Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-02-22DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00752-z
Michael Meindlhumer, Markus Alfreider, Noel Sheshi, Anton Hohenwarter, Juraj Todt, Martin Rosenthal, Manfred Burghammer, Enrico Salvati, Jozef Keckes, Daniel Kiener
{"title":"Resolving the fundamentals of the <i>J</i>-integral concept by multi-method in situ nanoscale stress-strain mapping.","authors":"Michael Meindlhumer, Markus Alfreider, Noel Sheshi, Anton Hohenwarter, Juraj Todt, Martin Rosenthal, Manfred Burghammer, Enrico Salvati, Jozef Keckes, Daniel Kiener","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00752-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-025-00752-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The integrity of structural materials is oftentimes defined by their resistance against catastrophic failure through dissipative plastic processes at the crack tip, commonly quantified by the <i>J</i>-integral concept. However, to date the experimental stress and strain fields necessary to quantify the <i>J</i>-integral associated with local crack propagation in its original integral form were inaccessible. Here, we present a multi-method nanoscale strain- and stress-mapping surrounding a growing crack tip in two identical miniaturized fracture specimens made from a nanocrystalline FeCrMnNiCo high-entropy alloy. The respective samples were tested in situ in a scanning electron microscope and a synchrotron X-ray nanodiffraction setup, with detailed analyzes of loading states during elastic loading, crack tip blunting and general yielding, corroborated by a detailed elastic-plastic finite element model. This complementary in situ methodology uniquely enabled a detailed quantification of the <i>J</i>-integral along different integration paths from experimental nanoscale stress and strain fields. We find that conventional linear-elastic and elastic-plastic models, typically used to interpret fracture phenomena, have limited applicability at micron to nanoscale distances from propagating cracks. This for the first time unravels a limit to the path-independence of the <i>J</i>-integral, which has significant implications in the development and assessment of modern damage-tolerant materials and microstructures.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11846709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143491098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00795-2
Elena F Bazarkina, Stephen Bauters, Yves Watier, Stephan Weiss, Sergei M Butorin, Kristina O Kvashnina
{"title":"Exploring cluster formation in uranium oxidation using high resolution X-ray spectroscopy at elevated temperatures.","authors":"Elena F Bazarkina, Stephen Bauters, Yves Watier, Stephan Weiss, Sergei M Butorin, Kristina O Kvashnina","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00795-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00795-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Uranium dioxide (UO<sub>2</sub>) is a complex material with significant relevance to nuclear energy, materials science, and fundamental research. Understanding its high-temperature behavior is crucial for developing new uranium-based materials and improving nuclear fuel efficiency in nuclear reactors. Here we study the evolution of uranium state during the oxidation of UO<sub>2</sub> in air at temperatures up to 550 °C using the in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy in high energy resolution fluorescence detection mode at the U M<sub>4</sub> edge, combined with electronic structure calculations. Our data reveal a complex sequence of events occurring over minutes and hours at elevated temperatures, including changes in the electronic and local structure, <i>5</i> <i>f</i> electron occupancy, the formation of U cuboctahedral clusters, and the creation of U<sub>4</sub>O<sub>9</sub> and U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7</sub> mixed U oxide phases. These findings highlight the fundamental role of clustering processes and pentavalent uranium in both the oxidation process and the stabilization of uranium materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"75"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12006023/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143969846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00823-1
Abinaya Arunachalam, Tim Oosterhoff, Isabel Breet, Peter Dijkstra, Roshan Akdar Mohamed Yunus, Daniele Parisi, Bram Knegt, Mirka Macel, Marleen Kamperman
{"title":"Harnessing the bio-adhesive power of natural deep eutectic solvents for trichome-inspired pest control.","authors":"Abinaya Arunachalam, Tim Oosterhoff, Isabel Breet, Peter Dijkstra, Roshan Akdar Mohamed Yunus, Daniele Parisi, Bram Knegt, Mirka Macel, Marleen Kamperman","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00823-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-025-00823-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The carnivorous <i>Drosera</i> species employ hair-like appendages called trichomes that secrete a deadly adhesive consisting of an acidic polysaccharide, sugars, organic acids, and water to capture prey insects. Here, we develop a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides using hyaluronic acid in a sugar-based natural deep eutectic solvent to mimic the composition and trapping mechanism of the <i>Drosera</i> mucilage. We formulate trichome biomimetic adhesives that become sprayable with added water to lower their viscosity, which can then regain the required adhesiveness as water evaporates up to the equilibrium content. Using a custom indentation setup, we measure promising adhesion energies between 9.5-14.5 µJ over one week, along with the formation of elongated fibrils (>2.3 cm) for the best-performing sample. Additionally, the material shows no phytotoxicity for over two weeks and effectively immobilizes western flower thrips through multiple contact points with the material in Petri dish bioassays, highlighting its efficacy and trapping mechanism akin to natural trichomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"101"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088983/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144119107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-03-29DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00776-5
Nils Holle, Sebastian Walfort, Riccardo Mazzarello, Martin Salinga
{"title":"Effect of Peierls-like distortions on transport in amorphous phase change devices.","authors":"Nils Holle, Sebastian Walfort, Riccardo Mazzarello, Martin Salinga","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00776-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-025-00776-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Today, devices based on phase change materials (PCMs) are expanding beyond their traditional application in non-volatile memory, emerging as promising components for future neuromorphic computing systems. Despite this maturity, the electronic transport in the amorphous phase is still not fully understood, which holds in particular for the resistance drift. This phenomenon has been linked to physical aging of the glassy state. PCM glasses seem to evolve towards structures with increasing Peierls-like distortions. Here, we provide direct evidence for a link between Peierls-like distortions and local current densities in nanoscale phase change devices. This supports the idea of the evolution of these distortions as a source of resistance drift. Using a combination of density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function calculations, we show that electronic transport proceeds by states close to the Fermi level that extend over less distorted atomic environments. We further show that nanoconfinement of a PCM leads to a wealth of phenomena in the atomic and electronic structure as well as electronic transport, which can only be understood when interfaces to confining materials are included in the simulation. Our results therefore highlight the importance and prospects of atomistic-level interface design for the advancement of nanoscaled phase change devices.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"56"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11953050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143751424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-13DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00788-1
Philip Jw Moll
{"title":"Geometrical design of 3D superconducting diodes.","authors":"Philip Jw Moll","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00788-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00788-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The design of advanced functionality in superconducting electronics usually focuses on materials engineering, either in heterostructures or in compounds of unconventional quantum materials. Here we demonstrate a different strategy to bespoke function by controlling the 3D shape of superconductors on the micron-scale. As a demonstration, a large superconducting diode effect is engineered solely by 3D shape design of a conventional superconductor, ion-beam deposited tungsten. Its highly efficient diode behavior appears from its triangular cross-section when vortices break time-reversal and all mirror symmetries. Interestingly reciprocity is observed at four low-symmetry field angles where diode behavior would be expected. This can be understood as a geometric mechanism unique to triangular superconductors. Geometry and topology induce a rich internal structure due to the high-dimensional tuning parameter space of 3D microstructures, inaccessible to the conventional 2D design strategies in thin films.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"73"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11994448/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143971570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-07DOI: 10.1038/s43246-024-00721-y
Nassir Mokarram, Ayden Case, Nadia N Hossainy, Johnathan G Lyon, Tobey J MacDonald, Ravi Bellamkonda
{"title":"Device-assisted strategies for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier to treat glioblastoma.","authors":"Nassir Mokarram, Ayden Case, Nadia N Hossainy, Johnathan G Lyon, Tobey J MacDonald, Ravi Bellamkonda","doi":"10.1038/s43246-024-00721-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-024-00721-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The blood-brain barrier, essential for protecting the central nervous system, also restricts drug delivery to this region. Thus, delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier is an active research area in immunology, oncology, and neurology; moreover, novel methods are urgently needed to expand therapeutic options for central nervous system pathologies. While previous strategies have focused on small molecules that modulate blood-brain barrier permeability or penetrate the barrier, there is an increased focus on biomedical devices-external or implanted-for improving drug delivery. Here, we review device-assisted drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, emphasizing its application in glioblastoma, an aggressively malignant primary brain cancer in which the blood-brain barrier plays a central role. We examine the blood-brain barrier and its features in glioblastoma, emerging models for studying the blood-brain barrier, and device-assisted methods for crossing the blood-brain barrier. We conclude by presenting methods to monitor the blood-brain barrier and paradigms for combined cross-BBB drug delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11706785/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142945882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00773-8
Stefanie D Pritzl, Johannes Morstein, Nikolaj A Pritzl, Jan Lipfert, Theobald Lohmüller, Dirk H Trauner
{"title":"Photoswitchable phospholipids for the optical control of membrane processes, protein function, and drug delivery.","authors":"Stefanie D Pritzl, Johannes Morstein, Nikolaj A Pritzl, Jan Lipfert, Theobald Lohmüller, Dirk H Trauner","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00773-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-025-00773-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent insights into the function and composition of cell membranes have transformed our understanding from primarily viewing these structures as passive barriers to recognizing them as dynamic entities actively involved in many cellular functions. This review highlights advances in the photopharmacology of phospholipids, emphasizing in particular the role of diacylglycerophospholipids and the impact of their polymorphic nature on synthetic and cellular membrane properties and metabolic processes. We explore photoswitchable diacylglycerophospholipids, termed 'photolipids', which permit precise, reversible modifications of membrane properties via light-induced isomerization. The ability to optically switch phospholipid properties has potential applications in controlling membrane dynamics, protein function, and cellular signaling pathways, and offers promising strategies for drug delivery and treatment of diseases. Developments in azobenzene and hemithioindigo based photolipids are discussed, underscoring their utility in biomedical and biomaterial science applications due to their unique photophysical properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"59"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11961368/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-12DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00789-0
Federico Bisti, Paolo Settembri, Jan Minár, Victor A Rogalev, Roland Widmer, Oliver Gröning, Ming Shi, Thorsten Schmitt, Gianni Profeta, Vladimir N Strocov
{"title":"Evidence of spin and charge density waves in Chromium electronic bands.","authors":"Federico Bisti, Paolo Settembri, Jan Minár, Victor A Rogalev, Roland Widmer, Oliver Gröning, Ming Shi, Thorsten Schmitt, Gianni Profeta, Vladimir N Strocov","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00789-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00789-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) of Chromium represents the classic example of itinerant antiferromagnetism induced by the nesting of the Fermi surface, which is further enriched by the co-presence of a charge density wave (CDW). Here, we explore its electronic band structure using soft-X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) for a proper bulk-sensitive investigation. We find that the long-range magnetic order gives rise to a very rich ARPES signal, which can only be interpreted with a proper first-principles description of the SDW and CDW, combined with a band unfolding procedure, reaching a remarkable agreement with experiments. Additional features of the SDW order are obscured by superimposed effects related to the photoemission process, which, unexpectedly, are not predicted by the free-electron model for the final states. We demonstrate that, even for excitation photon energies up to 1 keV, a multiple scattering description of the photoemission final states is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11993358/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143989200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-07DOI: 10.1038/s43246-024-00729-4
Jens Oppliger, Julia Küspert, Ann-Christin Dippel, Martin V Zimmermann, Olof Gutowski, Xiaolin Ren, Xingjiang Zhou, Zhihai Zhu, Ruggero Frison, Qisi Wang, Leonardo Martinelli, Izabela Biało, Johan Chang
{"title":"Discovery of giant unit-cell super-structure in the infinite-layer nickelate PrNiO<sub>2+<i>x</i></sub>.","authors":"Jens Oppliger, Julia Küspert, Ann-Christin Dippel, Martin V Zimmermann, Olof Gutowski, Xiaolin Ren, Xingjiang Zhou, Zhihai Zhu, Ruggero Frison, Qisi Wang, Leonardo Martinelli, Izabela Biało, Johan Chang","doi":"10.1038/s43246-024-00729-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00729-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discovery of unconventional superconductivity often triggers significant interest in associated electronic and structural symmetry breaking phenomena. For the infinite-layer nickelates, structural allotropes are investigated intensively. Here, using high-energy grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction, we demonstrate how in-situ temperature annealing of the infinite-layer nickelate PrNiO<sub>2+<i>x</i></sub> (<i>x</i> ≈ 0) induces a giant superlattice structure. The annealing effect has a maximum well above room temperature. By covering a large scattering volume, we show a rare period-six in-plane (bi-axial) symmetry and a period-four symmetry in the out-of-plane direction. This giant unit-cell superstructure-likely stemming from ordering of diffusive oxygen-persists over a large temperature range and can be quenched. As such, the stability and controlled annealing process leading to the formation of this superlattice structure provides a pathway for novel nickelate chemistry.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11703755/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142945884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Communications MaterialsPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00781-8
Christoph Meinert, Angus Weekes, Chun-Wei Chang, Karsten Schrobback, Amy Gelmi, Molly M Stevens, Dietmar W Hutmacher, Travis J Klein
{"title":"Crosslinking substrate regulates frictional properties of tissue-engineered cartilage and chondrocyte response to loading.","authors":"Christoph Meinert, Angus Weekes, Chun-Wei Chang, Karsten Schrobback, Amy Gelmi, Molly M Stevens, Dietmar W Hutmacher, Travis J Klein","doi":"10.1038/s43246-025-00781-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s43246-025-00781-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hydrogels are frequently used in regenerative medicine due to their hydrated, tissue-compatible nature, and tuneable mechanics. While many strategies enable bulk mechanical modulation, little attention is given to tuning surface tribology, and its impact on cellular behavior under mechanical stimuli. Here, we demonstrate that photocrosslinking hydrogels on hydrophobic substrates leads to significant, long-lasting reductions in surface friction, ideal for cartilage tissue regeneration. Gelatin methacryloyl and hyaluronic acid methacrylate hydrogels photocrosslinked on polytetrafluoroethylene possess more hydrated, lubricious surfaces, with lower friction coefficients and crosslinking densities than those crosslinked on glass. This facilitated self-lubrication via water exudation, limiting shear during biaxial stimulation. When subject to intermittent biaxial loading mimicking joint movement, low-friction chondrocyte-laden neo-tissues formed superior hyaline cartilage, confirming the benefits of reduced friction on tissue development. Finally, in situ photocrosslinking enabled precise hydrogel formation in a full-thickness cartilage defect, highlighting the clinical potential and emphasizing the importance of crosslinking substrate in regenerative medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":10589,"journal":{"name":"Communications Materials","volume":"6 1","pages":"55"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11949837/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143751420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}