Materials : Highlights
: Materials Articles
News and Views: Aluminium: Simple metal no moreAluminium is regarded as a simple system in which to test for phenomena occurring at high pressure. Ab initio calculations now show that this metal undergoes a surprising transition to an incommensurate structure when it is subjected to extremely high pressures. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp607-608 |
News and Views: Magnetoelectrics: The Universe in a solid designA new material designed from first principles and subsequently synthesized and characterized in the laboratory may shed light on why there is much more matter than antimatter in the Universe. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp608-609 |
News and Views: Metal?organic frameworks: Enlightened poresThe functionalization of crystalline porous materials is frequently limited to groups inert to the microscopic structure. Photoconversion of dormant precursors into highly reactive species shines light on the problem. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp609-610 |
News and Views: Graphene: Ribbons piece-by-pieceDirected assembly of molecular precursors allows the fabrication of graphene nanoribbons with atomic precision. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp611-612 |
News and Views: Biomaterials: Plastic antibodiesImprinting molecular memory on the surface of polymer nanoparticles creates artificial antibodies that can recognize and neutralize a toxic peptide in vivo. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp612-614 |
News and Views: Nanofriction: Surfing on graphite wavesFriction is rarely studied at high sliding speeds between surfaces. However, simulations now suggest that gold clusters on atomically flat graphite can enter a new regime of ballistic friction, featuring a peculiar anticorrelation between translation and rotation. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp615-616 |
News and Views: ?-Electron systems: Building molecules for a functionThe versatility and potential of conjugated organic materials continues to amaze, with their unique ? and sometimes unexpected ? properties being continuously discovered and harnessed by scientists in an attempt to use them in functional devices. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp616-617 |
Letter: Atomistic free-volume zones and inelastic deformation of metallic glassesThe amorphous nature of metallic glasses makes them interesting for structural applications. However, the interplay between the nature of atomic structures and mechanical properties remains poorly understood. Dynamic micropillar tests now show the important contribution of the inelastic deformation of atomistic free-volume zones to the deformation behaviour of metallic glasses. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp619-623 |
Letter: Aluminium at terapascal pressuresWhat happens to a crystal placed under a huge pressure? In the case of aluminium, it is now shown that the standard, low-pressure close-packed structure transforms into an open one, with incommensurate host?guest arrangement. The findings could have important implications for a wider range of elements. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp624-627 |
Letter: High magnetic-field scales and critical currents in SmFeAs(O,F) crystalsRegardless of what the origin of superconductivity is in the recently discovered iron-based superconductor, it would be useful to know how good these materials are for applications. Sophisticated experiments now show that SmFeAs0.75F0.25 exhibits a high and nearly isotropic critical current, a potentially important result for their use in applications. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp628-633 |
Letter: Ballistic nanofrictionFriction between two surfaces is usually studied at low relative sliding speeds. A molecular dynamics study now explores friction at high speeds, showing the emergence of a ballistic friction regime, qualitatively different from standard drift friction. The findings might have important implications for applications in nanoelectromechanical systems. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp634-637 |
Letter: Spin injection/detection using an organic-based magnetic semiconductorAn important component of spintronics devices is the magnetic electrode, which is usually made from an inorganic alloy. However, an organic-based spin polarizer is now demonstrated, opening new possibilities for developing organic/inorganic hybrid spintronics devices. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp638-642 |
Letter: Multimaterial piezoelectric fibresFibres are typically used as passive devices, whether in fibre-optical cables used in telecommunciations or as yarns for clothing. The demonstration of polymer-based piezoelectric fibres that can be drawn to tens of metres in length, and whose acoustic response can be actively controlled, suggests possible applications in, for example, medical imaging or acoustic sensing. Nature Materials, vol. 9 #8, pp643-648 |
