Nature Materials

June issue out Read about sintering-resistant single atom alloys, rheology of solvated hydrogels, and cancer biomarking imaging probes. We also feature a Review on in situ mechanical characterization. Noise and non-ideal characteristics at the device and circuit levels lead to errors in memristor-based analogue computing.

The Hall effect has been a powerful probe of the physics of materials for more than a century. Editorial Top of page ⤴ Measuring the bulk photovoltaic effect in twisted bilayer graphene provides a fascinating way to probe the quantum geometry shaped by interactions. News & Views Rhombohedral hexalayer graphene aligned with hexagonal boron nitride has joined the growing family of systems capable of hosting fractional Chern insulators.

The sorption and storage properties of metal–organic frameworks are extensively reported but their commercialization has been slow. Collaborative efforts from scientists, engineers and investors are needed to accelerate the transition from laboratory to the marketplace.

Improved thermoelectric refrigeration at cryogenic temperatures may lead to enhanced technologies and better research capabilities. Editorial Top of page ⤴ Liquid-state lasing has so far relied primarily on organic dyes. Charge management in colloidal quantum dot heterostructures enables optical gain and stable lasing in liquid solutions.

Mass air travel connects countries and allows building of research or academic communities, but more sustainable fuels need to be produced to address carbon emissions. Editorial Top of page ⤴ Dan Matuszak, Chief Technology Officer at the Aviation Climate Taskforce, talks to Nature Materials about the challenges and opportunities for sustainable fuels research for air travel, and how linking researchers together may aid breakthroughs.

Studies are shedding light on the mechanical properties of cellular tissues and their implications for biological processes. Editorial Top of page ⤴ A technique has been developed for automatically discovering mechanical metamaterials with desired nonlinear dynamic responses.

By precisely controlling the phases in materials with reduced dimensionality, the material properties can be tailored, leading to enhanced performance and multifunctionality. Editorial Top of page ⤴ Metastable pentagonal two-dimensional PtTe2 is grown and stabilized on a Pt(100) surface through lattice-symmetry-driven epitaxy.

The generation of attosecond pulses has opened the door to probing electron dynamics at sub-atomic scales. Beyond atomic physics, this field is envisioned to also have a decisive impact on condensed-matter physics, chemistry and biology.

Stacked atomic layers that interact via van der Waals forces offer a confined interlayer space for stabilizing unconventional materials or physical states, enabling a versatile platform for engineering structural configurations and properties at the atomic level. Editorial Top of page ⤴ News & Views Adding homogeneously dispersed oxide nanoparticles to aluminium pushes its high-temperature strength up to 500 °C.

A synthesis method for large-scale conjugated polymers as well as studies under operational conditions show that research on organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors continues to progress.