Dongtak Lee, Hyo Gi Jung & Dae Sung Yoon Comment 06 March 2024 | Open Access BerkSEL: A scale-invariant laser beyond the Schawlow-Townes two-mirror strategy I argue that a surface emitting laser that remains single mode irrespective of its size, a scale-invariant laser, should of necessity also waste light at the edge. This is a fundamental departure from the Schawlow-Townes two-mirror strategy that keeps light away from mirrors and edges to preserve gain and minimize loss. The strategy was implemented in the recent discovery of the Berkeley Surface Emitting Laser (BerkSEL). Boubacar Kanté Perspective 06 March 2024 | Open Access Emerging opportunities and challenges for the future of reservoir computing Reservoir Computing has shown advantageous performance in signal processing and learning tasks due to compact design and ability for fast training. Here, the authors discuss the parallel progress of mathematical theory, algorithm design and experimental realizations of Reservoir Computers, and identify emerging opportunities as well as existing challenges for their large-scale industrial adoption. Min Yan, Can Huang & Jie Sun Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Fully bioresorbable hybrid opto-electronic neural implant system for simultaneous electrophysiological recording and optogenetic stimulation Bioresorbable neural implants offer a promising solution to the challenges of secondary surgeries required for the removal of implanted devices. Here, the authors introduce a fully bioresorbable flexible hybrid opto-electronic system for simultaneous electrophysiological recording and optogenetic stimulation. Myeongki Cho, Jeong-Kyu Han & Ki Jun Yu Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Wandering principal optical axes in van der Waals triclinic materials Principal optical axes define light-matter interactions in crystals and they are usually assumed to be stationary. Here, the authors report the observation of wavelength-dependent principal optical axes in ternary van der Waals crystals (ReS2 and ReSe2), leading to wavelength-switchable propagation directions of their waveguide modes. Georgy A. Ermolaev, Kirill V. Voronin & Kostya S. Novoselov Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Water-dispersible X-ray scintillators enabling coating and blending with polymer materials for multiple applications Water dispersible X-ray scintillators are highly desirable for multiple application scenarios. Zhang et al report the synthesis of new X-ray scintillator nanocrystals anchored on the surface of water dispersible halloysite nanotubes, enabling radiation exposure monitoring, flexible scintillator screens, and information encryption. Hailei Zhang, Bo Zhang & Richard Hoogenboom Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Wood-inspired metamaterial catalyst for robust and high-throughput water purification Continuous industrialization and human activities have led to severe water quality deterioration. Here, a structure-function integrated system is developed by Douglas fir wood inspired metamaterial catalysts with robust and high throughput water purification performances. Lei Zhang, Hanwen Liu & Jian Lu Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Molecular anchoring of free solvents for high-voltage and high-safety lithium metal batteries Advanced electrolyte is essential for high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. Here, the authors design a molecular anchoring dilute electrolyte via intermolecular hydrogen bonding with free solvents to improve the battery electrochemical and thermal stabilities. Zhuangzhuang Cui, Zhuangzhuang Jia & Xiaodi Ren Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Orbitronics: light-induced orbital currents in Ni studied by terahertz emission experiments Several recent works have highlighted the importance of the orbital currents in transferring angular momentum within materials. In combination with spin-orbit coupling, such orbital currents can be used to alter the magnetization of a material. Herein, the authors demonstrate the inverse effect, showing orbital current driven terahertz emission in Nickel based heterostructures. Yong Xu, Fan Zhang & Weisheng Zhao Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access In situ electrochemical regeneration of nanogap hotspots for continuously reusable ultrathin SERS sensors SERS is a powerful analytical technique, but achieving reproducibility for continuous analysis a challenge. Here, the authors report a SERS substrate recycling method that enables direct analysis of complex samples without substrate contamination. Sarah May Sibug-Torres, David-Benjamin Grys & Jeremy J. Baumberg Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access 3D-integrated multilayered physical reservoir array for learning and forecasting time-series information A wide reservoir computing system is an advanced architecture. However, its hardware implementation remains elusive due to the lack of 3D architecture framework. Choi et al. demonstrate such hardware made of a multilayered 3D stacked memristive crossbar array for efficient learning and forecasting. Sanghyeon Choi, Jaeho Shin & Gunuk Wang Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Supramolecular catalyst with [FeCl4] unit boosting photoelectrochemical seawater splitting via water nucleophilic attack pathway The strongly coupled interface between molecular catalysts and light absorbers is the key to solving efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation. An in situ polymerized supramolecular-like catalyst was used to couple with BiVO4 for efficient and stable photoelectrochemical seawater splitting Jiaming Miao, Cheng Lin & Kan Zhang Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Rectifying artificial nanochannels with multiple interconvertible permeability states Transmembrane channels have inspired the development of biomimetic channels. Here, the authors present a class of artificial nanochannels based on DNAzyme-functionalized glass nanopipettes to allow for the control of channel permeability. Ruocan Qian, Mansha Wu & Yi Lu Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Self-assembly of Co/Pt stripes with current-induced domain wall motion towards 3D racetrack devices The authors report an alternative approach to build 3D magnetic memories by rolling Co/Pt stripes on flexible polymers in compact geometry, and simultaneously offering current-induced domain wall motion and strain-induced domain wall speed control. Pavel Fedorov, Ivan Soldatov & Daniil Karnaushenko Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Copper nanoparticles encapsulated in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 as a stable and selective CO2 hydrogenation catalyst Here, authors report an inter-site structural heterogeneity induced effect of hierarchical single atom Fe catalysts for robust oxygen reduction. Dynamic evolutions and insights into structure-activity relationship are presented. Vijay K. Velisoju, Jose L. Cerrillo & Pedro Castaño Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Spectral-temporal-spatial customization via modulating multimodal nonlinear pulse propagation The authors introduce a method for modulating the multimodal nonlinear pulse propagation in fibers by controlled bending, achieving a tunable broadband high-peak-power femtosecond light source that could empower nonlinear imaging and spectroscopy. Tong Qiu, Honghao Cao & Sixian You Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Reversible chirality inversion of an AuAgx-cysteine coordination polymer by pH change Reactive chiral systems have attracted much attention in biology, optoelectronics, and photonics; however, a comprehensive understanding of these systems remains incomplete. Here the authors show the reversible chirality of AuAgx-cys coordination polymers induced by pH changes. Bing Ni, Dustin Vivod & Helmut Cölfen Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access An artificial protein modulator reprogramming neuronal protein functions Direct modulation of protein by artificial catalysts as enzyme mimetics remains hindered by the lack of highly efficient catalytic centers. Here, the authors present the development of artificial protein modulators (APROMs) with protein phosphatase-like characteristics, catalytically reprogram the biological function of α-synuclein. Peihua Lin, Bo Zhang & Daishun Ling Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Endogenous stimuli-responsive separating microneedles to inhibit hypertrophic scar through remodeling the pathological microenvironment The treatment of hypertrophic scar (HS) is hindered by the low bioavailability of drugs and the pathological microenvironment. Here the authors report a separating microneedle drug delivery system responsive to high reactive oxygen species levels and overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases to remodel the pathological microenvironment for HS treatment. Zhuo-Ran Yang, Huinan Suo & Jintao Zhu Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Melt-quenched glass formation of a family of metal-carboxylate frameworks How to melt and quench the largest subclass of MOFs, metal carboxylate frameworks, into glasses is a major challenge. Here, the authors develop a strategy by grafting the zwitterions onto the carboxylate ligands and incorporating organic acids into the framework channels to realize the glass formation. Wen-Long Xue, Guo-Qiang Li & Chong-Qing Wan Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access The dynamic adsorption affinity of ligands is a surrogate for the passivation of surface defects Semiconductor defects persist as a source of energy loss in solar cells. Here, the authors use ab initio simulations to reveal overlooked defect dynamics, guiding passivator design for enhanced photovoltaic performance. Jian Xu, Aidan Maxwell & Edward H. Sargent Article 06 March 2024 | Open Access Systematic analysis of ChatGPT, Google search and Llama 2 for clinical decision support tasks People will likely use ChatGPT to seek health advice. Here, the authors show promising performance of ChatGPT and open source models, but a lack of high accuracy considering medical question answering. Improvements are expected over time via domain-specific finetuning and integration of regulations. Sarah Sandmann, Sarah Riepenhausen & Julian Varghese Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Janus microparticles-based targeted and spatially-controlled piezoelectric neural stimulation via low-intensity focused ultrasound Wireless and localized stimulation of neural cells remains challenging. Here, the authors propose piezoelectric magnetic Janus microparticles that can target and stimulate neurons under low-intensity ultrasound through voltage-gated ion channels. Mertcan Han, Erdost Yildiz & Metin Sitti Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Identification of a potent palladium-aryldiphosphine catalytic system for high-performance carbonylation of alkenes The development of stable and efficient ligands is of vital significance to enhance the catalytic performance of carbonylation reactions of alkenes. Here, the authors develop an aryldiphosphine ligand, used in palladium-catalyzed regioselective carbonylation of alkenes, exhibiting high catalytic performance and strong oxygen-resistance stability. Kang Zhao, Hongli Wang & Feng Shi Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Mapping a 50-spin-qubit network through correlated sensing The ability to characterize large and complex nuclear-spin networks could enable quantum applications, such as quantum simulations of many-body physics. Here the authors develop a high-resolution quantum-sensing method and use it to image a network of 50 nuclear spins surrounding a single NV center in diamond. G. L. van de Stolpe, D. P. Kwiatkowski & T. H. Taminiau Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Crystallization of molecular layers produced under confinement onto a surface Molecules arranged in close proximity to a surface form molecular layers, exhibiting distinct properties. However, the creation of these layers is challenging. Here, the authors present a technique for generating molecular layers through crystallization induced by gas blowing onto a surface. Jincheng Tong, Nathan de Bruyn & Cinzia Casiraghi Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access A programmable hybrid digital chemical information processor based on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction Computing platforms based on chemical processes can be an alternative to digital computers in some scenarios but have limited programmability. Here the authors demonstrate a hybrid computing platform combining digital electronics and an oscillatory chemical reaction and demonstrate its computational capabilities. Abhishek Sharma, Marcus Tze-Kiat Ng & Leroy Cronin Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Contact-separation-induced self-recoverable mechanoluminescence of CaF2:Tb3+/PDMS elastomer A composite CaF2:Tb3+/polydimethylsiloxane elastomer with contact-separation-induced self-recoverable mechanoluminescence is demonstrated, and a contact-separation cycle model is established to understand its mechanoluminescence. Wenxiang Wang, Shanwen Wang & Jiachi Zhang Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Optically addressable spin defects coupled to bound states in the continuum metasurfaces Previous research reported enhanced emission from spin defects in hBN by coupling to optical resonators; however, this approach has limited scalability. Here the authors use a monolithic metasurface featuring quasi bound states fabricated from hBN to enhance photoemission and optical spin-readout efficiency of defects in the same material. Luca Sortino, Angus Gale & Andreas Tittl Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Polymer-acid-metal quasi-ohmic contact for stable perovskite solar cells beyond a 20,000-hour extrapolated lifetime The development of robust quasi-ohmic contact with minimal resistance, exceptional stability and cost-effectiveness is crucial for practical application of perovskite solar cells. Here, authors report a polymer-acid-metal structure as the contact and realize long photo-thermal-operational stability. Junsheng Luo, Bowen Liu & Yicheng Zhao Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Quantifying the photocurrent fluctuation in quantum materials by shot noise The bulk photovoltaic effect and DC photocurrent generation can be used to detect topology and geometry in non-centrosymmetric quantum materials. Here, the authors theoretically propose the detection of DC shot noise as a diagnostic tool for the characterization of the band quantum geometry under relaxed symmetry conditions. Longjun Xiang, Hao Jin & Jian Wang Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Static charge is an ionic molecular fragment What is static charge? Analysis of molecularly well-defined surfaces shows that static charge is an ionic molecular fragment. Contact electrification causes the heterolytic cleavage of covalent bonds, generating these fragments. Yan Fang, Chi Kit Ao & Siowling Soh Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Nanopore analysis of salvianolic acids in herbal medicines Natural herbs, which contain pharmacologically active compounds, have been historically used as medicines but the analysis of their chemical components is time-consuming and complex. Here, the authors report a phenylboronic acid appended Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore for sensing a variety of bioactive compounds based on salvianolic acid, without the need for sample separation or purification. Pingping Fan, Shanyu Zhang & Shuo Huang Article 05 March 2024 | Open Access Homo-BacPROTAC-induced degradation of ClpC1 as a strategy against drug-resistant mycobacteria Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat and the development of alternative strategies to overcome it is of high interest. Here, the authors report proteolysis targeting chimeras active in bacteria (BacPROTACs) that bind to ClpC1, a component of the mycobacterial protein degradation machinery, and apply them for targeting a range of mycobacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant ones. Lukas Junk, Volker M. Schmiedel & Guido Boehmelt