Article 15 March 2024 | Open Access N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of planar-chiral cyclophanes via dynamic kinetic resolution Planar-chiral cyclophanes are important for drug discovery but the enantioselective synthesis of planar-chiral cyclophanes remains challenging. Here the authors describe an N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed asymmetric construction of planar-chiral cyclophanes. Jiayan Li, Ziyang Dong & Changgui Zhao Article 15 March 2024 | Open Access Dislocation Majorana bound states in iron-based superconductors The authors propose that screw or edge dislocations can trap Majorana zero modes in the absence of an external magnetic field. They predict that the Majoranas will appear as second-order topological modes on the four corners of an embedded 2D subsystem defined by the cutting plane of the dislocation. Lun-Hui Hu & Rui-Xing Zhang Article 15 March 2024 | Open Access Lanthanide luminescence nanothermometer with working wavelength beyond 1500 nm for cerebrovascular temperature imaging in vivo The strong scattering of biological tissue causes challenges when monitoring temperature changes at the microscale. Here, the authors propose a nanothermometer based on lanthanide luminescence, enabling minimally invasive imaging of the cerebrovascular system of mice at nearly 200 μm resolution. Yukai Wu, Fang Li & Xingjun Zhu Article 15 March 2024 | Open Access Quantum spin liquid signatures in monolayer 1T-NbSe2 Recently, signatures of quantum spin liquid have been reported in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides. Here the authors report evidence of such state in 1T-NbSe2 via the measurements of the Kondo effect in a 1T-1H heterostructure, further supported by measurements for magnetic molecules on 1T-NbSe2. Quanzhen Zhang, Wen-Yu He & Yeliang Wang Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Revealing Fermi surface evolution and Berry curvature in an ideal type-II Weyl semimetal The authors study the field-induced ferromagnetic state of MnBi2-xSbxTe4 by quantum oscillations and high-field Hall effect measurements. They confirm a single pair of type-II Weyl nodes, the long-sought “ideal” Weyl semimetal. Qianni Jiang, Johanna C. Palmstrom & Jiun-Haw Chu Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Subwavelength dielectric waveguide for efficient travelling-wave magnetic resonance imaging Achieving uniform spin excitation, crucial for MRI, is challenging in the electrically large human body at UHF. Here, authors introduce an innovative dielectric waveguide specifically designed for traveling-wave MRI, which enhances homogeneity and efficiency through effective wave manipulation. Yang Gao, Tong Liu & Xiaotong Zhang Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Electrothermally controlled origami fabricated by 4D printing of continuous fiber-reinforced composites Effective active origami capable of on-demand modulation are limited by challenges such as limited load-bearing capacity and transformable states. Here, authors report fiber-reinforced composites for controlled electrothermal origami with excellent mechanical performance and spatiotemporal controllability. Yaohui Wang, Haitao Ye & Yi Xiong Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Anomalous and Chern topological waves in hyperbolic networks Here the authors experimentally demonstrate the anomalous and Chern topological phases in a hyperbolic non-reciprocal scattering network, establishing unidirectional channels to induce new and exciting wave transport properties in curved spaces. Qiaolu Chen, Zhe Zhang & Romain Fleury Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Higher order gaps in the renormalized band structure of doubly aligned hBN/bilayer graphene moiré superlattice In moiré superlattices, a multitude of higher order Bragg gaps and van Hove singularities emerges as the band structure renormalizes. Here, the authors map these gaps uniquely to the recently predicted topological Bragg indices of the underlying supermoiré lattice. Mohit Kumar Jat, Priya Tiwari & Aveek Bid Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Atomically precise engineering of spin–orbit polarons in a kagome magnetic Weyl semimetal Defect engineering in topological materials is a frontier that promises tunable physical properties with rich applications. Here, the authors demonstrate the atomically precise engineering of vacancies in a topological semimetal, which locally tunes the magnetic properties. Hui Chen, Yuqing Xing & Hong-Jun Gao Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access High figure-of-merit for ZnO nanostructures by interfacing lowly-oxidized graphene quantum dots It is crucial to design ZnO with uniform nanoscale features to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining electrical conduction pathways. Authors realize a high figure-of-merit value of 0.486 at 580 K by interfacing graphene quantum dots with three-dimensional nanostructured ZnO. Myungwoo Choi, Juyoung An & Seokwoo Jeon Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Theory of resonantly enhanced photo-induced superconductivity The authors theoretically propose a simple microscopic mechanism for light-induced superconductivity based on a boson coupled to an electronic interband transition. The electron-electron attraction needed for the superconductivity can be resonantly amplified when the boson’s frequency is close to the energy difference between the two electronic bands. The model can be engineered using a 2D heterostructure. Christian J. Eckhardt, Sambuddha Chattopadhyay & Marios H. Michael Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Monolithic thin-film lithium niobate broadband spectrometer with one nanometre resolution A framework to break the inherent trade-off barrier between spectral resolution and operational bandwidth of integrated optical spectrometers is developed and demonstrated on thin-film lithium niobate without sacrificing the compact footprint. Giovanni Finco, Gaoyuan Li & Rachel Grange Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Excitonic Mott insulator in a Bose-Fermi-Hubbard system of moiré WS2/WSe2 heterobilayer Strongly interacting interlayer excitons and the interplay between excitons and electronic states have recently been studied in moire superlattices. Here the authors study moire WS2/WSe2 heterobilayer with tuneable electron and exciton populations and find signatures of an excitonic Mott insulating state. Beini Gao, Daniel G. Suárez-Forero & Mohammad Hafezi Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Capturing ion trapping and detrapping dynamics in electrochromic thin films Ion trapping has been found to be responsible for the performance degradation in electrochromic oxide thin films. This paper visualizes ion trapping and detrapping dynamics, and provides a general picture of electrochromism in amorphous WO3. Renfu Zhang, Qinqi Zhou & Rui-Tao Wen Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Intragrain impurity annihilation for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells The detrimental effects of intragrain impurity nanoclusters on the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells remain unexplored. Here, the authors study the intragrain impurity annihilation by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy and adopt a laser stimulus to heal such impurity. Songhua Cai, Zhipeng Li & Yuanyuan Zhou Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Ultra-compact exciton polariton modulator based on van der Waals semiconductors Miniaturized and efficient optical modulators are desired for data transmission, processing and communication. Here, the authors report the fabrication of exciton-polariton Mach–Zehnder modulators based on thin WS2 waveguides with a footprint of ~30 μm², modulation ratio up to −6.20 dB and nanosecond response times. Seong Won Lee, Jong Seok Lee & Su-Hyun Gong Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Valence-isomer selective cycloaddition reaction of cycloheptatrienes-norcaradienes Combining data science and organic synthesis to achieve the rapid and precise creation of complex molecules while controlling multiple selectivities is an emerging trend, but few successful examples are reported. Here, the authors develop an artificial neural network regression model using bond orbital data to predict chemical reactivities. Shingo Harada, Hiroki Takenaka & Tetsuhiro Nemoto Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Graphene-integrated mesh electronics with converged multifunctionality for tracking multimodal excitation-contraction dynamics in cardiac microtissues Tracking electrical and mechanical activity in in-vitro cardiac microtissues is challenging. Here, authors develop tissue-like electronics that can ‘grow’ with the cardiac microtissues and realize the simultaneous tracking of both signals. Hongyan Gao, Zhien Wang & Jun Yao Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Supra-biological performance of immobilized enzymes enabled by chaperone-like specific non-covalent interactions Designing complex synthetic materials for enzyme immobilization could unlock the utility of biocatalysis in extreme environments. Here, the authors report on random copolymer brushes as dynamic immobilization supports that enable supra-biological catalytic performance of immobilized enzymes. Héctor Sánchez-Morán, Joel L. Kaar & Daniel K. Schwartz Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Compact terahertz harmonic generation in the Reststrahlenband using a graphene-embedded metallic split ring resonator array Compact sources in the frequency range of 6-12 THz are difficult to obtain due to optical phonon absorption in conventional III-V semiconductors. Here, the authors demonstrate third harmonic generation at 9.63 THz by optically pumping monolayer graphene coupled to a circular split ring resonator by using a semiconductor laser. Alessandra Di Gaspare, Chao Song & Miriam S. Vitiello Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Tailoring d-band center of high-valent metal-oxo species for pollutant removal via complete polymerization Polymerization-driven removal of pollutants in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) allows for sustainable contamination abatement and resource recovery. Here, authors achieved pollutant removal via complete polymerization by tailoring d-band center of high-valent metal-oxo species. Hong-Zhi Liu, Xiao-Xuan Shu & Han-Qing Yu Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the large-D antiferromagnet DTN Gapped quantum antiferromagnets can undergo field or pressure induced phase transitions to the magnetically ordered state, which have distinct critical exponents. While there are many examples of field induced transitions, thus far the pressure induced case has proven difficult to realize. Herein, the authors demonstrate such a pressure driven phase transition in the quantum antiferromagnet, DTN. Kirill Yu. Povarov, David E. Graf & Sergei A. Zvyagin Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access The discovery of three-dimensional Van Hove singularity Van Hove singularities (VHS) are believed to exist in one and two dimensions, but rarely found in three dimensions (3D). Here the authors report the discovery of 3D VHS in a topological magnet EuCd2As2 by magneto-infrared spectroscopy. Wenbin Wu, Zeping Shi & Xiang Yuan Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Triggered contraction of self-assembled micron-scale DNA nanotube rings Contractile rings are formed from cytoskeletal filaments, specific crosslinkers and motor proteins during cell division. Here, authors form micron-scale contractile DNA rings from DNA nanotubes and synthetic crosslinkers, with both simulations and experiments showing ring contraction without motor proteins, offering a potential first step towards synthetic cell division machinery. Maja Illig, Kevin Jahnke & Kerstin Göpfrich Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Bidirectional generation of structure and properties through a single molecular foundation model Multimodal pre-training approaches on the molecule domain were limited. Here, authors propose a multimodal molecular pre-trained model including molecular structure and biochemical properties and apply it to downstream tasks related with both molecule structure and properties. Jinho Chang & Jong Chul Ye Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Direct observation of tunable thermal conductance at solid/porous crystalline solid interfaces induced by water adsorbates Interfacial thermal transfer is critical for heat dissipation of devices with interfaces. Here, the authors propose a strategy to tune the interfacial thermal transport between substrate and metal-organic frameworks to benefit their related cooling applications. Guang Wang, Hongzhao Fan & Yanguang Zhou Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Ultra-fast switching memristors based on two-dimensional materials In this work, the authors demonstrate a 2D memristor with high switching speeds of 120 ps and study its dynamic response with 3 ns short voltage pulses using statistical analysis, simulation, and modeling. S. S. Teja Nibhanupudi, Anupam Roy & Sanjay K. Banerjee Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Mixed tin-lead perovskites with balanced crystallization and oxidation barrier for all-perovskite tandem solar cells The disparity in crystallization processes between tin- and lead-based perovskites has been a dominant factor contributing to high defect densities. Here, authors employ a functional molecule to inhibit tin oxidation, realizing monolithic all-perovskite tandems with certified efficiency over 27%. Jin Zhou, Shiqiang Fu & Weijun Ke Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Unveiling diverse coordination-defined electronic structures of reconstructed anatase TiO2(001)-(1 × 4) surface By measuring in energy, momentum and real space, the authors unveil diverse coordination environments and electronic structures on the reconstructed anatase TiO2(001), giving insights into its structure-property relationship with atomic precision. Xiaochuan Ma, Yongliang Shi & Bing Wang Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Observation of vortex-string chiral modes in metamaterials Vortex string, hypothetical topological defects in cosmology, are predicted to support massless chiral modes. The authors successfully mimicked vortex-string physics in a metamaterial system and experimentally observed the chiral modes within it. Jingwen Ma, Ding Jia & Xiang Zhang Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access Si/SiGe QuBus for single electron information-processing devices with memory and micron-scale connectivity function Electron spin qubits in SiGe dots have emerged as promising candidates for quantum information processing. Here the authors demonstrate conveyor-mode single electron shuttling in a Si/SiGe quantum dot device spanning the length of 10 micrometres and operated with a small number of controls Ran Xue, Max Beer & Lars R. Schreiber Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Pushing the thinness limit of silver films for flexible optoelectronic devices via ion-beam thinning-back process The use of thin silver films with nanometric thickness for optoelectronic devices is essential for high transparency, flexibility, and electrical properties. Ma et al. report a thinning-back process with a flood ion beam, to further reduce film thickness down to 4.5 nm. Dongxu Ma, Ming Ji & Huigao Duan Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Understanding quantum machine learning also requires rethinking generalization Understanding machine learning models’ ability to extrapolate from training data to unseen data - known as generalisation - has recently undergone a paradigm shift, while a similar understanding for their quantum counterparts is still missing. Here, the authors show that uniform generalization bounds pessimistically estimate the performance of quantum machine learning models. Elies Gil-Fuster, Jens Eisert & Carlos Bravo-Prieto Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access A solid-state lithium-ion battery with micron-sized silicon anode operating free from external pressure Applying high stack pressure is primarily done to address the mechanical failure issue of solid-state batteries. Here, the authors propose a mechanical optimization strategy involving elastic electrolyte to realize solid-state batteries operating without external pressurizing. Hui Pan, Lei Wang & Haoshen Zhou Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Time-of-flight detection of terahertz phonon-polariton Polaritons, light-matter hybridized quasiparticles, are the fundamental excitation of strong coupling systems and are widely applicable in information technologies. Here the authors applied the concept of time-of-flight measurement in terahertz induced second harmonic generation experiments in various systems to comprehensively study the dispersion relation of phonon-polaritons and reveal potential spin-lattice couplings. Tianchuang Luo, Batyr Ilyas & Nuh Gedik Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Characterization of elusive rhamnosyl dioxanium ions and their application in complex oligosaccharide synthesis Characterizing highly-reactive glycosyl cation intermediates and understanding their glycosylation mechanisms are essential to the stereoselective synthesis of complex carbohydrates. Here the authors report a workflow that is utilized to characterize rhamnosyl 1,3-bridged dioxanium ions derived from C-3 p-anisoyl esterified donors. Peter H. Moons, Floor ter Braak & Thomas J. Boltje Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Electrostatic potentials of atomic nanostructures at metal surfaces quantified by scanning quantum dot microscopy Surface averaging techniques offer only limited access to the electrostatic potentials of nanostructures, which are determined by shape, material, and environment. Here, the authors quantify these potentials for gold and silver adatom chains, explaining the mechanisms of dipole formation. Rustem Bolat, Jose M. Guevara & Christian Wagner Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access 3D printing by stereolithography using thermal initiators Common stereolithography-based 3D printing relies on photopolymerization using photoinitiators. Here, the authors replace the conventional photoinitiators with low-cost, widely used thermal initiators to achieve 3D-printed objects. Doron Kam, Omri Rulf & Shlomo Magdassi Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Double charge flips of polyamide membrane by ionic liquid-decoupled bulk and interfacial diffusion for on-demand nanofiltration Currently polyamide membranes fabricated by interfacial polymerization are limited by inherently negative charge as well as narrow charge tailoring window restricting the application of these membranes. Here, the authors report a facile ionic liquid-decoupled bulk/interfacial diffusion strategy to fabricate polyamide membranes which can transform on-demand from inherently negative to highly positive and near-neutral charge. Bian-Bian Guo, Chang Liu & Zhi-Kang Xu Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Understanding of complex spin up-conversion processes in charge-transfer-type organic molecules Kim et al. propose a model for the complex spin-flip process in charge-transfer-type thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules, uncovering the origin of the high-lying triplet state, addressing a pressing issue discussed over the last decade. Hyung Suk Kim, Sang Hoon Lee & Chihaya Adachi Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Controlled formation of three-dimensional cavities during lateral epitaxial growth Substrate patterning offers additional degrees of freedom to engineer the structure and function of a semiconductor device. Here, fully-enclosed germanium cavities, with size and position tunable through the initial mask pattern, can be created through an unexpected self-assembly process. Yiwen Zhang, Baoming Wang & Rui-Tao Wen Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Precise atom-to-atom mapping for organic reactions via human-in-the-loop machine learning Precise atom mapping is crucial for data-driven reaction prediction, but currently lacks the required accuracy. Here, authors introduce a human-in-the-loop machine learning scheme for that purpose, and achieve high accuracy on a wide spectrum of reaction datasets. Shuan Chen, Sunggi An & Yousung Jung Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Interfacial ice sprouting during salty water droplet freezing The understanding of salty water droplet freezing is limited. The authors examine the formation of brine film on top of frozen salty droplets and discover a new ice crystal growth pattern sprouting from the bottom of the brine film. Fuqiang Chu, Shuxin Li & Nenad Miljkovic Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Single-atom Mo-tailored high-entropy-alloy ultrathin nanosheets with intrinsic tensile strain enhance electrocatalysis Atomically precise modification of high-entropy alloys is highly appealing for electrocatalysis. Here, the authors design single-atom Mo-tailored high-entropy alloy nanosheets with dilute Pt-Pt ensembles and intrinsic tensile strain for promoting methanol electro-oxidation towards formate. Lin He, Menggang Li & Shaojun Guo Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Room-temperature strong coupling in a single-photon emitter-metasurface system Interfacing single-photon emitters (SPEs) with high-finesse cavities can prevent decoherence processes, especially at elevated temperature, but its implementation remains challenging. Here, the authors report room-temperature strong coupling of SPEs in hexagonal boron nitride with a dielectric cavity based on bound states in the continuum, showing a Rabi splitting of ~ 4 meV. T. Thu Ha Do, Milad Nonahal & Son Tung Ha Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access An isotropic zero thermal expansion alloy with super-high toughness Zero thermal expansion materials play an increasingly important role in modern high-precision applications, but they are relatively scarce. Here, the authors achieve an isotropic zero thermal expansion with a very high toughness by manipulating chemical partitioning in chemically complex alloys. Chengyi Yu, Kun Lin & Xianran Xing Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access An exposome atlas of serum reveals the risk of chronic diseases in the Chinese population Current studies have provided limited knowledge on real-world chemical exposures and related risks. Here, the authors show serum exposure characteristics of humans in different regions and age groups, revealing diverse risk relationships with multiple chronic diseases. Lei You, Jing Kou & Guowang Xu Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Cost-effectiveness uncertainty may bias the decision of coal power transitions in China China’s use of coal is complex to establish a clean and low-carbon transition for the country. With an uncertainty assessment framework, this study displays the risks of missing opportunities in obtaining cumulative positive net benefits and identifying an optimal transition strategy. Xizhe Yan, Dan Tong & Yu Lei Article 13 March 2024 | Open Access Charting cellular differentiation trajectories with Ricci flow When stem cells develop into tissues intracellular signalling is rewired, errors in this process lead to cancer. Here, authors applied tools from differential geometry made by Albert Einstein’s General Relativity to understand and predict biological network rewiring in health and disease. Anthony Baptista, Ben D. MacArthur & Christopher R. S. Banerji