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Article
Open AccessUltra-stable and highly reactive colloidal gold nanoparticle catalysts protected using multi-dentate metal oxide nanoclusters
Owing to their remarkable properties, gold nanoparticles are applied in diverse fields, including catalysis, electronics, energy conversion and sensors. However, for catalytic applications of colloidal gold na...
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Article
Open AccessIncommensurate grain-boundary atomic structure
Grain-boundary atomic structures of crystalline materials have long been believed to be commensurate with the crystal periodicity of the adjacent crystals. In the present study, we experimentally observed a Σ9...
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Article
Real-space observation of a two-dimensional electron gas at semiconductor heterointerfaces
Mobile charge carriers are essential components in high-performance, nano-engineered semiconductor devices. Employing charge carriers confined to heterointerfaces, the so-called two-dimensional electron gas, i...
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Article
Open AccessGrain boundary structural transformation induced by co-segregation of aliovalent dopants
Impurity do** is a conventional but one of the most effective ways to control the functional properties of materials. In insulating materials, the dopant solubility limit is considerably low in general, and ...
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Article
Open AccessDirect imaging of the disconnection climb mediated point defects absorption by a grain boundary
Grain boundaries (GBs) are considered as the effective sinks for point defects, which improve the radiation resistance of materials. However, the fundamental mechanisms of how the GBs absorb and annihilate poi...
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Article
Real-space visualization of intrinsic magnetic fields of an antiferromagnet
Characterizing magnetic structures down to atomic dimensions is central to the design and control of nanoscale magnetism in materials and devices. However, real-space visualization of magnetic fields at such d...
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TEM Characterization of Lattice Defects Associated with Deformation and Fracture in α-Al2O3
Alumina (α-Al2O3) is one of the representative structural ceramics. To understand its mechanical responses, the lattice defect behavior of alumina has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) f...
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Article
An elastic metal–organic crystal with a densely catenated backbone
What particular mechanical properties can be expected for materials composed of interlocked backbones has been a long-standing issue in materials science since the first reports on polycatenane and polyrotaxan...
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Article
Open AccessFlexoelectric nanodomains in rare-earth iron garnet thin films under strain gradient
Flexoelectricity is a universal property associated with dielectric materials, wherein they exhibit remanent polarization induced by strain gradient. Rare-earth iron garnets, R3Fe5O12, are ferrimagnetic insulator...
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Article
Direct imaging of atomistic grain boundary migration
Grain boundary (GB) migration plays an important role in modifying the microstructures and the related properties of polycrystalline materials, and is governed by the atomistic mechanism by which the atoms are...
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Article
Open AccessDislocation and oxygen-release driven delithiation in Li2MnO3
Lithium-excess layered cathode materials such as Li2MnO3 have attracted much attention owing to their high energy densities. It has been proposed that oxygen-release and cation-mixing might be induced by delithia...
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Article
Open AccessDiscovery of Ternary Silicon Titanium Nitride with Spinel-Type Structure
Here we report on the discovery of a ternary silicon titanium nitride with the general composition (Si1−x,Tix)3N4 with x = 0 < x < 1 and spinel-type crystal structure. The novel nitride is formed from an amorphou...
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Article
Thickness-dependent frictional behavior of topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanoplates
Two-dimensional Bi2Se3 TIs were recently found to be the most promising room-temperature topological insulators for its relatively large bulk gap, but its surface frictional response is little investigated. Here,...
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Article
Open AccessCarrier Depletion near the Grain Boundary of a SiC Bicrystal
Silicon carbide (SiC) bicrystals were prepared by diffusion bonding, and their grain boundary was observed using scanning transmission electron microscopy. The n-type electrical conductivity of a SiC single cr...
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Article
Insights into fundamental deformation processes from advanced in situ transmission electron microscopy
In situ nanomechanical testing in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy provides unique opportunities for studying fundamental deformation processes in materials. New insights have been gained by combining...
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Article
Open AccessDirect observation of atomic-scale fracture path within ceramic grain boundary core
In fracture processes, grain boundaries behave as preferential paths for crack propagation. These grain boundary fractures proceed by the atomic-bond rupture within the grain boundary cores, and thus grain bou...
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Article
Open AccessElectrical polarization induced by atomically engineered compositional gradient in complex oxide solid solution
Control of inhomogeneity in materials in order to avoid unexpected effects to the system remains a challenge. In this study, we seek to engineer inhomogeneity in materials and anticipate new properties. Throug...
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Article
Ceramic phases with one-dimensional long-range order
Solids are generally classified into three categories based on their atomic arrangement: crystalline, quasicrystalline and amorphous1–4. Here we report MgO and Nd2O3 ceramic phases with special atomic arrangement...
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Article
Overall water splitting by Ta3N5 nanorod single crystals grown on the edges of KTaO3 particles
Although one-step-excitation overall water splitting on a particulate photocatalyst is a simple means of performing scalable solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion, there is a lack of photocatalysts with signific...
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Article
Open AccessDirect electric field imaging of graphene defects
Material properties are sensitive to atomistic structure defects such as vacancies or impurities, and it is therefore important to determine not only the local atomic configuration but also their chemical bond...
