Article 20 May 2024 | Open Access Medical history predicts phenome-wide disease onset and enables the rapid response to emerging health threats Preventive interventions often require strategies to identify high-risk individuals. Here, the authors illustrate the potential utility of medical history in predicting the onset risk for thousands of diseases across clinical specialties including COVID-19. Jakob Steinfeldt, Benjamin Wild & Roland Eils Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Atomically dispersed Iridium on Mo2C as an efficient and stable alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst High-performance hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells rely on the anode loading of platinum-group metals. Here, the authors report a highly active hydrogen oxidation electrocatalyst which contains atomically dispersed Ir on Mo2C nanoparticles supported on a carbon substrate. Jinjie Fang, Haiyong Wang & Zhongbin Zhuang Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Extreme magnetoresistance at high-mobility oxide heterointerfaces with dynamic defect tunability Extreme magnetoresistance is characterized by a large and non-saturating magnetoresistance. Typically, it is observed in materials with compensated bandstructures, however, here, Christensen et al demonstrate a large and non-saturating magnetoresistance in a γAl2O3/SrTiO3 heterostructure, which is related to disorder, rather than the materials bandstructure. D. V. Christensen, T. S. Steegemans & N. Pryds Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Tunable exciton valley-pseudospin orders in moiré superlattices Control of correlated excitonic states is a key goal of modern optoelectronic physics. Here, the authors demonstrate filling- and field-tunable exciton valley-pseudospin orders in a moiré heterostructure. Richen Xiong, Samuel L. Brantly & Chenhao Jin Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Centimeter-scale nanomechanical resonators with low dissipation Exploring new mechanics regime, researchers created centimeter-long, nanometer-thin resonators, achieving unmatched room temperature mechanical isolation via cutting edge nanoengineering and machine learning design; rivaling cryogenic counterparts. Andrea Cupertino, Dongil Shin & Richard A. Norte Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Evidence for multiferroicity in single-layer CuCrSe2 The authors observe multiferroicity in a single-layer non van der Waals material, CuCrSe2. The coexistence of room-temperature ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism up to 120 K is corroborated by a set of comprehensive experimental techniques. Zhenyu Sun, Yueqi Su & Baojie Feng Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access A large-strain and ultrahigh energy density dielectric elastomer for fast moving soft robot Dielectric elastomer actuators require high driving electric fields to achieve high performances for soft robots due to their low dielectric constant and high stiffness. Here, the authors introduce polar fluorinated groups and nanodomains aggregated by long alkyl side chains into the dielectric elastomer design to overcome these issues and develop fast soft robots. Wenwen Feng, Lin Sun & Chao Wang Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access High-performance flexible p-type Ce-filled Fe3CoSb12 skutterudite thin film for medium-to-high-temperature applications The authors fabricate p-type Fe3CoSb12-based skutterudite films exhibiting high thermoelectric performance, stability, and flexibility at medium-to-high temperatures, based on preparing custom target materials and pulsed laser deposition techniques. Dou Li, Xiao-Lei Shi & Zhi-Gang Chen Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Polarization-driven band topology evolution in twisted MoTe2 and WSe2 The band topology of twisted 2D systems is a key factor behind their fascinating physics. Here, the authors demonstrate the role of polarization in driving the band topology evolution in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide homobilayers. Xiao-Wei Zhang, Chong Wang & Di Xiao Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access High spin axion insulator Existing proposals of axion insulators are limited to spin-1/2 systems. Here the authors put forward a concept of a high spin axion insulator with several peculiar properties, such as the absence of gapless surface states and tunability of the axion field by an external magnetic field. Shuai Li, Ming Gong & X. C. Xie Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Strong microwave squeezing above 1 Tesla and 1 Kelvin At the quantum limit, vacuum fluctuations determine the precision with which a signal can be measured. In this work the authors use a technique known as squeezing to greatly reduce the vacuum fluctuation noise present at microwave frequencies. Arjen Vaartjes, Anders Kringhøj & Jarryd J. Pla Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Droplet-based mechanical transducers modulated by the symmetry of wettability patterns Asymmetric mechanical transducers are pivotal in various applications; however, conventional methods demand continuous energy and intricate fabrication. Here, the authors demonstrate a droplet-based mechanical transducer utilizing wettability-patterned surfaces, enabling precise control of droplet dynamics. Luanluan Xue, An Li & Yanlin Song Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Divacancy and resonance level enables high thermoelectric performance in n-type SnSe polycrystals N-type polycrystalline SnSe shows inferior ZT to p-type polycrystalline due to its high thermal conductivity and lower power factor. The authors overcome the problem via the synergy of divacancy defect and introducing resonance level into the conduction band. Yaru Gong, Wei Dou & Guodong Tang Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Electric pulse-tuned piezotronic effect for interface engineering Interface engineering by local polarization is becoming increasingly important for tunable electronics. Here, authors demonstrate an electric pulse-tuned piezotronic effect in Ag/HfO2/n-ZnO junction, enabling reversible and accurate regulation of barrier height and piezotronic modification range. Qiuhong Yu, Rui Ge & Yong Qin Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Photoacoustic Tomography with Temporal Encoding Reconstruction (PATTERN) for cross-modal individual analysis of the whole brain Here, the authors introduce Photoacoustic Tomography with Temporal Encoding Reconstruction (PATTERN) - a high-speed, non-destructive photoacoustic brain imaging technique that constructs 3D fluorescent maps of the brain and improves upon some of the limitations associated with traditional whole-brain optical imaging techniques. Yuwen Chen, Haoyu Yang & Bo Lei Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Copper(I)-nitrene platform for chemoproteomic profiling of methionine Methionine plays an essential role in various biological and cell regulatory processes, making its chemoproteomic profiling necessary to understand its function. Here, the authors present Copper(I)-Nitrene Platform (CuNiP) for robust and selective labelling of methionine to generate highly stable sulfonyl sulfimide conjugates under physiological conditions. Samrat Sahu, Benjamin Emenike & Monika Raj Article 18 May 2024 | Open Access Enhancing in vivo cell and tissue targeting by modulation of polymer nanoparticles and macrophage decoys Targeted drug delivery in vivo is a complex challenge, and understanding the characteristics that define the behavior of delivery vehicles in vivo is vital for advancing delivery vehicle design. Here the authors use a library of polymeric delivery vehicles and high-throughput tools to study the structure-function relationships guiding the physiological fate of nanomedicines. Alexandra S. Piotrowski-Daspit, Laura G. Bracaglia & W. Mark Saltzman Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Electrically empowered microcomb laser Here the authors demonstrate a laser system that can directly output soliton microcombs, with high power efficiency and reconfigurability, paving the way for communication, computing, and metrology based on integrated photonics. Jingwei Ling, Zhengdong Gao & Qiang Lin Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Active droplets through enzyme-free, dynamic phosphorylation Despite the importance of dynamic phosphorylation in biology, enzyme-free, synthetic systems that use dynamic phosphorylation to regulate supramolecular processes are unexplored. Here, the authors report an enzyme-free chemical reaction cycle that can dynamically phosphorylate amino acids and peptides using simple phosphorylating agents and regulate supramolecular functions. Simone M. Poprawa, Michele Stasi & Job Boekhoven Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Polyoxometalate-based plasmonic electron sponge membrane for nanofluidic osmotic energy conversion Nanofluidic membranes have great potential in harvesting osmotic energy, but performance is hampered by insufficient permselectivity. Here, the authors solve this problem with a polyoxometalate-based nanofluidic plasmonic electron sponge membrane. Chengcheng Zhu, Li Xu & Chen Wang Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access A scalable Li-Al-Cl stratified structure for stable all-solid-state lithium metal batteries Sulfide electrolytes’ incompatibility with Li metal hinders their use in all-solid-state Li metal batteries. Here, the authors propose a scalable Li-Al-Cl stratified structure, formed via strain-activated phase separation, to effectively stabilize the negative electrode/electrolyte interface. Han Su, Jingru Li & Jiangping Tu Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Para-selective nitrobenzene amination lead by C(sp2)-H/N-H oxidative cross-coupling through aminyl radical Direct radical C–H amination strategies have exhibited innovation, but challenges remain with C–H amination of electron-poor nitroarenes due to the essence of the electron-deficient nitrogen radical. Herein, the authors report a transition metal-free dehydrogenative C(sp2)-H/N-H cross-coupling between electron-poor nitroarenes and amines. Zhen Zhang, Shusheng Yue & Hu Cai Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Monosymmetric Fe-N4 sites enabling durable proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathode by chemical vapor modification The limited durability of metal-nitrogen-carbon electrocatalysts hinders their use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells for the oxygen reduction reaction. Here the authors transform active sites from FeN4 to stable monosymmetric FeN2 + N’2 via chemical vapor modification, resulting in enhanced improving the durability of the catalyst. Jingsen Bai, Tuo Zhao & Wei Xing Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Time-resolved THz Stark spectroscopy of molecules in solution Stark spectroscopy of molecules in liquid solutions was once challenging due to orientation effects, solved by freezing but limiting ambient studies. Now, THz Stark spectroscopy with intense terahertz pulses enables dynamic analysis of molecules in both non-polar and polar solvents at any temperature, advancing conventional methods. Bong Joo Kang, Egmont J. Rohwer & Thomas Feurer Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Reduction of precious metal ions in aqueous solutions by contact-electro-catalysis Currently, precious metal recovery from e-waste water is usually performed by liquid extraction or sorbent processes. Here, the authors show the untapped potential of dielectric insulators as catalysts for the 1-step selective recovery of gold in aqueous solutions by contact-electrocatalysis. Yusen Su, Andy Berbille & Zhong Lin Wang Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Advancing interactive systems with liquid crystal network-based adaptive electronics There is significant interest in developing electronic units that can perform sensing, signal processing, and actuation functions independently, similar to biological systems. Lyu et al. develop electronic units based on liquid crystal oligomer networks that exhibit adaptive behavior in response to environmental stimuli such as light and heat. Pengrong Lyu, Dirk J. Broer & Danqing Liu Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Long-term relapse-free survival enabled by integrating targeted antibacteria in antitumor treatment Tumor-resident intracellular microbiota (TRIM) could be a potential target for anticancer treatment. Here the authors report Au@Ag2Se nano-assemblies enabling bacterial killing, tumor inhibition and immune regulation in tumor microenvironment. Yuanlin Wang, Yaqian Han & Miao Yu Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access A reactive neural network framework for water-loaded acidic zeolites Modelling of acidic zeolites, one of the key industrial catalysts, under realistic operating conditions is currently limited to specific cases. Here, the authors report a machine learning framework allowing for accurate high-throughput modelling. Andreas Erlebach, Martin Šípka & Lukáš Grajciar Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Disentangling the effects of structure and lone-pair electrons in the lattice dynamics of halide perovskites By comparing CsSrBr3 and CsPbBr3 with close structural similarity but the latter lacking lone-pair electrons on the octahedral metal, the authors reveal the similar vibrational anharmonicities in the two perovskites, which disentangles the electronic properties and vibrational anharmonicities. Sebastián Caicedo-Dávila, Adi Cohen & David A. Egger Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Dynamically stable radiation pressure propulsion of flexible lightsails for interstellar exploration Ultrathin laser-driven lightsails represent a unique vision for interstellar space exploration. Here, the authors show how spinning flexible membranes can be both shape- and trajectory-stable with multiphysics structural and nanophotonic engineering. Ramon Gao, Michael D. Kelzenberg & Harry A. Atwater Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Universal scaling in real dimension Universality of critical behaviour of O(N) field theories on regular homogeneous lattices is established, but open questions remain for more complex lattices. Bighin et al. study universality on a non-homogeneous graph showing that its scaling theory is controlled by a single parameter, the spectral dimension. Giacomo Bighin, Tilman Enss & Nicolò Defenu Article 17 May 2024 | Open Access Bioinformatics leading to conveniently accessible, helix enforcing, bicyclic ASX motif mimics (BAMMs) Researchers mimic protein interface helices by stapling peptide side chains, or replacing hydrogen bonds with covalent ones, and synthetic helical mimics are heavily biased towards stapling. Here the authors describe bioinformatic discovery of hydrophobic triangles at helix N-termini, and rigid, bicyclic synthetic mimics of them. Tianxiong Mi, Duyen Nguyen & Kevin Burgess Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Accelerating reliable multiscale quantum refinement of protein–drug systems enabled by machine learning Biomacromolecule structures are vital for drug design. Here, the authors integrate one or two machine learning potentials in an ONIOM-based quantum refinement method, achieving reliable drug structures at an QM level in proteins with high efficiency. Zeyin Yan, Dacong Wei & Lung Wa Chung Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Remote epitaxy of single-crystal rhombohedral WS2 bilayers Rhombohedral-stacked (R-stacked) transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers exhibit remarkable properties, but their large-area epitaxial growth remains challenging. Here, the authors report the remote epitaxy of centimetre-scale single-crystal R-stacked WS2 bilayer films on sapphire substrates. Chao Chang, Xiaowen Zhang & Xiaozhi Xu Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Single-zinc vacancy unlocks high-rate H2O2 electrosynthesis from mixed dioxygen beyond Le Chatelier principle The principle of Le Chatelier is a fundamental concept in textbooks, serving as a guiding principle for controlling chemical and catalytic systems. In this study, the authors present an oxygen electroreduction system based on a single zinc vacancy catalyst, which operates in a manner that extends “beyond” Le Chatelier’s principle. Qi Huang, Baokai Xia & Sheng Chen Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Efficient multimode Wigner tomography Standard ways of characterising quantum states incur exponential overhead. Here, the authors consider the task of reconstructing density matrices of multimode continuous variable systems, and demonstrate a method which scales polynomially with the system size, provided the state lies in a polynomial dimensional subspace. Kevin He, Ming Yuan & David I. Schuster Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Squeezed light from an oscillator measured at the rate of oscillation The authors demonstrated an unprecedented level of polarization squeezing of light generated by an atomic ensemble, and a new regime of continuous quantum measurements on a macroscopic material oscillator. Christian Bærentsen, Sergey A. Fedorov & Eugene S. Polzik Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Sustainable thermal regulation improves stability and efficiency in all-perovskite tandem solar cells Mixed Sn-Pb perovskites have emerged as promising photovoltaic materials for both single- and multi-junction solar cells. Here, authors reveal the thermal degradation mechanism and incorporate carboranes for thermal regulation, resulting in stable all-perovskite tandems with efficiency of over 27%. Shuchen Tan, Chongwen Li & Zhongmin Zhou Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Ion pair sites for efficient electrochemical extraction of uranium in real nuclear wastewater Electrochemical uranium extraction from real nuclear wastewater is appealing but challenging. Herein, Lin et al develop a strategy of ion pair site for enhanced binding of dominant uranium fluoride species in real wastewater, achieving efficient recycling of uranium as powder product. Tao Lin, Tao Chen & Rong He Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Spontaneously established reverse electric field to enhance the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators via improving Coulombic efficiency Performance of triboelectric nanogenerators is limited by electrostatic breakdown. Here, the spontaneously established reverse electric field is introduced to restrict the side-discharge problem caused by electrostatic breakdown, leading to a high Coulombic efficiency and enhanced output power. Yikui Gao, Lixia He & Jie Wang Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Dual-phase nano-glass-hydrides overcome the strength-ductility trade-off and magnetocaloric bottlenecks of rare earth based amorphous alloys Metals often suffer from reduced strength and ductility after hydrogenation. Here, the authors show hydrogenation can lead to enhancement in strength and ductility accompanied by a large change in magnetic entropy, overcoming the bottlenecks of using amorphous alloys for magnetic refrigerants. Liliang Shao, Qiang Luo & Weihua Wang Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access E-cardiac patch to sense and repair infarcted myocardium Infarted myocardium hampers the synchronous electroactivity of the cardiac tissue. Here, the authors showcase a battery-free conductive cardiac patch made of reduced graphene and its therapeutic efficacy for cardiac repair. Renjie Qiu, Xingying Zhang & Leyu Wang Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Deterministic positioning and alignment of a single-molecule exciton in plasmonic nanodimer for strong coupling Realising single molecule strong coupling with plasmons achieving both deterministic molecule positioning and dipole alignment with the mode field has proven challenging so far. Here, the authors fill this gap by placing a single molecular emitter in the gap centre of an Au nanodimer system. Renming Liu, Ming Geng & Lin Wu Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Mechanical-scan-free multicolor super-resolution imaging with diffractive spot array illumination Here, the authors use spot array illumination to enable mechanical-scan-free super-resolution microscopy with adjustable resolution and good effective field of view, demonstrating a platform for studying molecular interactions at the nanoscale. Ning Xu, Sarah E. Bohndiek & Qiaofeng Tan Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Crossover from gas-like to liquid-like molecular diffusion in a simple supercritical fluid Within the phase diagram of pure substances, the supercritical state is not fully understood. Here the authors experimentally observe a gas-like to liquid-like crossover in the self-dynamics of supercritical fluid methane upon pressure increase. Umbertoluca Ranieri, Ferdinando Formisano & Livia E. Bove Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access High-performance piezoelectric energy harvesting in amorphous perovskite thin films deposited directly on a plastic substrate Traditional methods to incorporate polycrystalline thin film into flexible systems are often complicated and limited by their sizes. Here, the authors introduce flexible amorphous thin film energy harvester, based on perovskite oxides, on a plastic substrate for electromechanical energy harvesting. Ju Han, Sung Hyun Park & Yong Soo Cho Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Dynamic microfluidic single-cell screening identifies pheno-tuning compounds to potentiate tuberculosis therapy Tuberculosis is a major global health threat. Here, the authors develop a single-cell drug discovery approach and identify a compound that tunes bacterial phenotypic variation. This enhances the activity of anti-tubercular drugs against the pathogen. Maxime Mistretta, Mena Cimino & Giulia Manina Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Mechanically robust and personalized silk fibroin-magnesium composite scaffolds with water-responsive shape-memory for irregular bone regeneration The regeneration of critical-size bone defects, especially those with irregular shapes, remains a clinical challenge. Here, the authors report a shape-memory, tailorable, self-adaptive and bioactive silk fibroin/magnesium composite scaffold that can quickly match irregular defects by simple trimming and lead to good interface integration. Zhinan Mao, Xuewei Bi & Yufeng Zheng Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Zero-shot learning enables instant denoising and super-resolution in optical fluorescence microscopy The authors introduce ZS-DeconvNet, an unsupervised computational super-resolution method for multiple types of microscopes, that enhances image resolution by more than 1.5 times over the diffraction limit with 10 times lower fluorescence than regular superresolution imaging conditions. Chang Qiao, Yunmin Zeng & Qionghai Dai Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access Carbon pricing and system reliability impacts on pathways to universal electricity access in Africa This study investigates the role of off-grid solar in achieving SDG7 in Africa, focusing on understanding the impact of carbon pricing and supply reliability. It uses high-resolution spatial analysis and demand modelling to explore policy interventions for universal electricity access. Hamish Beath, Shivika Mittal & Ajay Gambhir