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Biofabricated semiconductor arrays exhibit smaller channel pitches than those created using existing lithographic methods. However, the metal ions within biolattices and the submicrometer dimensions of typical biotemplates result in both poor transport performance and a lack of large-area array uniformity. Using DNA-templated parallel carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays as model systems, we developed a rinsing-after-fixing approach to improve the key transport performance metrics by more than a factor of 10 compared with those of previous biotemplated field-effect transistors. We also used spatially confined placement of assembled CNT arrays within polymethyl methacrylate cavities to demonstrate centimeter-scale alignment. At the interface of high-performance electronics and biomolecular self-assembly, such approaches may enable the production of scalable biotemplated electronics that are sensitive to local biological environments.

Nature Communications, Published online: 20 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16237-1

NiFe and CoFe layered double hydroxides are among the most active electrocatalysts for the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction. Here, by combining operando experiments and rigorous DFT calculations, the authors unravel their active phase, the reaction center and the catalytic mechanism.

Tsai et al. (Reports, 6 April 2018, p. 67) report a uniform light-induced lattice expansion of metal halide perovskite films under 1-sun illumination and claim to exclude heat-induced lattice expansion. We show that by controlling the temperature of the perovskite film under both dark and illuminated conditions, the mechanism for lattice expansion is in fact fully consistent with heat-induced thermal expansion during illumination.

Transition metal–catalyzed coupling reactions have become one of the most important tools in modern synthesis. However, an inherent limitation to these reactions is the need to balance operations, because the factors that favor bond cleavage via oxidative addition ultimately inhibit bond formation via reductive elimination. Here, we describe an alternative strategy that exploits simple visible-light excitation of palladium to drive both oxidative addition and reductive elimination with low barriers. Palladium-catalyzed carbonylations can thereby proceed under ambient conditions, with challenging aryl or alkyl halides and difficult nucleophiles, and generate valuable carbonyl derivatives such as acid chlorides, esters, amides, or ketones in a now-versatile fashion. Mechanistic studies suggest that concurrent excitation of palladium(0) and palladium(II) intermediates is responsible for this activity.

Edge supercurrents in superconductors have long been an elusive target. Interest in them has reappeared in the context of topological superconductivity. We report evidence for the existence of a robust edge supercurrent in the Weyl superconductor molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂). In a magnetic field B, fluxoid quantization generates a periodic modulation of the edge condensate observable as a "fast-mode" oscillation of the critical current I_c versus B. The fast-mode frequency is distinct from the conventional Fraunhofer oscillation displayed by the bulk supercurrent. We confirm that the fast-mode frequency increases with crystal area as expected for an edge supercurrent. In addition, weak excitation branches are resolved that display an unusual broken symmetry.

Nature Communications, Published online: 01 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15993-4

The driving force for charge transfer in photoelectrochemical systems is typically derived from band bending at a surface-electrolyte interface. In this work, battery-type lithiation of TiO2 generates a built-in electric field in the bulk material, giving a 750% enhancement in photocurrent density.

Nature Communications, Published online: 06 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16062-6

Bottom-up design of functional device components based on nanometer-sized building blocks relies on accurate control of their self-assembly behavior. Here, the authors demonstrate a solvent-mediated polymerization of atom-precise gold–silver nanoclusters into macroscopic single crystals with highly anisotropic p-type semiconducting characteristics.

Nature Communications, Published online: 07 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16119-6

Single atom catalysts (SACs) are promising in electrocatalysis but challenging to characterize. Here, the authors apply a recently developed quantum mechanical grand canonical potential kinetics method to predict reaction mechanisms and rates for CO2 reduction at different sites of graphene-supported Ni-SACs.

Nature Communications, Published online: 11 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15829-1

Experimental control of electron-electron interactions in materials is challenging. Here, the authors control the interactions by proximity screening with gate dielectrics of nanometer thickness, revealing qualitative changes in concentration and temperature dependences, and validating their analysis using electron hydrodynamics and umklapp scattering approaches.

Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16377-4

Author Correction: Ferromagnetic quasi-atomic electrons in two-dimensional electride

Nature Communications, Published online: 15 May 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15715-w

The dimensional dependence of charge density wave (CDW) in two-dimensional dichalcogenides remains puzzled. Here, Lin et al. study trends of CDW ordering in an isoelectronic group of materials 2H-MX2 and provide a unified understanding involving several microscopic factors.