{"title":"Achieving small singlet–triplet energy gaps in polycyclic heteroaromatic emitters","authors":"Rajat Walia, Xin Xiong, Xiao-Chun Fan, Ting-Feng Chen, Hui Wang, Kai Wang, Yi-Zhong Shi, Xun Tang, Jean-Luc Bredas, Chihaya Adachi, Xian-Kai Chen, Xiao-Hong Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02309-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02309-4","url":null,"abstract":"In polycyclic heteroaromatic (PHA) emitters, which possess great potential for application in ultrahigh-definition displays, the origin of a small singlet–triplet energy gap (ΔES1T1) and its relationship with the molecular structure still remain poorly established. Here we derive an effective expression for ΔES1T1, in which ΔES1T1 positively depends on 2KHL (where KHL is the exchange energy between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO)) and on the energy gap between LUMO and LUMO + 1 (ΔELUMO–LUMO+1). This expression for ΔES1T1 is validated over a series of 100 reported PHA emitters. It allows us to easily identify various molecular design approaches for managing ΔES1T1 by synergistically regulating 2KHL and ΔELUMO–LUMO+1. The proof-of-concept PHA molecules were synthesized and characterized to further confirm the validity of this expression for ΔES1T1. Overall, our work provides a physical picture to not only modulate ΔES1T1 in emerging PHA emitters but also design and screen such materials with small ΔES1T1. Insight into the singlet–triplet energy gap and molecular structure relationship in polycyclic heteroaromatic molecules enables organic light-emitting diodes based on multiresonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence, with improved efficiency and roll-off.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 10","pages":"1576-1583"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144701433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02278-8
Amin Hashemi, Elizabeth Louis Pereira, Hongwei Li, Jose L. Lado, Andrea Blanco-Redondo
{"title":"Observation of non-Hermitian topology from optical loss modulation","authors":"Amin Hashemi, Elizabeth Louis Pereira, Hongwei Li, Jose L. Lado, Andrea Blanco-Redondo","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02278-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02278-8","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the interplay of non-Hermiticity and topology is crucial given the intrinsic openness of most natural and engineered systems, and has important ramifications in topological lasers and sensors. Recently, it has been theoretically proposed that topological features could originate solely from a system’s non-Hermiticity in photonic platforms. Here we experimentally demonstrate the appearance of non-Hermitian topology exclusively from loss modulation in a photonic system that is topologically trivial in the absence of loss. We do this by implementing a non-Hermitian generalization of an Aubry–André–Harper model with purely imaginary potential in a programmable integrated photonics platform, which allows us to investigate different periodic and quasiperiodic configurations of the model. In both cases, we show the emergence of topological edge modes and explore their resilience to different kinds of disorder. Our work highlights loss engineering as a mechanism to generate topological properties. Using a reconfigurable integrated photonic platform, the authors reveal the appearance of non-Hermitian topology and the existence of edge modes emerging exclusively from optical loss modulation.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 9","pages":"1393-1399"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02298-4
{"title":"Modulation of optical loss leads to robust localization of light","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02298-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02298-4","url":null,"abstract":"Optical loss usually leads to dissipation, but has been shown, counterintuitively, to create strong light localization. This demonstration — realized by implementing a photonic arrangement with a special topology in a programmable integrated photonic platform — highlights loss as a powerful control of the topological properties of electromagnetic modes.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 9","pages":"1344-1345"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144684942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02293-9
Kun Zhang, Tonghuan Yang, Tao Chen, Yali Yang, Zewen Jiang, Chuan Gao, Yuxuan Zuo, Wukun Xiao, Dingguo Xia
{"title":"An amorphous Li–V–O–F cathode with tetrahedral coordination and O–O formal redox at low voltage","authors":"Kun Zhang, Tonghuan Yang, Tao Chen, Yali Yang, Zewen Jiang, Chuan Gao, Yuxuan Zuo, Wukun Xiao, Dingguo Xia","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02293-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02293-9","url":null,"abstract":"The ever-increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries has necessitated the development of high-performance cathode materials. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on crystal cathodes comprising the octahedral coordination of metal atoms and a well-ordered layered topology. This omits other cathode materials with other structures or coordination that could potentially surpass conventional counterparts in terms of performance. Here, using X-ray diffraction, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption near-edge spectra experiments, we investigated an amorphous Li–V–O–F cathode (a-LVOF) with tetrahedral coordination and elucidated an O–O formal redox mechanism at a moderate voltage of 4.1 V, without a conventional octahedral Li–O–Li configuration. The electrochemically amorphized material fosters randomly distributed VO4 units and scattered dangling oxygen bonds, which facilitated O–O binding. Moreover, a-LVOF demonstrates a high capacity of 230 mAh g−1. Our findings reveal a low-voltage O–O formal redox mechanism in an amorphized cathode material. Cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries typically possess octahedral coordination, which may exclude other possible solutions to degradation during deep cycling. A series of tetrahedral-framework-based amorphous Li–V–O–F materials are investigated, and shown to demonstrate O–O formal redox at 4.1 V.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 10","pages":"1600-1607"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02293-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144677765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02290-y
Nileema Sharma, Matthew Toole, James McKenzie, Sheng Ran, Xiaolong Liu
{"title":"Atomic-scale frustrated Josephson coupling and multicondensate visualization in FeSe","authors":"Nileema Sharma, Matthew Toole, James McKenzie, Sheng Ran, Xiaolong Liu","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02290-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02290-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In a Josephson junction involving multiband superconductors, competition between interband and interjunction Josephson couplings gives rise to frustration and spatial disjunction of superfluid densities among superconducting condensates<sup>1,2,3,4,5,6,7</sup>. Such frustrated coupling manifests as the quantum interference of Josephson currents from different tunnelling channels and becomes tunable if channel transparency can be varied<sup>5,6,7,8</sup>. To explore these unconventional effects in the prototypical <i>s</i><sup>±</sup>-wave superconductor FeSe (ref. <sup>9</sup>), we use atomic-resolution scanned Josephson tunnelling microscopy<sup>10,11,12,13</sup> for condensate-resolved imaging and junction tuning—capabilities unattainable in macroscopic Josephson devices with fixed characteristics. We quantitatively demonstrate frustrated Josephson tunnelling by examining two tunnelling inequalities. The relative transparency of two parallel tunnelling pathways is found tunable, revealing a tendency towards a 0–π transition with decreasing scanned Josephson tunnelling microscopy junction resistance. The simultaneous visualization of both superconducting condensates reveals anticorrelated superfluid modulations, highlighting the role of interband scattering. Our study establishes scanned Josephson tunnelling microscopy as a powerful tool enabling new research frontiers of multicondensate superconductivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144677764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02294-8
Oskar Sachnik, Naomi Kinaret, Rishabh Saxena, Marvin Manz, Wenlan Liu, Jacob T. Blaskovits, Denis Andrienko, Jasper J. Michels, Paul W. M. Blom, Gert-Jan. A. H. Wetzelaer
{"title":"Pure-blue single-layer organic light-emitting diodes based on trap-free hyperfluorescence","authors":"Oskar Sachnik, Naomi Kinaret, Rishabh Saxena, Marvin Manz, Wenlan Liu, Jacob T. Blaskovits, Denis Andrienko, Jasper J. Michels, Paul W. M. Blom, Gert-Jan. A. H. Wetzelaer","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02294-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02294-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Blue organic light-emitting diodes based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence suffer from low stability and broad emission. Hyperfluorescence—in which the excited state created on the thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter is transferred to a fluorescent terminal emitter with a narrow emission spectrum—is promising towards improving colour purity and stability. However, direct charge trapping on the smaller-gap terminal emitter may lead to direct emissive losses, inhibited charge transport and charge imbalance. Here we demonstrate single-layer pure-blue hyperfluorescent organic light-emitting diodes that are not compromised by charge trapping on the terminal emitter. We reveal that the energetic disorder of the thermally activated delayed fluorescence sensitizer allows for the presence of a terminal emitter with a smaller energy gap, without affecting charge transport. Consequently, the stability benefits of single-layer organic light-emitting diodes can be combined with trap-free hyperfluorescence, resulting in pure-blue emission, a simple device structure, high quantum and power efficiencies, and state-of-the-art operational stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":41.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144669985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02299-3
Xiaoqiong Xia, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
{"title":"Deep learning unlocks antimicrobial self-assembling peptides","authors":"Xiaoqiong Xia, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02299-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02299-3","url":null,"abstract":"A deep-learning framework identifies peptides that show antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, eradicate biofilms, and treat intestinal bacterial infection in mice.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 8","pages":"1168-1169"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144669982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02287-7
Yanan Sun, Gustav Åvall, Shu-Han Wu, Guillermo A. Ferrero, Annica Freytag, Pedro B. Groszewicz, Hui Wang, Katherine A. Mazzio, Matteo Bianchini, Volodymyr Baran, Sebastian Risse, Philipp Adelhelm
{"title":"Solvent co-intercalation in layered cathode active materials for sodium-ion batteries","authors":"Yanan Sun, Gustav Åvall, Shu-Han Wu, Guillermo A. Ferrero, Annica Freytag, Pedro B. Groszewicz, Hui Wang, Katherine A. Mazzio, Matteo Bianchini, Volodymyr Baran, Sebastian Risse, Philipp Adelhelm","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02287-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02287-7","url":null,"abstract":"Solvent co-intercalation, that is, the combined intercalation of ions and solvent molecules into electrode materials, is an additional but much less explored lever for modifying the properties of metal-ion battery electrodes (metal = Li, Na, Mg, etc.). Knowledge on solvent co-intercalation is relatively scarce and largely limited to graphite anodes, for which in sodium-ion batteries, the co-intercalation of glyme molecules is fast and highly reversible. The use of co-intercalation for cathode active materials (CAMs) remains much less explored. Here we investigate for a series of sodium-layered sulfide CAMs (NaxMS2, M = Ti, V, Cr and mixtures) under which conditions solvent co-intercalation occurs and how this process impacts the phase behaviour, electrode breathing, redox potential and cycle life compared to ‘Na+-only’ intercalation. Co-intercalation is a complex process that can, for example, cause opposing fluxes, meaning that solvents intercalate into the CAMs while sodium ions simultaneously deintercalate. Co-intercalation leads to layered structures that can include different amounts of confined solvated ions, ions and unbound solvent molecules. It is an approach to designing structurally diverse, layered materials with potential applications for batteries and beyond. Solvent co-intercalation into graphite anodes for sodium-ion batteries is common; however, intercalation into cathodes is much less explored. Here, using operando experiments as well as theory, solvent co-intercalation in a range of layered sulfides is investigated.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 9","pages":"1441-1449"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02287-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02305-8
Congqi Li, Yunhao Cai, Pengfei Hu, Tao Liu, Lei Zhu, Rui Zeng, Fei Han, Ming Zhang, Meng Zhang, Jikai Lv, Yuanxin Ma, Dexia Han, Meng Zhang, Qijie Lin, Jingwen Xu, Na Yu, Jiawei Qiao, Jiarui Wang, Xin Zhang, Jianlong Xia, Zheng Tang, Long Ye, Xiaoyi Li, Zihao Xu, Xiaotao Hao, Qian Peng, Feng Liu, Lin Guo, Hui Huang
{"title":"Organic solar cells with 21% efficiency enabled by a hybrid interfacial layer with dual-component synergy","authors":"Congqi Li, Yunhao Cai, Pengfei Hu, Tao Liu, Lei Zhu, Rui Zeng, Fei Han, Ming Zhang, Meng Zhang, Jikai Lv, Yuanxin Ma, Dexia Han, Meng Zhang, Qijie Lin, Jingwen Xu, Na Yu, Jiawei Qiao, Jiarui Wang, Xin Zhang, Jianlong Xia, Zheng Tang, Long Ye, Xiaoyi Li, Zihao Xu, Xiaotao Hao, Qian Peng, Feng Liu, Lin Guo, Hui Huang","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02305-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02305-8","url":null,"abstract":"The cathode interfacial layer (CIL) critically influences electron extraction and charge recombination, thereby playing a pivotal role in organic solar cells (OSCs). However, most state-of-the-art CILs are constrained by limited conductivity, high recombination and poor morphology, which collectively hinder device efficiency and stability. Here we report an inorganic–organic hybrid CIL (AZnO-F3N), developed by a dual-component synergy strategy, which integrates organic material PNDIT-F3N with two-dimensional amorphous zinc oxide. This design leverages the synergistic interactions between two-dimensional amorphous zinc oxide and PNDIT-F3N, resulting in reduced interfacial defect, enhanced conductivity and improved film uniformity. OSCs incorporating the AZnO-F3N CIL exhibit more efficient charge extraction and transport, along with reduced recombination. Consequently, a D18:L8-BO-based binary OSC achieves an efficiency of 20.6%. The introduction of BTP-eC9 as the third component further elevates the efficiency to 21.0% (certified as 20.8%). Moreover, the CIL demonstrates versatility across various active layers, thick-film configuration and flexible devices, underscoring its great potential to advance OSC technology. A hybrid cathode interfacial layer (AZnO-F3N) is developed, delivering 21.0% efficiency along with excellent stability, mechanical robustness and broad versatility, highlighting its potential to advance organic solar cells.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 10","pages":"1626-1634"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature MaterialsPub Date : 2025-07-17DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02292-w
Lingli Huang, Thuc Hue Ly
{"title":"Intrinsic defects unlock the growth of rhombohedral stacking","authors":"Lingli Huang, Thuc Hue Ly","doi":"10.1038/s41563-025-02292-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41563-025-02292-w","url":null,"abstract":"Wafer-scale growth of rhombohedral-stacked molybdenum disulfide is achieved through homoepitaxy promoted by intrinsic defects, which enables scalable and fatigue-resistant ferroelectric field-effect transistors.","PeriodicalId":19058,"journal":{"name":"Nature Materials","volume":"24 8","pages":"1154-1155"},"PeriodicalIF":38.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144645331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}